New Document, Sample Billing Protocols for Sexual Assault Survivors Released by Illinois Attorney General
Public Act 099-0454 amends several sections of the Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment
Act (SASETA, 410 ILCS 70). The new law addresses the billing procedure emergency room
physicians must follow when they provide hospital emergency services or forensic services to sexual
assault survivors. Monetary penalties may be assessed for violations of the billing provisions. The
amendments bring Illinois into compliance with provisions of the federal Violence Against Women
Act’s provisions requiring states, as a condition to receipt of grant funds, to certify that victims of
sexual assault in Illinois are not being charged or sent a bill for hospital emergency services or
forensic services. The new law is effective January 1, 2016.
The relevant sections for emergency room physicians are:
• Section 7.5(a) prohibits the direct billing of sexual assault survivors, as well as other debt
collection activities.
• Section 7 sets forth the procedure for billing patients covered by government healthcare
programs, private insurance and public or private healthcare programs, as well as uninsured
patients.
• Section 7.5(d) requires emergency room physicians who provide hospital emergency and
forensic services to sexual assault survivors to develop a billing protocol to ensure that sexual
assault survivors are not charged for or sent a bill or statement for these services. The
protocol must be submitted to the Crime Victim Services Division of the Office of the Attorney
General within 60 days of the effective date of the law, i.e. by March 1, 2016.
• Section 8 provides that the Office of the Attorney General may seek monetary penalties for
violations of Section 7.5.
The materials that follow set forth the requirements and prohibitions in the new law in more detail and
include two sample billing protocols.
Download Information for Emergency Physicians
The full text of the new law can be found at:
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=099-0454&print.