Bill Text: IL SB3506 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Chaptered

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Bill Title: Amends the Emergency Medical Treatment Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2014-08-15 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 98-0977 [SB3506 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2013-SB3506-Chaptered.html

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Public Act 098-0977
SB3506 Enrolled LRB098 19678 RPS 54884 b
AN ACT concerning regulation.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Emergency Medical Treatment Act is amended
by changing Section 2 as follows:
(210 ILCS 70/2)
Sec. 2. Findings; prohibited terms.
(a) The Illinois General Assembly makes all of the
following findings:
(1) Hospital emergency services are not always the most
appropriate level of care for patients seeking unscheduled
medical care or for patients who do not have a regular
physician who can treat a significant or acute medical
condition not considered critical, debilitating, or
life-threatening.
(2) Hospital emergency rooms are over-utilized and too
often over-burdened with many injuries or illnesses that
could be managed in a less intensive clinical setting or
physician's office.
(3) Over-utilization of hospital emergency departments
contributes to excess medical and health insurance costs.
(4) The use of the term "urgent" or "emergi-" or a
similar term in a facility's posted or advertised name may

confuse the public and prospective patients regarding the
type of services offered relative to those provided by a
hospital emergency department. There is significant risk
to the public health and safety if persons requiring
treatment for a critical or life-threatening condition
inappropriately use such facilities.
(5) Many times patients are not clearly aware of the
policies and procedures of their insurer or health plan
that must be followed in the use of emergency rooms versus
non-emergent clinics and what rights they have under the
law in regard to appropriately sought emergency care.
(6) There is a need to more effectively educate health
care payers and consumers about the most appropriate use of
the various available levels of medical care and
particularly the use of hospital emergency rooms and
walk-in medical clinics that do not require appointments.
(b) No After the effective date of this amendatory Act of
the 93rd General Assembly, no person, facility, or entity shall
hold itself out to the public as an "urgent", "urgi-",
"emergi-", or "emergent" care center or use any similar term,
as defined by rule, that would give the impression that
emergency medical treatment is provided by the person or entity
or at the facility unless the facility is the emergency room of
a facility licensed as a hospital under the Hospital Licensing
Act or a facility licensed as a freestanding emergency center
under the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. This

Section does not prohibit a person, facility, or entity from
holding itself out to the public as an "urgi-" or "urgent" care
center.
(c) Violation of this Section constitutes a business
offense with a minimum fine of $5,000 plus $1,000 per day for a
continuing violation, with a maximum of $25,000.
(d) The Director of Public Health in the name of the people
of the State, through the Attorney General, may bring an action
for an injunction or to restrain a violation of this Section or
the rules adopted pursuant to this Section or to enjoin the
future operation or maintenance of any facility in violation of
this Section or the rules adopted pursuant to this Section.
(e) The Department of Public Health shall adopt rules
necessary for the implementation of this Section.
(Source: P.A. 93-540, eff. 8-18-03.)