Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 12, March 22, 2024
a) The purpose of
the Act is to establish a procedure designed to reverse the trends of
increasing costs of health care, including long-term care, resulting from
unnecessary construction of health care facilities. This program is established
to:
1) improve the financial ability of the
public to obtain necessary health services, establish an orderly and
comprehensive health care delivery system which will guarantee the availability
of quality health careto the general public;
2) maintain and improve the provision of
essential health care services and increase the accessibility of those services
to the medically underserved and indigent;
3) assure that the reduction and closure of
health care services or facilities is performed in an orderly and timely
manner, and that these actions are deemed to be in the best interests of the
public; and
4) assess the financial
burden to patients/residents caused by unnecessary health care construction and
modification. [20
ILCS 3960/2 ]
b) Decisions regarding proposed new health
services and facilities shall be made for reasons having to do with the
community health needs in the various parts of the State. The burden of proof
on all issues pertaining to an application shall be on the applicant.
c) The health facilities and services review
program shall be administered with the goal of maximizing the efficiency of
capital investment and the objectives of:
1)
Promoting development of more effective methods of delivering long-term
care;
2) Improving distribution of
LTC facilities and services and ensuring access to needed LTC services for the
general public, the medically indigent and similar underserved
populations;
3) Controlling the
increase of LTC costs;
4) Promoting
planning for LTC services at the facility, regional and State levels;
5) Maximizing the use of existing LTC
facilities and services that represent the least costly and most appropriate
levels of care; and
6) Minimizing
the unnecessary duplication of LTC facilities and services.
