Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Creates the Vision Benefit Managers Article. Beginning on July 1, 2026, requires a vision benefit manager to be registered with the Department of Insurance, as specified, to conduct business in the State. Requires amounts collected under provisions concerning vision benefit manager registration requirements to be deposited into the Low-Income Student Vision Examination Fund, which is created as a special fund in the State treasury. Grants the Director or the Director's designee the authority to examine a registered vision benefit manager related to all of its lines of business. Amends the Vision Care Plan Regulation Act. Changes the name of the Act to the Vision Benefit Manager Regulation Act. Establishes the legislative intent of the Act. Makes changes to defined terms. Throughout the Act, replaces references to vision care plans with vision benefit plans and vision benefit discount plans and vision care organizations with vision benefit managers. Sets forth provisions concerning required actions for noncovered services; fee schedules for eye care providers; reimbursement paid by a vision benefit manager to an eye care provider; application of the Act to a specified limited health service organization; an eye care provider's choice of vendors and affiliations; the modification of a plan; audits of an eye care provider; prohibited conduct impacting patient access and choice; credentialing; termination of agreements; prohibition on security interests; arbitration costs; nonretaliation; and private rights of action. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act and the State Finance Act to make conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2027.
Senate Committee Amendment No. 1: Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Vision Care Plan Regulation Act. Makes changes in provisions concerning defined terms and noncovered services. Requires a vision care organization, before entering into a provider agreement, to inform the eye care provider on how to access the fee schedule using the specified methods. Requires a vision care organization to make an updated copy of a fee schedule available to the eye care provider every calendar quarter. Provides that a vision care organization shall not prohibit an eye care provider from offering a cash payment option to the enrollee if the cash payment option is less costly to the enrollee than the total out-of-pocket cost of the covered service or covered material. Sets forth provisions concerning vision care plan benefits, misrepresentation, modification of a provider agreement, and medical plan preconditions. Provides that a vision care organization shall not require an eye care provider to contract for services under a vision care discount plan as a condition of contracting for services under a provider agreement. Prohibits a vision care organization from requiring an eye care provider to establish a security interest in any property or assets of the eye care provider. Prohibits a vision care organization from retaliating against an eye care provider for exercising any rights under the Act. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Repeals a provision that construes a violation of the Vision Care Plan Regulation Act to be an unlawful practice under the Act. Effective January 1, 2027.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 30 ILCS 105/5, 215 ILCS 5/513, 215 ILCS 161/1, 215 ILCS 161/5, 215 ILCS 161/10, 215 ILCS 161/15, 215 ILCS 161/20, 215 ILCS 161/25, 215 ILCS 161/30, 215 ILCS 161/35, 215 ILCS 161/40, 215 ILCS 161/45, 215 ILCS 161/50, 215 ILCS 161/55, 215 ILCS 161/60, 215 ILCS 161/65, 215 ILCS 161/70, 215 ILCS 161/75, 215 ILCS 161/80, 815 ILCS 505/2
Engrossed: 215 ILCS 161/5, 215 ILCS 161/10, 215 ILCS 161/15, 215 ILCS 161/17, 215 ILCS 161/18, 215 ILCS 161/20, 215 ILCS 161/35, 215 ILCS 161/40, 215 ILCS 161/45, 215 ILCS 161/50, 215 ILCS 161/55, 815 ILCS 505/2
Enrolled: 215 ILCS 161/5, 215 ILCS 161/10, 215 ILCS 161/15, 215 ILCS 161/17, 215 ILCS 161/18, 215 ILCS 161/20, 215 ILCS 161/35, 215 ILCS 161/40, 215 ILCS 161/45, 215 ILCS 161/50, 215 ILCS 161/55, 815 ILCS 505/2