Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for SB0050

Amends the Open Meetings Act, Counties Code, and Illinois Insurance Code. Allows certain counties to create a risk retention trust for the pooling of risks to provide professional liability coverage for physicians and health care professionals. Authorizes a county board to incur indebtedness to ensure the availability of and improve hospital and health services. Makes changes concerning medical liability insurance rates and regulation. Requires the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation to create a Professional Liability Insurance Resource Center on the World Wide Web. Requires insurers to report medical liability insurance claims to the Secretary. Provides that, for a medical liability insurance rate increase filing, the Secretary may hold a hearing and receive testimony. Requires court clerks to provide information to the Secretary to verify reports made to the Secretary, and amends the Clerks of Courts Act accordingly. Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. Provides for appointment of at least 2 deputy medical coordinators, and not less than one full time investigator for every 2,500 physicians. Makes changes concerning discipline, disciplinary proceedings, records, disclosures, incidents to which the Act applies, and immunity. Amends the Health Care Arbitration Act. Provides that: a copy of a health care arbitration agreement shall be given to a patient or his or her representative upon signing; no agreement is valid after 4 years from the date of execution; and an agreement may be canceled under specified circumstances. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure by: adding provisions concerning naming a respondent in discovery as a defendant; changing provisions concerning the affidavit and report based on the determination of a reviewing health professional; exempting a hospital from liability for medical care provided by a non-employee member of the medical staff under a claim based upon apparent or ostensible agency under specified conditions; providing that a statement that a health care provider is "sorry" for an outcome is not admissible as evidence under specified conditions; and changing provisions concerning expert witness standards. Amends the Illinois Good Samaritan Act to expand immunity from civil damages for services performed without compensation at, or upon referral from, free medical clinics. Creates the Sorry Works! Pilot Program Act under which hospitals and physicians may acknowledge and apologize for mistakes in patient care and offer fair settlements. Provides that, if the costs of cases handled under the Sorry Works! protocol by a hospital exceed the costs that would have been incurred otherwise, the hospital may apply for a grant from the Sorry Works! Fund. Creates the Medical Malpractice Working Study Committee Act and establishes a committee to research, assess, and report on other states' efforts in addressing caps on non-economic damages and annuities to pay medical malpractice judgments or settlements. Makes other changes. Contains severability provisions. Effective immediately.

×