SPRINGFIELD - Democrats are pushing for Illinois doctors' license fees to be increased from $300 to $750 for a three year licenses. State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago) said the fee hike in HB 193 is necessary to prevent licensure backlog and to have staff to react to complaints on medical professionals in Illinois. "There hasn't been an increase in Illinois since 1987," Currie told the Illinois House Executive Committee Monday afternoon. Currie cited Illinois as a low fee state compared to other surrounding states.
Med Society's Jim Tierney, Division of Professional Regulation director Jay Stuart, Rep. Flynn-Currie and Manuel Flores. is Secretary of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation answered questions of House Executive Committee,
Of the 26 professional licensure staff, all but eight have been re-assigned to other state jobs, awaiting an infusion of cash into the department fund. The delay of licensure is just a part of the medical crisis about to face Illinois, Jim Tierney of the Illnois State Medical Society told committee members.
The Illinois Medical Society is proposing a counter proposal in HB 1001, which proposes raising the fee to $500 rather than $750.
"In our view, the shortage is due to 2005 and 2006 fund sweeps," Tierney said. Up to that point the fees were sufficient, even with surpluses, in facilitating the licensure process.
HB 193 passed the Executive Committee by a party vote, 7 to 4.
