104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2464 Introduced , by Rep. Robert "Bob" Rita SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 215 ILCS 5/356z.3a Amends the Accident and Health Article of the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no health insurer may charge a patient out-of-network rates for neonatal care at any hospital. LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2464 Introduced , by Rep. Robert "Bob" Rita SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 215 ILCS 5/356z.3a 215 ILCS 5/356z.3a Amends the Accident and Health Article of the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no health insurer may charge a patient out-of-network rates for neonatal care at any hospital. LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2464 Introduced , by Rep. Robert "Bob" Rita SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 215 ILCS 5/356z.3a 215 ILCS 5/356z.3a 215 ILCS 5/356z.3a Amends the Accident and Health Article of the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no health insurer may charge a patient out-of-network rates for neonatal care at any hospital. LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b A BILL FOR HB2464LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b 1 AN ACT concerning regulation. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Illinois Insurance Code is amended by 5 changing Section 356z.3a as follows: 6 (215 ILCS 5/356z.3a) 7 Sec. 356z.3a. Billing; emergency services; 8 nonparticipating providers. 9 (a) As used in this Section: 10 "Ancillary services" means: 11 (1) items and services related to emergency medicine, 12 anesthesiology, pathology, radiology, and neonatology that 13 are provided by any health care provider; 14 (2) items and services provided by assistant surgeons, 15 hospitalists, and intensivists; 16 (3) diagnostic services, including radiology and 17 laboratory services, except for advanced diagnostic 18 laboratory tests identified on the most current list 19 published by the United States Secretary of Health and 20 Human Services under 42 U.S.C. 300gg-132(b)(3); 21 (4) items and services provided by other specialty 22 practitioners as the United States Secretary of Health and 23 Human Services specifies through rulemaking under 42 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2464 Introduced , by Rep. Robert "Bob" Rita SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 215 ILCS 5/356z.3a 215 ILCS 5/356z.3a 215 ILCS 5/356z.3a Amends the Accident and Health Article of the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no health insurer may charge a patient out-of-network rates for neonatal care at any hospital. LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b A BILL FOR 215 ILCS 5/356z.3a LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464- 2 -LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 2 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 2 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b 1 U.S.C. 300gg-132(b)(3); 2 (5) items and services provided by a nonparticipating 3 provider if there is no participating provider who can 4 furnish the item or service at the facility; and 5 (6) items and services provided by a nonparticipating 6 provider if there is no participating provider who will 7 furnish the item or service because a participating 8 provider has asserted the participating provider's rights 9 under the Health Care Right of Conscience Act. 10 "Cost sharing" means the amount an insured, beneficiary, 11 or enrollee is responsible for paying for a covered item or 12 service under the terms of the policy or certificate. "Cost 13 sharing" includes copayments, coinsurance, and amounts paid 14 toward deductibles, but does not include amounts paid towards 15 premiums, balance billing by out-of-network providers, or the 16 cost of items or services that are not covered under the policy 17 or certificate. 18 "Emergency department of a hospital" means any hospital 19 department that provides emergency services, including a 20 hospital outpatient department. 21 "Emergency medical condition" has the meaning ascribed to 22 that term in Section 10 of the Managed Care Reform and Patient 23 Rights Act. 24 "Emergency medical screening examination" has the meaning 25 ascribed to that term in Section 10 of the Managed Care Reform 26 and Patient Rights Act. HB2464 - 2 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464- 3 -LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 3 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 3 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b 1 "Emergency services" means, with respect to an emergency 2 medical condition: 3 (1) in general, an emergency medical screening 4 examination, including ancillary services routinely 5 available to the emergency department to evaluate such 6 emergency medical condition, and such further medical 7 examination and treatment as would be required to 8 stabilize the patient regardless of the department of the 9 hospital or other facility in which such further 10 examination or treatment is furnished; or 11 (2) additional items and services for which benefits 12 are provided or covered under the coverage and that are 13 furnished by a nonparticipating provider or 14 nonparticipating emergency facility regardless of the 15 department of the hospital or other facility in which such 16 items are furnished after the insured, beneficiary, or 17 enrollee is stabilized and as part of outpatient 18 observation or an inpatient or outpatient stay with 19 respect to the visit in which the services described in 20 paragraph (1) are furnished. Services after stabilization 21 cease to be emergency services only when all the 22 conditions of 42 U.S.C. 300gg-111(a)(3)(C)(ii)(II) and 23 regulations thereunder are met. 24 "Freestanding Emergency Center" means a facility licensed 25 under Section 32.5 of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 26 Systems Act. HB2464 - 3 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464- 4 -LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 4 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 4 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b 1 "Health care facility" means, in the context of 2 non-emergency services, any of the following: 3 (1) a hospital as defined in 42 U.S.C. 1395x(e); 4 (2) a hospital outpatient department; 5 (3) a critical access hospital certified under 42 6 U.S.C. 1395i-4(e); 7 (4) an ambulatory surgical treatment center as defined 8 in the Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Center Act; or 9 (5) any recipient of a license under the Hospital 10 Licensing Act that is not otherwise described in this 11 definition. 12 "Health care provider" means a provider as defined in 13 subsection (d) of Section 370g. "Health care provider" does 14 not include a provider of air ambulance or ground ambulance 15 services. 16 "Health care services" has the meaning ascribed to that 17 term in subsection (a) of Section 370g. 18 "Health insurance issuer" has the meaning ascribed to that 19 term in Section 5 of the Illinois Health Insurance Portability 20 and Accountability Act. 21 "Nonparticipating emergency facility" means, with respect 22 to the furnishing of an item or service under a policy of group 23 or individual health insurance coverage, any of the following 24 facilities that does not have a contractual relationship 25 directly or indirectly with a health insurance issuer in 26 relation to the coverage: HB2464 - 4 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464- 5 -LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 5 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 5 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b 1 (1) an emergency department of a hospital; 2 (2) a Freestanding Emergency Center; 3 (3) an ambulatory surgical treatment center as defined 4 in the Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Center Act; or 5 (4) with respect to emergency services described in 6 paragraph (2) of the definition of "emergency services", a 7 hospital. 8 "Nonparticipating provider" means, with respect to the 9 furnishing of an item or service under a policy of group or 10 individual health insurance coverage, any health care provider 11 who does not have a contractual relationship directly or 12 indirectly with a health insurance issuer in relation to the 13 coverage. 14 "Participating emergency facility" means any of the 15 following facilities that has a contractual relationship 16 directly or indirectly with a health insurance issuer offering 17 group or individual health insurance coverage setting forth 18 the terms and conditions on which a relevant health care 19 service is provided to an insured, beneficiary, or enrollee 20 under the coverage: 21 (1) an emergency department of a hospital; 22 (2) a Freestanding Emergency Center; 23 (3) an ambulatory surgical treatment center as defined 24 in the Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Center Act; or 25 (4) with respect to emergency services described in 26 paragraph (2) of the definition of "emergency services", a HB2464 - 5 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464- 6 -LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 6 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 6 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b 1 hospital. 2 For purposes of this definition, a single case agreement 3 between an emergency facility and an issuer that is used to 4 address unique situations in which an insured, beneficiary, or 5 enrollee requires services that typically occur out-of-network 6 constitutes a contractual relationship and is limited to the 7 parties to the agreement. 8 "Participating health care facility" means any health care 9 facility that has a contractual relationship directly or 10 indirectly with a health insurance issuer offering group or 11 individual health insurance coverage setting forth the terms 12 and conditions on which a relevant health care service is 13 provided to an insured, beneficiary, or enrollee under the 14 coverage. A single case agreement between an emergency 15 facility and an issuer that is used to address unique 16 situations in which an insured, beneficiary, or enrollee 17 requires services that typically occur out-of-network 18 constitutes a contractual relationship for purposes of this 19 definition and is limited to the parties to the agreement. 20 "Participating provider" means any health care provider 21 that has a contractual relationship directly or indirectly 22 with a health insurance issuer offering group or individual 23 health insurance coverage setting forth the terms and 24 conditions on which a relevant health care service is provided 25 to an insured, beneficiary, or enrollee under the coverage. 26 "Qualifying payment amount" has the meaning given to that HB2464 - 6 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464- 7 -LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 7 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 7 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b 1 term in 42 U.S.C. 300gg-111(a)(3)(E) and the regulations 2 promulgated thereunder. 3 "Recognized amount" means the lesser of the amount 4 initially billed by the provider or the qualifying payment 5 amount. 6 "Stabilize" means "stabilization" as defined in Section 10 7 of the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. 8 "Treating provider" means a health care provider who has 9 evaluated the individual. 10 "Visit" means, with respect to health care services 11 furnished to an individual at a health care facility, health 12 care services furnished by a provider at the facility, as well 13 as equipment, devices, telehealth services, imaging services, 14 laboratory services, and preoperative and postoperative 15 services regardless of whether the provider furnishing such 16 services is at the facility. 17 (b) Emergency services. When a beneficiary, insured, or 18 enrollee receives emergency services from a nonparticipating 19 provider or a nonparticipating emergency facility, the health 20 insurance issuer shall ensure that the beneficiary, insured, 21 or enrollee shall incur no greater out-of-pocket costs than 22 the beneficiary, insured, or enrollee would have incurred with 23 a participating provider or a participating emergency 24 facility. Any cost-sharing requirements shall be applied as 25 though the emergency services had been received from a 26 participating provider or a participating facility. Cost HB2464 - 7 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464- 8 -LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 8 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 8 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b 1 sharing shall be calculated based on the recognized amount for 2 the emergency services. If the cost sharing for the same item 3 or service furnished by a participating provider would have 4 been a flat-dollar copayment, that amount shall be the 5 cost-sharing amount unless the provider has billed a lesser 6 total amount. In no event shall the beneficiary, insured, 7 enrollee, or any group policyholder or plan sponsor be liable 8 to or billed by the health insurance issuer, the 9 nonparticipating provider, or the nonparticipating emergency 10 facility for any amount beyond the cost sharing calculated in 11 accordance with this subsection with respect to the emergency 12 services delivered. Administrative requirements or limitations 13 shall be no greater than those applicable to emergency 14 services received from a participating provider or a 15 participating emergency facility. 16 (b-5) Non-emergency services at participating health care 17 facilities. 18 (1) When a beneficiary, insured, or enrollee utilizes 19 a participating health care facility and, due to any 20 reason, covered ancillary services are provided by a 21 nonparticipating provider during or resulting from the 22 visit, the health insurance issuer shall ensure that the 23 beneficiary, insured, or enrollee shall incur no greater 24 out-of-pocket costs than the beneficiary, insured, or 25 enrollee would have incurred with a participating provider 26 for the ancillary services. Any cost-sharing requirements HB2464 - 8 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464- 9 -LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 9 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 9 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b 1 shall be applied as though the ancillary services had been 2 received from a participating provider. Cost sharing shall 3 be calculated based on the recognized amount for the 4 ancillary services. If the cost sharing for the same item 5 or service furnished by a participating provider would 6 have been a flat-dollar copayment, that amount shall be 7 the cost-sharing amount unless the provider has billed a 8 lesser total amount. In no event shall the beneficiary, 9 insured, enrollee, or any group policyholder or plan 10 sponsor be liable to or billed by the health insurance 11 issuer, the nonparticipating provider, or the 12 participating health care facility for any amount beyond 13 the cost sharing calculated in accordance with this 14 subsection with respect to the ancillary services 15 delivered. In addition to ancillary services, the 16 requirements of this paragraph shall also apply with 17 respect to covered items or services furnished as a result 18 of unforeseen, urgent medical needs that arise at the time 19 an item or service is furnished, regardless of whether the 20 nonparticipating provider satisfied the notice and consent 21 criteria under paragraph (2) of this subsection. 22 (2) When a beneficiary, insured, or enrollee utilizes 23 a participating health care facility and receives 24 non-emergency covered health care services other than 25 those described in paragraph (1) of this subsection from a 26 nonparticipating provider during or resulting from the HB2464 - 9 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464- 10 -LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 10 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 10 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b 1 visit, the health insurance issuer shall ensure that the 2 beneficiary, insured, or enrollee incurs no greater 3 out-of-pocket costs than the beneficiary, insured, or 4 enrollee would have incurred with a participating provider 5 unless the nonparticipating provider or the participating 6 health care facility on behalf of the nonparticipating 7 provider satisfies the notice and consent criteria 8 provided in 42 U.S.C. 300gg-132 and regulations 9 promulgated thereunder. If the notice and consent criteria 10 are not satisfied, then: 11 (A) any cost-sharing requirements shall be applied 12 as though the health care services had been received 13 from a participating provider; 14 (B) cost sharing shall be calculated based on the 15 recognized amount for the health care services; and 16 (C) in no event shall the beneficiary, insured, 17 enrollee, or any group policyholder or plan sponsor be 18 liable to or billed by the health insurance issuer, 19 the nonparticipating provider, or the participating 20 health care facility for any amount beyond the cost 21 sharing calculated in accordance with this subsection 22 with respect to the health care services delivered. 23 (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, 24 except when the notice and consent criteria are satisfied for 25 the situation in paragraph (2) of subsection (b-5), any 26 benefits a beneficiary, insured, or enrollee receives for HB2464 - 10 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464- 11 -LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 11 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 11 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b 1 services under the situations in subsection (b) or (b-5) are 2 assigned to the nonparticipating providers or the facility 3 acting on their behalf. Upon receipt of the provider's bill or 4 facility's bill, the health insurance issuer shall provide the 5 nonparticipating provider or the facility with a written 6 explanation of benefits that specifies the proposed 7 reimbursement and the applicable deductible, copayment, or 8 coinsurance amounts owed by the insured, beneficiary, or 9 enrollee. The health insurance issuer shall pay any 10 reimbursement subject to this Section directly to the 11 nonparticipating provider or the facility. 12 (d) For bills assigned under subsection (c), the 13 nonparticipating provider or the facility may bill the health 14 insurance issuer for the services rendered, and the health 15 insurance issuer may pay the billed amount or attempt to 16 negotiate reimbursement with the nonparticipating provider or 17 the facility. Within 30 calendar days after the provider or 18 facility transmits the bill to the health insurance issuer, 19 the issuer shall send an initial payment or notice of denial of 20 payment with the written explanation of benefits to the 21 provider or facility. If attempts to negotiate reimbursement 22 for services provided by a nonparticipating provider do not 23 result in a resolution of the payment dispute within 30 days 24 after receipt of written explanation of benefits by the health 25 insurance issuer, then the health insurance issuer or 26 nonparticipating provider or the facility may initiate binding HB2464 - 11 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464- 12 -LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 12 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 12 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b 1 arbitration to determine payment for services provided on a 2 per-bill or batched-bill basis, in accordance with Section 3 300gg-111 of the Public Health Service Act and the regulations 4 promulgated thereunder. The party requesting arbitration shall 5 notify the other party arbitration has been initiated and 6 state its final offer before arbitration. In response to this 7 notice, the nonrequesting party shall inform the requesting 8 party of its final offer before the arbitration occurs. 9 Arbitration shall be initiated by filing a request with the 10 Department of Insurance. 11 (e) The Department of Insurance shall publish a list of 12 approved arbitrators or entities that shall provide binding 13 arbitration. These arbitrators shall be American Arbitration 14 Association or American Health Lawyers Association trained 15 arbitrators. Both parties must agree on an arbitrator from the 16 Department of Insurance's or its approved entity's list of 17 arbitrators. If no agreement can be reached, then a list of 5 18 arbitrators shall be provided by the Department of Insurance 19 or the approved entity. From the list of 5 arbitrators, the 20 health insurance issuer can veto 2 arbitrators and the 21 provider or facility can veto 2 arbitrators. The remaining 22 arbitrator shall be the chosen arbitrator. This arbitration 23 shall consist of a review of the written submissions by both 24 parties. The arbitrator shall not establish a rebuttable 25 presumption that the qualifying payment amount should be the 26 total amount owed to the provider or facility by the HB2464 - 12 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464- 13 -LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 13 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 13 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b 1 combination of the issuer and the insured, beneficiary, or 2 enrollee. Binding arbitration shall provide for a written 3 decision within 45 days after the request is filed with the 4 Department of Insurance. Both parties shall be bound by the 5 arbitrator's decision. The arbitrator's expenses and fees, 6 together with other expenses, not including attorney's fees, 7 incurred in the conduct of the arbitration, shall be paid as 8 provided in the decision. 9 (f) (Blank). 10 (g) Section 368a of this Act shall not apply during the 11 pendency of a decision under subsection (d). Upon the issuance 12 of the arbitrator's decision, Section 368a applies with 13 respect to the amount, if any, by which the arbitrator's 14 determination exceeds the issuer's initial payment under 15 subsection (c), or the entire amount of the arbitrator's 16 determination if initial payment was denied. Any interest 17 required to be paid to a provider under Section 368a shall not 18 accrue until after 30 days of an arbitrator's decision as 19 provided in subsection (d), but in no circumstances longer 20 than 150 days from the date the nonparticipating 21 facility-based provider billed for services rendered. 22 (h) Nothing in this Section shall be interpreted to change 23 the prudent layperson provisions with respect to emergency 24 services under the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. 25 (i) Nothing in this Section shall preclude a health care 26 provider from billing a beneficiary, insured, or enrollee for HB2464 - 13 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464- 14 -LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 14 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 14 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b 1 reasonable administrative fees, such as service fees for 2 checks returned for nonsufficient funds and missed 3 appointments. 4 (j) Nothing in this Section shall preclude a beneficiary, 5 insured, or enrollee from assigning benefits to a 6 nonparticipating provider when the notice and consent criteria 7 are satisfied under paragraph (2) of subsection (b-5) or in 8 any other situation not described in subsection (b) or (b-5). 9 (k) Except when the notice and consent criteria are 10 satisfied under paragraph (2) of subsection (b-5), if an 11 individual receives health care services under the situations 12 described in subsection (b) or (b-5), no referral requirement 13 or any other provision contained in the policy or certificate 14 of coverage shall deny coverage, reduce benefits, or otherwise 15 defeat the requirements of this Section for services that 16 would have been covered with a participating provider. 17 However, this subsection shall not be construed to preclude a 18 provider contract with a health insurance issuer, or with an 19 administrator or similar entity acting on the issuer's behalf, 20 from imposing requirements on the participating provider, 21 participating emergency facility, or participating health care 22 facility relating to the referral of covered individuals to 23 nonparticipating providers. 24 (l) Except if the notice and consent criteria are 25 satisfied under paragraph (2) of subsection (b-5), 26 cost-sharing amounts calculated in conformity with this HB2464 - 14 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464- 15 -LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 15 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 15 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b HB2464 - 15 - LRB104 10675 BAB 20754 b