Hospital-based physicians seek to invalidate law

Hospital-based pathology groups and physicians in Illinois filed a federal lawsuit on June 24, 2011, seeking to invalidate, on constitutional grounds, Illinois legislation designed to shift the burden of absorbing certain patient-related costs from insurers to practitioners of only a few specifically-enumerated medical specialties.

The Statute: Illinois Public Act 96-1523

Illinois Public Act 96-1523, took effect June 1, 2011. It amended portions of the Illinois Insurance Act (changing 215 ILCS 5/356z.3 and adding 215 ILCS 5/356z.3a) in such a way as to fundamentally alter the relationships between certain physicians, their patients, and third-party payors such as insurers.