Introduction
The Illinois Health Care and Human Service Reform Act was filed on the 10th of March 2021, making changes to various aspects of healthcare in the region. The act outlines the roles and qualifications of communal health employees to include additional training on asthma, diabetes, maternal-child wellbeing, interactive health, and social elements of wellbeing (Lilly, 2021). The legislation outlines the roles of the Community Health Worker Certification Board (CHWCB) which includes determining appropriate certification criteria for communal health personnel (Lilly, 2021). The compensation of the members of this board is to be determined by The Department of Public Health. The policy also makes significant changes to the requirement of medical staff in the region to include a comprehensive assessment of their credentials and written reasons for their rejection.
The legislation changes the financial procedures in healthcare centers requiring them to provide information on the required charge of all treatments by physical and electronic means. Licenses for the establishment of hospitals by investors are made liable to annual renewal by the director and are non-transferable as they only apply to the owners (Lilly, 2021). The legislation requires hospitals to post information on their certification status and legal operations by physical and electronic means where this information is available for staff, patients, and visitors. The act also mandates healthcare providers to post information about the availability of Illinois health insurance coverage in a conspicuous place in their emergency department. The policy obliges health centers to implement a written staffing plan that is recommended by a nursing care committee.
The legislation requires hospitals to ensure assistance for non-English speaking patients by annually reviewing their policies to provide translators. The legislation also necessitates providers to post a notice detailing their commitment to equality and the fight against discrimination in the emergency room. To this effect, the hospital should provide patients with a path to file complaints if they are discriminated against (Lilly, 2021). Hospitals, alongside police stations and fire stations, are required to post their legibility to accept relinquished newborns conspicuously. The legislation makes it mandatory for the University of Illinois Hospital to provide N95 masks to all their staff handling patients for their safety and protection against COVID-19. The establishment of a prescription monitoring program is part of the policy requiring the transmission of information on the prescription of certain controlled substances.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Policy
Some of the strengths of the policy include its insistence on providing additional information on healthcare responsibilities and healthcare insurance. The focus on the dissemination of information giantess all parties to understand their rights and responsibilities in the acquisition of healthcare hence a healthier Illinois (Koschinsky et al., 2021). The policy reiterates its commitment to equality that is devoid of racial, gender, and any other form of bias in the provision of healthcare. The legislation tightens healthcare regulation by imposing stricter guidelines for investors seeking to establish hospitals and following operations closely. This guarantees the safety of patients and legal practice as necessitated by the restrictions.
The policy keenly focuses on the role of community healthcare workers, reiterating their position in ensuring the health of the people of Illinois is secured. The legislation restates the qualifications of these people guaranteeing fraudulent healthcare provision is abolished. The insistence that healthcare centers should renew their permit annually is essential in ensuring that healthcare centers are monitored regularly for compliance (Gudiksen et al., 2021). This ensures that the safety of patients is guaranteed as required by the confines of the law. The amendments to the administration of some prescription substances are vital in ensuring the illegal sale of these substances is combated.
Some of the weaknesses of the policy include the strict policies that require certification for every action a healthcare worker makes. This means that crucial health decisions will be delayed as practitioners await permission, endangering the lives of their patients in the process (Elias & Paradies, 2021). The strict guidelines on practice are also likely to discourage innovation at the hospital and make providers hesitant to make decisions due to the fear of repercussions. The requirement for the annual renewal of licenses is detrimental to the business aspect of the hospitals. The hospitals are likely to incur high fees that are tantamount to making losses.
The act generally increases the running cost for hospitals with the requirements for hiring new hospital staff, such as translators. The requirement that hospitals display their healthcare charges beforehand may discourage patients from seeking these services due to the high costs (Gudiksen et al., 2021). The act should instead let the doctors determine the appropriate procedures that patients require. Letting patients make such a decision based on financial ability firsthand is likely to compromise their judgment of their needs. The monitoring of the administration of some drugs and substances amounts to censorship and surveillance for the practitioners and indicates mistrust in their abilities.
Impact of the Policy on Stakeholders
Providers
Healthcare providers have had their position strengthened by the act, and their responsibility to their patients has been restated to be of absolute importance. The healthcare providers have been assigned the role of custodians of healthcare equality as they are required to ensure equal treatment for all patients. The act has caused an increase in the expense of providing healthcare and running hospitals for management due to new charges (Gudiksen et al., 2021). The policy has increased awareness and discipline amongst the healthcare providers in their role to ensure transparency on their licensing and legal proceedings for marketability. The regulations have created a conducive business environment for hospitals characterized by effective control and devoid of unfair competition (Office of the Federal Register, 2020). The act also positively impacts staffing for the healthcare centers as the hospitals are required to provide a written staffing plan, reducing congestion and enabling faster operations.
Consumers
Consumers are the biggest gainers from the policy due to the additional protection from exploitation provided. The act requires hospitals to provide their fees for various procedures, and consumers cannot be overcharged by exploitative providers. Consumers can now feel safer when visiting healthcare centers due to the guaranteed protection from discrimination (Elias & Paradies, 2021). The guarantee that hospitals comply with Illinois regulations also means that the patients are safer and their health is guaranteed. The monitoring of the prescription of some substances by the state also means that the patients are unlikely to succumb to reckless prescriptions.
Nurse Practitioners
Nurse practitioners are meant to benefit from the diminished workload resulting from the staffing plan. This means that these nurses are not overworked and their mental health is catered for, and fatigue is prevented hence optimal physical health. The act also protects the nurses should recklessness ensue as the parties responsible are well documented. Nurse practitioners are guaranteed to work in environments that have all the requirements, ensuring that they can offer their services effectively (Dillard-Wright & Shields-Haas, 2021). The provision of a translator for non-English speaking patients means nurses can serve all people as stated in their commitment to service. This also ensures that difficulties in providing services are eliminated, and nurses can serve more patients within a short span.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Illinois Health Care and Human Service Reform Act is a revolutionary act that positively transforms the lives of Illinois citizens. The act guarantees the protection of their health and social rights, such as security against discrimination. Healthcare workers are also considered, with their workload put within a reasonable range. Hospital entrepreneurs and management are also required to assume exceptional responsibility in ensuring quality healthcare is guaranteed.
References
Dillard-Wright, J., & Shields-Haas, V. (2021). Nursing with the people. Advances in Nursing Science, Publish Ahead of Print.
Elias, A., & Paradies, Y. (2021). The costs of institutional racism and its ethical implications for healthcare.Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 18(1).
Gudiksen, K., Montague, A., & King, J. (2021). Who can rein in health care prices? State and federal efforts to address health care provider consolidation.Milbank memorial fund.
Koschinsky, J., Marwell, N., & Mansour, R. (2021). A blueprint for diagnosing the readiness of human service contracts data for spatial access analysis. SSRN Electronic Journal.
Lilly, C. (2021).HB0158ham001 102nd general assembly. Illinois general assembly.
Office of the Federal Register. (2020). 85 FR 37160 – Nondiscrimination in Health and Health Education Programs or Activities, Delegation of Authority. Federal Registe, 85(119), 37160–37248.