96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
HB1851

 

Introduced 2/18/2009, by Rep. Michael J. Madigan - Barbara Flynn Currie - Maria Antonia Berrios

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
410 ILCS 65/2   from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 8052

    Amends the Illinois Rural/Downstate Health Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning legislative findings.


LRB096 05540 RPM 15606 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB1851 LRB096 05540 RPM 15606 b

1     AN ACT concerning health.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Illinois Rural/Downstate Health Act is
5 amended by changing Section 2 as follows:
 
6     (410 ILCS 65/2)  (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 8052)
7     Sec. 2. The The General Assembly finds that citizens in the
8 rural, downstate and designated shortage areas of this State
9 are increasingly faced with problems in accessing necessary
10 health care. The closure of small rural hospitals, the
11 inability of these areas to attract new physicians, the
12 elimination of existing physician services because of
13 increasing practice costs, including the cost of providing
14 malpractice insurance, and the lack of systems of emergency
15 medical care contribute to the access problems experienced by
16 these residents. While Illinois is not unique in experiencing
17 these problems, the need to maintain or enhance the economies
18 of these areas of the State requires that new and innovative
19 strategies be identified and implemented to respond to the
20 health care needs of residents of these areas. It is therefore
21 the intent of this General Assembly to create a program to
22 respond to this problem.
23     For purposes of this Act, "designated shortage areas" means

 

 

HB1851 - 2 - LRB096 05540 RPM 15606 b

1 medically underserved areas or health manpower shortage area as
2 defined by the United States Department of Health and Human
3 Services or as otherwise designated by the Illinois Department
4 of Public Health.
5 (Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)