103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4923 Introduced , by Rep. Mary E. Flowers SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 30 ILCS 105/5.1015 new305 ILCS 5/5-55 new Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that subject to appropriation, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services and the Department of Public Health (the Departments), shall establish and administer a Medical-Legal Partnership Grant Program that awards annual grants to medical-legal partnerships that provide legal services without charge to assist low-income individuals and families in resolving legal matters or other needs that have a negative impact on their health. Provides that to be eligible for a grant under the program, a medical-legal partnership must demonstrate its ability and experience in providing high quality patient-centered legal services aimed at addressing their patient's health-harming social and legal needs. Requires selected medical-legal partnerships to also comply with standards and guidelines established by the Departments. Requires the Departments to seek input from legal services organizations, community health advocacy organizations, hospitals, and other health care providers in establishing such standards and guidelines. Provides that grant amounts may be used to expand the capacity of existing medical-legal partnerships to provide patients with wraparound services related to housing instability or homelessness, landlord-tenant mediation, income support and rental assistance, food insecurity, family stability, respite care, immigration, and mental health or substance use treatment. Provides that grant amounts may also be awarded to establish medical-legal partnerships in underserved communities. Provides that Community health centers, private or public hospitals, nonprofit legal aid organizations, behavioral health facilities, and other specified entities may apply for program grants. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to adopt rules. Requires the Department to apply for all federal approvals and waivers necessary to cover wraparound services provided by medical-legal partnerships to medical assistance recipients who have chronic health conditions and health-harming social and legal needs. Creates the Medical-Legal Partnership Grant Program Fund under the State Finance Act. LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4923 Introduced , by Rep. Mary E. Flowers SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 30 ILCS 105/5.1015 new305 ILCS 5/5-55 new 30 ILCS 105/5.1015 new 305 ILCS 5/5-55 new Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that subject to appropriation, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services and the Department of Public Health (the Departments), shall establish and administer a Medical-Legal Partnership Grant Program that awards annual grants to medical-legal partnerships that provide legal services without charge to assist low-income individuals and families in resolving legal matters or other needs that have a negative impact on their health. Provides that to be eligible for a grant under the program, a medical-legal partnership must demonstrate its ability and experience in providing high quality patient-centered legal services aimed at addressing their patient's health-harming social and legal needs. Requires selected medical-legal partnerships to also comply with standards and guidelines established by the Departments. Requires the Departments to seek input from legal services organizations, community health advocacy organizations, hospitals, and other health care providers in establishing such standards and guidelines. Provides that grant amounts may be used to expand the capacity of existing medical-legal partnerships to provide patients with wraparound services related to housing instability or homelessness, landlord-tenant mediation, income support and rental assistance, food insecurity, family stability, respite care, immigration, and mental health or substance use treatment. Provides that grant amounts may also be awarded to establish medical-legal partnerships in underserved communities. Provides that Community health centers, private or public hospitals, nonprofit legal aid organizations, behavioral health facilities, and other specified entities may apply for program grants. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to adopt rules. Requires the Department to apply for all federal approvals and waivers necessary to cover wraparound services provided by medical-legal partnerships to medical assistance recipients who have chronic health conditions and health-harming social and legal needs. Creates the Medical-Legal Partnership Grant Program Fund under the State Finance Act. LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4923 Introduced , by Rep. Mary E. Flowers SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 30 ILCS 105/5.1015 new305 ILCS 5/5-55 new 30 ILCS 105/5.1015 new 305 ILCS 5/5-55 new 30 ILCS 105/5.1015 new 305 ILCS 5/5-55 new Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that subject to appropriation, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services and the Department of Public Health (the Departments), shall establish and administer a Medical-Legal Partnership Grant Program that awards annual grants to medical-legal partnerships that provide legal services without charge to assist low-income individuals and families in resolving legal matters or other needs that have a negative impact on their health. Provides that to be eligible for a grant under the program, a medical-legal partnership must demonstrate its ability and experience in providing high quality patient-centered legal services aimed at addressing their patient's health-harming social and legal needs. Requires selected medical-legal partnerships to also comply with standards and guidelines established by the Departments. Requires the Departments to seek input from legal services organizations, community health advocacy organizations, hospitals, and other health care providers in establishing such standards and guidelines. Provides that grant amounts may be used to expand the capacity of existing medical-legal partnerships to provide patients with wraparound services related to housing instability or homelessness, landlord-tenant mediation, income support and rental assistance, food insecurity, family stability, respite care, immigration, and mental health or substance use treatment. Provides that grant amounts may also be awarded to establish medical-legal partnerships in underserved communities. Provides that Community health centers, private or public hospitals, nonprofit legal aid organizations, behavioral health facilities, and other specified entities may apply for program grants. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to adopt rules. Requires the Department to apply for all federal approvals and waivers necessary to cover wraparound services provided by medical-legal partnerships to medical assistance recipients who have chronic health conditions and health-harming social and legal needs. Creates the Medical-Legal Partnership Grant Program Fund under the State Finance Act. LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b A BILL FOR HB4923LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b HB4923 LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b HB4923 LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b 1 AN ACT concerning public aid. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by adding 5 Section 5.1015 as follows: 6 (30 ILCS 105/5.1015 new) 7 Sec. 5.1015. The Medical-Legal Partnership Grant Program 8 Fund. 9 Section 10. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by 10 adding Section 5-55 as follows: 11 (305 ILCS 5/5-55 new) 12 Sec. 5-55. Medical-Legal Partnership Grant Program. 13 (a) Definitions. As used in this Section: 14 "Departments" means the Departments of Healthcare and 15 Family Services, Human Services, and Public Health. 16 "Medical-legal partnership" means a program conducted or 17 established by a nonprofit entity through a collaboration 18 pursuant to a written agreement between one or more medical 19 service providers and one or more legal services programs, 20 including those based within a law school, to provide legal 21 services without charge to assist income-eligible individuals 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4923 Introduced , by Rep. Mary E. Flowers SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 30 ILCS 105/5.1015 new305 ILCS 5/5-55 new 30 ILCS 105/5.1015 new 305 ILCS 5/5-55 new 30 ILCS 105/5.1015 new 305 ILCS 5/5-55 new Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that subject to appropriation, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services and the Department of Public Health (the Departments), shall establish and administer a Medical-Legal Partnership Grant Program that awards annual grants to medical-legal partnerships that provide legal services without charge to assist low-income individuals and families in resolving legal matters or other needs that have a negative impact on their health. Provides that to be eligible for a grant under the program, a medical-legal partnership must demonstrate its ability and experience in providing high quality patient-centered legal services aimed at addressing their patient's health-harming social and legal needs. Requires selected medical-legal partnerships to also comply with standards and guidelines established by the Departments. Requires the Departments to seek input from legal services organizations, community health advocacy organizations, hospitals, and other health care providers in establishing such standards and guidelines. Provides that grant amounts may be used to expand the capacity of existing medical-legal partnerships to provide patients with wraparound services related to housing instability or homelessness, landlord-tenant mediation, income support and rental assistance, food insecurity, family stability, respite care, immigration, and mental health or substance use treatment. Provides that grant amounts may also be awarded to establish medical-legal partnerships in underserved communities. Provides that Community health centers, private or public hospitals, nonprofit legal aid organizations, behavioral health facilities, and other specified entities may apply for program grants. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to adopt rules. Requires the Department to apply for all federal approvals and waivers necessary to cover wraparound services provided by medical-legal partnerships to medical assistance recipients who have chronic health conditions and health-harming social and legal needs. Creates the Medical-Legal Partnership Grant Program Fund under the State Finance Act. LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b A BILL FOR 30 ILCS 105/5.1015 new 305 ILCS 5/5-55 new LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b HB4923 LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b HB4923- 2 -LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b HB4923 - 2 - LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b HB4923 - 2 - LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b 1 and their families in resolving legal matters or other needs 2 that have an impact on the health of such individuals and 3 families. Written agreements may include a memorandum of 4 understanding or other agreement relating to the operations of 5 the partnership and encompassing the rights and 6 responsibilities of each party thereto. The medical service 7 provider or providers may provide referrals of its patients to 8 the legal services program or programs on matters that may 9 potentially impact the health, health care, or the health care 10 costs of a patient. 11 (b) Subject to appropriation, the Department of Healthcare 12 and Family Services, in collaboration with the Department of 13 Human Services and the Department of Public Health, shall 14 establish and administer a Medical-Legal Partnership Grant 15 Program that awards annual grants to medical-legal 16 partnerships located within the State that provide legal 17 services without charge to assist low-income individuals and 18 families in resolving legal matters or other needs that have a 19 negative impact on their health. To be eligible for a grant 20 under the program, a medical-legal partnership must 21 demonstrate its ability and experience in providing high 22 quality patient-centered legal services aimed at addressing 23 their patient's health-harming social and legal needs. 24 Selected medical-legal partnerships must also comply with 25 standards and guidelines established for such partnerships as 26 determined by the Departments. The Departments shall seek HB4923 - 2 - LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b HB4923- 3 -LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b HB4923 - 3 - LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b HB4923 - 3 - LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b 1 input from legal services organizations, community health 2 advocacy organizations, hospitals, diagnostic and treatment 3 centers, and other primary and specialty health care providers 4 in establishing such standards and guidelines. 5 (c) Grants amounts awarded under the program may be used 6 to expand the capacity of existing medical-legal partnerships 7 and increase programming for vulnerable individuals and 8 families by, at a minimum: 9 (1) expanding their interdisciplinary team of 10 attorneys, physicians, and social workers to address 11 patients' health-harming social and legal needs; 12 (2) increasing patient access to patient-centered case 13 management services through the use of designated social 14 service navigators or care coordinators tasked with 15 assessing and identifying the patient's specific social 16 and legal needs before connecting the patient to 17 wraparound services related to housing instability or 18 homelessness, landlord-tenant mediation, income support 19 and rental assistance, food insecurity, family stability, 20 respite care, immigration, and mental health or substance 21 use treatment; and 22 (3) purchasing the technology and personnel needed to 23 facilitate remote and in-person legal consultations with 24 an attorney. 25 Grants amounts may also be awarded to establish 26 medical-legal partnerships in underserved communities. HB4923 - 3 - LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b HB4923- 4 -LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b HB4923 - 4 - LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b HB4923 - 4 - LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b 1 (d) The following entities are eligible to apply for 2 grants: 3 (1) Community health centers. 4 (2) Private or public hospitals. 5 (3) Nonprofit legal aid organizations. 6 (4) Public health clinics. 7 (5) Federally qualified health centers as defined in 8 Section 1905(l)(2)(B) of the federal Social Security Act. 9 (6) Behavioral health facilities. 10 (7) Law schools. 11 (e) The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall 12 adopt any rules necessary to implement the program including, 13 but not limited to, rules on application and certification 14 requirements for grant applicants and rules on reporting and 15 data collection for grantees in order to enable the Department 16 to track and ensure that grantees are utilizing grant funds 17 consistent with the purposes of this Section. 18 (f) The Medical-Legal Partnership Grant Program Fund is 19 created as a special fund in the State treasury. The fund shall 20 consist of any appropriations made to the Department of 21 Healthcare and Family Services for the purpose of the 22 Medical-Legal Partnership Grant Program and all other moneys 23 received for the fund from any other source. Moneys deposited 24 into the fund shall be used for the Medical-Legal Partnership 25 Grant Program and for no other purpose. All interest earned on 26 moneys in the fund shall be deposited into the fund. HB4923 - 4 - LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b HB4923- 5 -LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b HB4923 - 5 - LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b HB4923 - 5 - LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b HB4923 - 5 - LRB103 36339 KTG 66438 b