ICS-Initiated Bill Signed Into Law
A bill initiated by the Illinois Chiropractic Society designed to help chiropractic physicians with accrued student loan debt has been signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker. SB 1590 (Belt-D-E. St. Louis) was approved on June 30 and is now Public Act 103-0219. It becomes effective January 1, 2024.
The bill amends the Underserved Health Care Provider Workforce Act and the Loan Repayment Assistance for Physicians Act to make students and chiropractic physicians eligible for scholarships and student loan repayment provisions established under the acts. It is a follow-up on last year’s Equity and Representation in Health Care Act, which the ICS sought to have amended specifically to include chiropractic physicians as eligible applicants in its loan repayment assistance program.
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The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has yet to promulgate the rules or the application process for last year’s bill on health care equity. Likewise, the department will have to establish the rules for the newly signed legislation as well. Once the rules are adopted, student loan holders will be able to apply for repayments, and the ICS will be alerting its members once the application procedures and forms are available.
The new act could assist some chiropractic physicians with the costs of their medical education, provide for additional chiropractic physicians to treat patients who live in areas underserved by health care professionals, and improve equity among licensees under the Medical Practice Act.
Eligibility Requirements
Again, final procedures on the eligibility requirements for these programs are pending. Generally, however, the current program criteria are:
Underserved Health Care Provider Workforce Program
- must practice at a medical facility that is located in a designated shortage area
- must participate as a provider in the Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program, as appropriate
- must not have any judgment liens arising from federal debt
- must sign a written agreement attesting to accepting repayment of health professional educational loans and to serve for the applicable period of obligated service
Loan Repayment Assistance for Physicians
- Must be a resident of Illinois
- Must be practicing full-time in Illinois as a physician
- Must be currently repaying educational loans
- Must agree to continue full-time practice in Illinois for three years
The ICS commends the legislature for extending professional parity in student loan forgiveness, thereby helping our doctors to provide much-needed healthcare in underserved areas.
