State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
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91_HB1780sam002

 










                                           LRB9105596ACtmam01

 1                    AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1780

 2        AMENDMENT NO.     .  Amend House Bill 1780,  AS  AMENDED,
 3    by replacing the title with the following:
 4        "AN ACT creating the Health Care Professional Credentials
 5    Data Collection Act."; and

 6    by  replacing  everything  after the enacting clause with the
 7    following:

 8        "Section 1.  Short title.  This Act may be cited  as  the
 9    Health Care Professional Credentials Data Collection Act.

10        Section 5.  Definitions.  As used in this Act:
11        "Council" means the Health Care Credentials Council.
12        "Credentials  data"  means  those  data,  information, or
13    answers to questions required by a health care entity, health
14    care plan, or  hospital  to  complete  the  credentialing  or
15    recredentialing of a health care professional.
16        "Credentialing"   means  the  process  of  assessing  and
17    validating the qualifications of a health care professional.
18        "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
19        "Director" means the Director of the Department of Public
20    Health.
21        "Health care entity" means any  of  the  following  which
 
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 1    require the submission of credentials data: (i) a health care
 2    facility  or  other  health  care  organization  licensed  or
 3    certified  to provide medical or health services in Illinois,
 4    other than  a  hospital;  (ii)  a  health  care  professional
 5    partnership,    corporation,   limited   liability   company,
 6    professional services corporation or group practice; or (iii)
 7    an independent practice  association  or  physician  hospital
 8    organization.   Nothing in this definition shall be construed
 9    to mean that a hospital is a health care entity.
10        "Health care plan"  means  any  entity  licensed  by  the
11    Department  of  Insurance  as  a  prepaid health care plan or
12    health  maintenance  organization  or  as  an  insurer  which
13    requires the submission of credentials data.
14        "Health care  professional"  means  any  person  licensed
15    under the Medical Practice Act of 1987 or any person licensed
16    under  any other Act subsequently made subject to this Act by
17    the Department.
18        "Hospital" means a hospital licensed under  the  Hospital
19    Licensing  Act or any hospital organized under the University
20    of Illinois Hospital Act.
21        "Recredentialing" means the process  by  which  a  health
22    care  entity,  health  care  plan  or hospital ensures that a
23    health care professional who is currently credentialed by the
24    health care entity, health care plan or hospital continues to
25    meet the credentialing  criteria  used  by  the  health  care
26    entity, health care plan, or hospital no more than once every
27    2 years.
28        "Single  credentialing cycle" means a process whereby for
29    purposes of recredentialing each health  care  professional's
30    credentials  data  are  collected by all health care entities
31    and  health  care  plans  that  credential  the  health  care
32    professional during the same time period and only once  every
33    2 years.
34        "Site  survey"  means  a  process  by which a health care
 
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 1    entity or health care plan assesses the office locations  and
 2    medical   record   keeping   practices   of   a  health  care
 3    professional.
 4        "Single site  survey"  means  a  process  by  which,  for
 5    purposes  of  recredentialing,  each health care professional
 6    receives a site visit only once every two years.
 7        "Uniform health care credentials  form"  means  the  form
 8    developed  by  the Department under Section 15 to collect the
 9    credentials data commonly requested by health  care  entities
10    and health care plans for purposes of credentialing.
11        "Uniform  health  care recredentials form" means the form
12    developed by the Department under Section 15 to  collect  the
13    credentials  data  commonly requested by health care entities
14    and health care plans for purposes of recredentialing.
15        "Uniform  hospital  credentials  form"  means  the   form
16    developed  by  the Department under Section 15 to collect the
17    credentials data commonly requested by hospitals for purposes
18    of credentialing.
19        "Uniform hospital  recredentials  form"  means  the  form
20    developed  by  the Department under Section 15 to collect the
21    credentials data commonly requested by hospitals for purposes
22    of recredentialing.
23        "Uniform site survey  instrument"  means  the  instrument
24    developed  by  the  Department under Section 25 to complete a
25    single  site  survey  as   part   of   a   credentialing   or
26    recredentialing process.
27        "Uniform  updating  form"  means  a standardized form for
28    reporting  of  corrections,  updates,  and  modifications  to
29    credentials data to health care entities, health care  plans,
30    and  hospitals when those data change following credentialing
31    or recredentialing of a health care professional.

32        Section 10.  Health Care Credentials Council.
33        (a)  There  is  established  a  Health  Care  Credentials
 
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 1    Council, consisting of 13 members, to assist  the  Department
 2    in  accordance  with Sections 15, 20, 25, and 30 of this Act.
 3    The Director, or his or her  designee,  shall  serve  as  one
 4    member  and  chair  of  the  council  and  the Governor shall
 5    appoint the  remaining  12  members.    Three  members  shall
 6    represent   hospitals,   3  members  shall  represent  health
 7    maintenance organizations, one member shall represent  health
 8    insurance  entities,  3  members  shall  represent physicians
 9    licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, one member
10    shall represent chiropractic physicians, and one member shall
11    represent ambulatory surgical treatment centers.   In  making
12    these    appointments,   the   Governor   shall   take   into
13    consideration the recommendations  of  various  organizations
14    representing  hospitals,  health  maintenance  organizations,
15    insurers,   ambulatory   surgical   treatment   centers,  and
16    physicians.  The initial appointments of  6  of  the  members
17    shall  be for 2 years.  All other appointments shall be for 4
18    years, with no  more  than  one  4-year  reappointment.   The
19    hospital representatives shall not vote on the development of
20    guidelines to implement Sections 20 and 25 of this Act.
21        (b)  On July 1, 2003, the council is abolished.

22        Section  15.   Development and use of uniform health care
23    and hospital credentials forms.
24        (a)  The Department, in consultation  with  the  council,
25    shall by rule establish:
26             (1)  a  uniform  health  care  credentials form that
27        shall include the credentials data commonly requested  by
28        health  care  entities and health care plans for purposes
29        of credentialing and shall  minimize  the  need  for  the
30        collection of additional credentials data;
31             (2)  a  uniform  health care recredentials form that
32        shall include the credentials data commonly requested  by
33        health  care  entities and health care plans for purposes
 
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 1        of recredentialing and shall minimize the  need  for  the
 2        collection of additional credentials data;
 3             (3)  a  uniform hospital credentials form that shall
 4        include  the  credentials  data  commonly  requested   by
 5        hospitals   for   purposes  of  credentialing  and  shall
 6        minimize  the  need  for  the  collection  of  additional
 7        credentials data;
 8             (4)  a  uniform  hospital  recredentials  form  that
 9        shall include the credentials data commonly requested  by
10        hospitals  for  purposes  of  recredentialing  and  shall
11        minimize   the   need   for   collection   of  additional
12        credentials data; and
13             (5)  uniform updating forms.
14        (b)  The uniform  forms  established  in  subsection  (a)
15    shall  be coordinated to reduce the need to provide redundant
16    information. Further, the forms shall be  made  available  in
17    both paper and electronic formats.
18        (c)  The  Department,  in  consultation with the council,
19    shall establish by rule a  date  after  which  an  electronic
20    format may be required by a health care entity, a health care
21    plan,  or  a  hospital,  and  a  health care professional may
22    require acceptance of an electronic format by a  health  care
23    entity, a health care plan, or a hospital.
24        (d)  Beginning  July  1, 2000, each health care entity or
25    health care plan that  employs,  contracts  with,  or  allows
26    health  care  professionals to provide medical or health care
27    services  and  requires  health  care  professionals  to   be
28    credentialed   or   recredentialed   shall  for  purposes  of
29    collecting credentials data only require:
30             (1)  the uniform health care credentials form;
31             (2)  the uniform health care recredentials form;
32             (3)  the uniform updating forms; and
33             (4)  any additional credentials data requested.
34        (e)  Beginning July 1, 2000, each hospital that  employs,
 
                            -6-            LRB9105596ACtmam01
 1    contracts  with,  or  allows  health  care  professionals  to
 2    provide  medical  or health care services and requires health
 3    care professionals to be credentialed or recredentialed shall
 4    for purposes of collecting credentials data only require:
 5             (1)  the uniform hospital credentials form;
 6             (2)  the uniform hospital recredentials form;
 7             (3)  the uniform updating forms; and
 8             (4)  any additional credentials data requested.
 9        (f)  Each health care entity and health care  plan  shall
10    complete   the   process   of   verifying   a   health   care
11    professional's credentials data in a timely fashion and shall
12    complete  the  process of credentialing or recredentialing of
13    the health care professional within 60 days after  submission
14    of all credentials data and completion of verification of the
15    credentials data.
16        (g)  Each  health  care  professional  shall  provide any
17    corrections,  updates,  and  modifications  to  his  or   her
18    credentials  data  to ensure that all credentials data on the
19    health care professional remains current.  Such  corrections,
20    updates,   and  modifications  shall  be  provided  within  5
21    business days for  State  health  care  professional  license
22    revocation,   federal   Drug   Enforcement   Agency   license
23    revocation,  Medicare  or  Medicaid  sanctions, revocation of
24    hospital privileges,  any  lapse  in  professional  liability
25    coverage  required by a health care entity, health care plan,
26    or hospital, or conviction of a felony, and  within  45  days
27    for  any  other  change  in the information from the date the
28    health care professional knew of  the  change.   All  updates
29    shall  be made on the uniform updating forms developed by the
30    Department.
31        (h)  Any credentials data collected or  obtained  by  the
32    health  care  entity,  health care plan, or hospital shall be
33    confidential, as provided by law, and otherwise  may  not  be
34    redisclosed  without  written  consent  of  the  health  care
 
                            -7-            LRB9105596ACtmam01
 1    professional,  except  that  in  any  proceeding to challenge
 2    credentialing or recredentialing, or in any  judicial  review
 3    thereof, the claim of confidentiality shall not be invoked to
 4    deny  a  health  care  entity,  health care plan, or hospital
 5    access to or  use  of  credentials  data.   Nothing  in  this
 6    Section  prevents  a health care entity, health care plan, or
 7    hospital  from  disclosing  any  credentials  data   to   its
 8    officers,   directors,   employees,  agents,  subcontractors,
 9    medical staff members,  any  committee  of  the  health  care
10    entity,  health  care  plan,  or  hospital  involved  in  the
11    credentialing  process,  or accreditation bodies or licensing
12    agencies.  However,  any  redisclosure  of  credentials  data
13    contrary to this Section is prohibited.
14        (i)  Nothing  in  this Act shall be construed to restrict
15    the right of any health care  entity,  health  care  plan  or
16    hospital  to  request  additional  information  necessary for
17    credentialing or recredentialing.
18        (j)  Nothing in this Act shall be construed  to  restrict
19    in  any  way  the authority of any health care entity, health
20    care  plan  or  hospital  to  approve,  suspend  or  deny  an
21    application   for   hospital   staff   membership,   clinical
22    privileges, or managed care network participation.
23        (k)  Nothing in this Act shall be construed  to  prohibit
24    delegation of credentialing and recredentialing activities as
25    long  as  the  delegated  entity follows the requirements set
26    forth in this Act.
27        (l)  Nothing in this Act shall be  construed  to  require
28    any  health  care entity or health care plan to credential or
29    survey any health care professional.

30        Section 20.  Single credentialing cycle.
31        (a)  The Department, in consultation  with  the  council,
32    shall  by  rule  establish a single credentialing cycle.  The
33    single credentialing cycle  shall  be  based  on  a  specific
 
                            -8-            LRB9105596ACtmam01
 1    variable  or  variables.   To  the extent possible the single
 2    credentialing cycle shall be established to ensure  that  the
 3    credentials  data of all health care professionals in a group
 4    or at a single  site  are  collected  during  the  same  time
 5    period.   However,  nothing in this Act shall be construed to
 6    require the single credentialing cycle to be  established  to
 7    ensure   that   the  credentials  data  of  all  health  care
 8    professionals in a group or at a single  site  are  collected
 9    during the same time period.
10        (b)  Beginning  January 1, 2001, all health care entities
11    and health care plans shall obtain credentials  data  on  all
12    health care professionals according to the established single
13    credentialing cycle.
14        (c)  The  Department,  in  consultation with the council,
15    shall by rule establish a process to exempt a small or unique
16    health care entity or small or unique health care  plan  from
17    the  single  credentialing cycle if the health care entity or
18    health  care  plan  demonstrates  to  the   Department   that
19    adherence to the single credentialing cycle would be an undue
20    hardship for the health care entity or health care plan.
21        (d)  The  requirements  of  this  Section shall not apply
22    when a health care professional submits  initial  credentials
23    data  to  a health care entity or health care plan outside of
24    the established single credentialing  cycle,  when  a  health
25    care professional's credentials data change substantively, or
26    when  a  health  care  entity  or  health  care plan requires
27    recredentialing as a result of patient or  quality  assurance
28    issues.

29        Section 25.  Single site survey.
30        (a)  The  Department,  in  consultation with the council,
31    shall by rule establish  a  uniform  site  survey  instrument
32    taking  into  account  national  accreditation  standards and
33    State requirements.  The uniform site survey instrument shall
 
                            -9-            LRB9105596ACtmam01
 1    include all the site survey data  requested  by  health  care
 2    entities and health care plans.
 3        (b)  No  later  than  January 1, 2001, the Department, in
 4    consultation with the council, shall publish,  in  rule,  the
 5    variable  or variables for completing the single site survey.
 6    To the extent possible,  the  single  site  survey  shall  be
 7    established to ensure that all health care professionals in a
 8    group or at a site are reviewed during the same time period.
 9        (c)  Beginning  July  1,  2001,  health care entities and
10    health care plans shall implement the single site survey,  if
11    a  site  survey  is  required  by  any  of  the  health  care
12    professional's  health  care  entities  or health care plans.
13    The site survey shall be completed  using  the  uniform  site
14    survey instrument.
15        (d)  The  uniform  site  survey  instrument shall be used
16    when a health care professional seeks  initial  credentialing
17    by  a  health  care entity or health care plan, when a health
18    care professional's credentials data change substantively, or
19    when a health care plan or health care entity requires a site
20    survey as a result of patient or quality assurance issues, if
21    a site survey is required by the health care entity or health
22    care plan.
23        (e)  Nothing  in  this  Section  prohibits  health   care
24    entities  and health care plans from choosing the independent
25    party to conduct the single site survey.

26        Section   30.    Study   of    coordinated    credentials
27    verification.
28        (a)  The  Department,  in  consultation with the council,
29    shall  study  the  need  for  coordinated  credentials   data
30    verification.
31        (b)  The study shall address the need for, the advantages
32    and disadvantages of, and the costs and cost savings, if any,
33    of coordinated credentials verification.
 
                            -10-           LRB9105596ACtmam01
 1        (c)  The  study also may address other changes to improve
 2    the credentialing and recredentialing processes,  to  improve
 3    the timeliness of the credentials data, and reduce the costs,
 4    time,   and   administrative   burden   associated  with  the
 5    processes.
 6        (d)  The Department shall make a  recommendation  to  the
 7    General  Assembly  and  the  Governor  regarding the need for
 8    further legislation no later than January 1, 2003.

 9        Section 35.  Rules. The Department, in consultation  with
10    the  council,  shall  adopt  rules  necessary  to develop and
11    implement and enforce the requirements  established  by  this
12    Act.

13        Section 40.  Enforcement. The Department has authority to
14    enforce  the provisions of the Act.  In addition to any other
15    penalty provided by law, any health care entity, health  care
16    plan, hospital, or health care professional that violates any
17    Section of this Act shall forfeit and pay to the Department a
18    fine  in  an  amount determined by the Department of not more
19    than $1,000 for the first offense and not  more  than  $5,000
20    for each subsequent offense.

21        Section  45.   Administrative Procedure Act. The Illinois
22    Administrative Procedure Act is hereby expressly adopted  and
23    incorporated  herein as if all the provisions of the Act were
24    included in the Act.  For the purpose of this Act, the notice
25    required under Section 10-25 of the Administrative  Procedure
26    Act  is  deemed  sufficient  when  mailed  to  the last known
27    address of a party.

28        Section  50.   Administrative  Review  Law.   All   final
29    administrative  decisions  of  the  Department are subject to
30    judicial  review  pursuant   to   the   provisions   of   the
 
                            -11-           LRB9105596ACtmam01
 1    Administrative  Review  Law  and  all  rules adopted pursuant
 2    thereto.  The term "administrative decision" is defined as in
 3    Section 3-101 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

 4        Section 99.  Effective Date.  This Act takes effect  upon
 5    becoming law.".

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