Illinois General Assembly Enters Final Weeks
The Illinois General Assembly is entering the homestretch of the spring legislative session. The targeted adjournment date is May 31, 2026. As is usually the case, the fiscal year 2027 state budget and other major, controversial issues are still pending, and those deliberations will continue until the final hours of the session. Some of the key issues still pending include artificial intelligence regulation, the “mega-projects” bill that could assist the Chicago Bears in building a new stadium, regulations regarding the building and regulation of data centers, and employer/employee issues such as minimum wage and paid time off.
The Illinois Chiropractic Society has been actively participating in the legislative process throughout the session and has already left its mark on several pieces of legislation.
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There are several healthcare-related issues that are also winding their way through the legislative process.
HB 4698 (Yang-Rohr, D-Naperville) originally amended the fee-splitting provisions of the Medical Practice Act regarding charges for multiple in-network services during the same appointment. The ICS and other stakeholder groups raised concerns about the drafting of the bill, and it was subsequently amended to address those concerns. Now the bill amends the Medical Patient Rights Act to require that a medical office provide a notice stating that the patient may be billed for multiple services, including a separate office visit charge or billing for diagnostic testing or follow-up, in certain circumstances. The bill has been approved by the House of Representatives and is pending in the Senate.
HB 5472 (Johnson, D-E. Moline) has been amended to address ICS concerns regarding adding new background information for medical license applications. The bill has been approved by the House of Representatives and is pending in the Senate.
SB 3114 (Koehler, D-Peoria) would restrict the health insurer practice of automatic “downcoding,” which poses a threat to physician reimbursement and the financial sustainability of medical practices. The bill would set up guardrails to ensure that physicians’ clinical notes are being reviewed and understood when decisions on downcoding are being made and that physicians are notified when the claims are downcoded, including the clinical justification. This version of the bill defines “Health care professional” as a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches under the Medical Practice Act. The bill was approved by the Senate and is pending in the House of Representatives.
SB 3325 (Johnson, D-Waukegan), in provisions concerning implicit bias awareness training, provides that, on and after January 1, 2027, a course covering the topics of perimenopause and menopause may count toward the requirement that a health care professional who has continuing education requirements complete at least a one-hour course in training on implicit bias awareness per renewal period. The bill was approved by the Senate and is pending in the House of Representatives.
SB 3688 (Loughran Cappel, D-Crest Hill) amends the Medical School Curriculum Act to require medical schools to include in the curriculum the study of perimenopause and menopause recognition and management. The bill was approved by the Senate and is pending in the House of Representatives.
Lawmakers are scheduled to meet in session most every day for the rest of the month.
