I’m sending this newsletter a few days early as I know many of you will enjoy an extended holiday break. I hope you get to spend some quality time with your families and get rested for 2024. This will be the last newsletter of 2023. Thank you for your support of the Chamber this year.
New Bills of Interest
HB 4250 (West) - Creates an income tax credit of $250 for taxpayers who make 4 or more qualified donations of human whole blood or human blood components during the taxable year. Effective immediately.
HB 4272 (West) - Provides that persons 17 years of age or older may have their blood typed, if the donation is completely voluntary, without the necessity of obtaining the permission or authorization of their parents or guardians.
2024 Healthcare Council Initiatives
I’m working on finalizing council initiatives for the 2024 session. If you have any legislative ideas, both in support or opposition, that you’d like to discuss or for us to discuss council wide, please shoot me an email or give me a call.
The deadline to request legislation is January 19th. Members must file bills by February 9th.
Rulemaking
HOSPITALS The DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH adopted an emergency amendment to Hospital Licensing Requirements (77 IAC 250; 47 Ill Reg 18178) effective 11/24/23 for a maximum of 150 days, replacing an emergency rule that expired on 11/23/23. (A companion proposed amendment was published in the 7/7/23 Illinois Register at 47 Ill Reg 9134.) This emergency rule implements a federal waiver (valid through 12/31/24) allowing qualifying hospitals, with approval from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to provide limited inpatient services in patients' homes to alleviate hospital overcrowding and prevent spread of COVID-19 infection. DPH's emergency rule requires Illinois hospitals that receive the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCH) waiver to provide DPH with specified documents, comply with various hospital health and safety requirements, and comply with all COVID-19 directives and guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DPH, other State agencies, and local health departments. Hospitals that have applied for or received the federal AHCH waiver are affected by this emergency rule.
MANAGED CARE The DEPARTMENT OF HEALTHCARE AND FAMILY SERVICES adopted an amendment to Medical Payment (89 IAC 140; proposed at 47 Ill Reg 12212), effective 11/21/23 at 47 Ill Reg 18024, establishing the managed care assessments for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Tier 1 MCO assessments (applicable to the first 4,195,000 member months in the base year of 2018) will be $78.90 (formerly, $74.50) per member per month; Tier 2 assessments (member months in the base year beyond those in Tier 1) will be $1.40 (formerly $1.20) per member month; and Tier 3 assessments (all member months for non-Medicaid MCOs in the base year) will be $2.40 per member month (unchanged). The rulemaking also clarifies that assessments from Cook County MCO providers will be deposited into the County Provider Trust Fund rather than the Healthcare Provider Relief Fund.
MEDICAL PRACTICE DFPR also proposed amendments to the Part titled Medical Practice Act of 1987 (68 IAC 1285; 47 Ill Reg 18265) reflecting updates to the Act and changes in licensing procedure for medical and osteopathic physicians. The rulemaking clarifies the sequence of courses and subjects that must be covered during the required 6 years of undergraduate and post-graduate medical education; clarifies requirements for graduates of foreign medical schools; updates the list of approved accrediting organizations for postgraduate clinical training programs; and outlines information to be submitted by other clinical training programs seeking approval from DFPR.
PHARMACIES DFPR proposed amendments to the Part titled Pharmacy Practice Act (68 IAC 1330; 47 Ill Reg 18373) that require pharmacy technicians registered on or after 1/1/24 to complete a pharmacy technician certification program with at least 500 hours of instruction before their 2nd registration renewal, and establish criteria for approved pharmacy technician programs. A new pharmacy that applies for licensure from DFPR must be open to the public within 180 (currently 30) days after the license is issued. Other provisions update pharmacy compounding standards by incorporating the current version of the United States Pharmacopeia and National Formulary; clarify procedures for automatic prescription refills; establish notification procedures for pharmacies that temporarily close for a period of more than 72 hours and less than 6 months; and require pharmacists-in-charge of nonresident pharmacies (which dispense, ship or mail medications to Illinois residents) to be licensed in Illinois beginning 1/1/24. Pharmacies, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are affected. Questions/requests for copies/comments on the 3 DFPR rulemakings through 1/29/24: Craig Cellini, DFPR, 320 W. Washington, 2nd Floor, Springfield IL 62786, 217-7850810, fax 217-557-4451, Craig.Cellini@illinois.gov
Spring Session Schedule
Both chambers will return to Springfield on January 16th at the call of the Speaker and Senate President. The 2024 Spring session calendar is now available. Click to view the House and Senate calendars.
