102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB1720

 

Introduced 2/17/2021, by Rep. Deanne M. Mazzochi

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
210 ILCS 88/20
210 ILCS 88/25

    Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act. Provides that if a hospital bills a patient $50,000 or more for health care services in a period of 72 hours, the hospital shall provide with its bill copies of the electronic records used to generate all charges and shall further itemize any item and make electronic copies of the patient's charts available at the patient's request within 5 days of billing or the date of request, whichever is later. Provides that hospitals must return calls made by patients within 5 calendar days of receipt of the patient request for amounts billed in excess of $50,000.


LRB102 13475 CPF 18822 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB1720LRB102 13475 CPF 18822 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Fair Patient Billing Act is amended by
5changing Sections 20 and 25 as follows:
 
6    (210 ILCS 88/20)
7    Sec. 20. Bill information. If a hospital bills a patient
8for health care services, the hospital shall provide with its
9bill the following information:
10        (1) the date or dates that health care services were
11    provided to the patient;
12        (2) a brief description of the hospital services;
13        (3) the amount owed for hospital services;
14        (4) hospital contact information for addressing
15    billing inquiries;
16        (5) a statement regarding how an uninsured patient may
17    apply for consideration under the hospital's financial
18    assistance policy on or with each hospital bill sent to an
19    uninsured patient; and
20        (6) notice that the patient may obtain an itemized
21    bill upon request.
22        (7) If the aggregate amount billed to a patient in
23    connection with medical care exceeds $50,000 over a period

 

 

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1    of 72 hours, each provider associated with such care must
2    also provide within 5 days of billing access to the
3    patient, and, if different, the family member who is the
4    primary insurance policy holder for the patient, copies of
5    the electronic records used to generate all such charges,
6    including as an itemized statement; and shall further
7    itemize any item and make electronic copies of the
8    patient's charts available at the patient's request within
9    5 days of billing or the date of request, whichever is
10    later.
11    If a hospital bills a patient, then the hospital must
12provide an itemized statement of charges for the inpatient and
13outpatient services rendered by the hospital upon receiving a
14request from the patient.
15(Source: P.A. 94-885, eff. 1-1-07.)
 
16    (210 ILCS 88/25)
17    Sec. 25. Bill inquiries.
18    (a) A hospital must implement a process for patients to
19inquire about or dispute a bill. Such process must include a
20telephone number for billing inquiries and disputes and may
21include any of the following options:
22        (1) a toll-free telephone number that the patient may
23    call;
24        (2) an address to which he or she may write;
25        (3) a department or identified individual within the

 

 

HB1720- 3 -LRB102 13475 CPF 18822 b

1    hospital he or she may call or write, with appropriate
2    contact information; or
3        (4) a website or e-mail address.
4    (b) All hospital bills and collection notices must provide
5a telephone number allowing the patient to inquire about or
6dispute a bill.
7    (c) The hospital must return calls made by patients as
8promptly as possible, but no later than 2 business days after
9the call is made. If the hospital's billing inquiry process
10involves correspondence from the patient, the hospital must
11respond within 10 business days of receipt of the patient
12correspondence, or within 5 calendar days of receipt of the
13patient request for amounts billed in excess of $50,000 as set
14forth under paragraph (7) of Section 20. For purposes of this
15Section, "business day" means a day on which the hospital's
16billing office is open for regular business.
17(Source: P.A. 94-885, eff. 1-1-07.)