HB0223 EngrossedLRB097 05884 RPM 45953 b

1    AN ACT concerning health care.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Health
5Care Justice Implementation Act of 2011.
 
6    Section 5. Legislative findings. The General Assembly
7recognizes that the U.S. census reported that on any given day
8an estimated 1,800,000 Illinoisans are without health
9insurance. With new federal health care reform legislation the
10number of uninsured Illinoisans will decrease dramatically.
11However, there will still be tens of thousands of uninsured
12Illinoisans. The General Assembly believes that the State must
13work in cooperation with the federal government to implement
14these federal reforms effectively and in a thoughtful and
15expedited manner.
 
16    Section 10. Health Care Justice Implementation Act of 2011
17plan. On or before September 1, 2011 the Health Care Justice
18Implementation Task Force shall be created to accomplish,
19subject to appropriation, the following mission:
20        (1) Monitor the implementation of federal reforms and
21    make recommendations. The Task Force shall monitor the
22    implementation of federal reforms and make recommendations

 

 

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1    to the executive and legislative branches of Illinois
2    government concerning implementation. The Task Force shall
3    file with the General Assembly a recommendation report by
4    January 1st of every year as it pertains to those reforms
5    that will need to be implemented in that year. In addition,
6    a quarterly assessment shall be developed as it pertains to
7    how State government's process of implementing these
8    federal reforms is progressing.
9        (2) Additional recommendations regarding reforms. The
10    Task Force shall issue a report on March 1, 2013 regarding
11    additional reforms needed to fully comply with Section 10
12    of this Act.
13        (3) Assessment of current programs. The Task Force
14    shall issue recommendations and positions on a wide range
15    of issues, as seen fit by Task Force members, as it
16    pertains to existing programs and needed changes to these
17    programs.
18        (4) Recommendations concerning the Illinois State
19    Health Insurance Plan. By March 1, 2013, the Task Force
20    shall recommend a plan for the implementation of a
21    statewide health insurance plan offered by the State to be
22    known as the Illinois State Health Insurance Plan, under
23    which any Illinois resident may purchase medical care and
24    services available to recipients of medical assistance
25    under the Public Aid Code. The Illinois State Health
26    Insurance Plan shall be developed and offered as an

 

 

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1    affordable option that may be selected by a person in
2    relation to the operation of a health insurance exchange in
3    this State. The Department of Healthcare and Family
4    Services shall administer the Illinois Health Insurance
5    Plan, either directly or by contract, separate from the
6    plans and programs that it otherwise administers. The Task
7    Force shall include in its recommendations the structure
8    and function of an oversight panel responsible for
9    reviewing and approving the criteria, standards, and
10    procedures for the operation of the plan and for conducting
11    oversight of the operation of the Illinois Health Insurance
12    Plan. The Illinois Health Insurance Plan shall:
13            (A) provide comprehensive health benefits that
14        meet all of the federal requirements for credible
15        coverage, including coverage for doctor visits,
16        hospital care, prescriptions, mental health services,
17        alcohol and substance abuse services, habilitative
18        services, preventative services, nursing home care,
19        rehabilitation, home health services, eye care, and
20        dental care; and
21            (B) be financed through various means, including,
22        but not limited to, payments of premiums by enrollees,
23        deductibles and copayments, income contributions by
24        enrollees, federal funding, grants and contributions,
25        appropriations of revenues generated under the
26        Illinois Health Insurance Plan, and any other revenue

 

 

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1        designated by the General Assembly or purposed for
2        health care or health care education.
 
3    Section 15. Health Care Justice Implementation Task Force.
4There is created a Health Care Justice Implementation Task
5Force. The Task Force shall consist of 29 voting members
6appointed as follows: 13 shall be appointed by the Governor; 4
7shall be appointed by the President of the Senate, 4 shall be
8appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, 4 shall be
9appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and 4
10shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
11Representatives. The Task Force shall have a chairman and a
12vice-chairman who shall be elected by the voting members at the
13first meeting of the Task Force. The Director of Public Health
14or his or her designee, the Director of Aging or his or her
15designee, the Director of Healthcare and Family Services or his
16or her designee, the Director of Insurance or his or her
17designee, and the Secretary of Human Services or his or her
18designee shall represent their respective departments and
19shall be invited to attend Task Force meetings, but shall not
20be members of the Task Force. The members of the Task Force
21shall be appointed within 60 days after the effective date of
22this Act and hold its first meeting within 30 days thereafter.
23The departments of State government represented on the Task
24Force shall work cooperatively to provide administrative
25support for the Task Force; the Department of Healthcare and

 

 

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1Family Services and the Department of Insurance shall be the
2primary agencies in providing that administrative support.
 
3    Section 20. Public hearings. The Task Force shall seek
4public input on all 4 of its mission goals by holding 4 public
5hearings each year throughout the State. Each State
6Representative and State Senator shall be invited to
7participate in each hearing and help to gather input from
8interested parties. A web site for the Task Force shall be
9developed and linked to the Governor's home page for input to
10be provided and to keep the public informed. The Task Force's
11web site shall be specifically highlighted and have independent
12pages reporting all activities and linkages for people to
13access. Minutes from all of the Task Force's meetings shall be
14available on the web site, and a hard copy of this information
15shall also be made available for those persons without access
16to the Task Force's web site. The Task Force may also consult
17with health care providers, health care consumers, hospitals,
18labor unions, businesses, insurers, pharmaceutical
19manufacturers, and other appropriate individuals and
20organizations to assist in the development of the health care
21access plan.
 
22    (20 ILCS 4045/Act rep.)
23    Section 25. The Health Care Justice Act is repealed.
 
24    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,

 

 

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12011.