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HB 4698

MEDICAL PRACTICE-FEE SPLITTING

104th Regular Session Introduced by Laura Ellman and 3 co-sponsors

Medical offices must inform patients with a notice when multiple services may be billed during a single preventive visit and obtain written acknowledgment of receipt.

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Bill Summary · HB 4698

Summary of HB 4698 (104th Illinois General Assembly)

Title

Medical Practice-Fee Splitting

Purpose and Intent

HB 4698 proposes to amend the Medical Patient Rights Act to require medical offices and certain health care providers to provide patients with a notice about possible separate billing for multiple services during preventive/wellness visits that also address acute or chronic issues. The amendment aims to improve patient awareness regarding billing practices when more than one service is discussed during a single encounter and to obtain a written acknowledgment of receipt of the notice, where feasible.

Key Provisions

Section added: New Sec. 10 to the Medical Patient Rights Act

  • Section 10 requires the following for medical offices and similar health care delivery structures (e.g., offices, clinics, group practices, or other organizational structures that provide licensed health care services):
    1. Notice of Separate Service Billing
      • Providers must furnish, by physical or electronic means, a notice stating in substantially similar form:
      • During a preventive or wellness visit, if acute complaints or chronic problems requiring additional evaluation are discussed, the patient may be billed for multiple services.
      • Examples given include a separate office visit charge, billing for diagnostic testing, or follow-up, or a combination of these.
      • The notice affirms that such separate billing is in line with standard billing guidelines.
      • The notice must include contact information for the health care clinic’s billing department so patients can inquire about their bill.
    2. Written Acknowledgment
      • With the exception of emergency treatment situations, providers must make a good faith effort to obtain written acknowledgment of receipt of the notice from the patient.
  • Section 10 expressly states that the notice requirement does not apply to health care providers (implying a possible distinction between providers who are governed under this section and other providers not subject to it).

Who Would Be Affected

  • Medical offices and health care clinics that provide preventive/wellness visits and may address acute or chronic issues during those visits.
  • Group practices or organizational structures that provide licensed health care services.
  • The provision targets administrative/patient-facing billing disclosures rather than clinical practice changes.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • The amendment has undergone a standard legislative process in the Illinois House:
    • Filed: February 6, 2026
    • Referred to Health Care Licenses Committee
    • Do Pass / Short Debate in Health Care Licenses Committee: March 25, 2026
    • House Floor Amendment No. 1 filed and adopted: April 9–17, 2026
    • Amendment adopted; bill placed on calendar; third reading approved: April 17, 2026
    • Co-sponsors added: Rep. Maura Hirschauer and Rep. Suzanne M. Ness
  • The text indicates that the enacted form would be Section 10 of the Medical Patient Rights Act (410 ILCS 50/10 new), with effective requirements upon passage and implementation as per the statutory process (the exact effective date is not specified in the amendment text provided).

Practical Impact

  • Patient awareness: Patients would receive a standardized notice informing them that multiple services may be charged during a single preventive/wellness visit if additional issues are discussed.
  • Billing transparency: The notice would clarify that separate billing for office visits, diagnostic testing, and follow-up can occur and aligns with standard billing practices.
  • Documentation: Providers would attempt to obtain written acknowledgment of receipt of the notice from patients (excluding emergency situations), creating a potential record of patient receipt and understanding.
  • Administrative burden: Health care facilities would need to implement a process to deliver the notice (physical or electronic) and track acknowledgments.
  • Exceptions: True emergencies would be excluded from the written acknowledgment requirement, per subsection (b).

Note

  • The amendment explicitly states the notice does not apply to “health care providers” as defined outside the specified medical office or organizational structures, which may suggest exceptions for certain provider types. The exact scope of this exception would depend on how the term “health care providers” is defined elsewhere in law.

If you’d like, I can provide a plain-language one-page fact sheet for patients or a side-by-side comparison of current law versus the proposed changes.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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