Latest news with #Hauter
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Editorial: Let health care volunteers help ease the worker shortage
'First, do no harm' is a guiding principle in medicine, reflecting the commitment from doctors and nurses to ensure treatment and care to protect patients while not worsening outcomes. Illinois' licensing rules for medical professionals who want to volunteer in retirement run counter to this core tenet. Physician and state Rep. William Hauter, R-Morton, introduced a bill to fix the problem. Several Democrats have signed on as co-sponsors. Hauter's House Bill 1270 would allow retired health care professionals in Illinois to switch from an active medical license, which costs $543 for a three-year renewal, to a free volunteer license, provided they meet certain conditions and do not receive compensation. The bill simplifies a previously unimplemented 2014 law and is supported by state regulators for its streamlined approach. That it's even necessary to legislate this fix is, frankly, baffling. On this, let all Illinoisans agree: Volunteers are helpful, and we should encourage them whenever possible. People shouldn't have to go through an entire bureaucratic process because they're switching from full-time paid work to part-time volunteerism. We should be encouraging this kind of honorable service — not making it needlessly burdensome. That's especially true in health care settings, where doctor and nurse shortages plague Illinois' health systems. Health care associations estimate our state will face a shortage of about 15,000 registered nurses by 2025, and we'll need an additional 1,063 primary care physicians by 2030 to maintain patient needs with many practitioners expected to retire and demand increasing as our population ages. Retired physicians and nurses can volunteer to provide primary care, specialty services and mentorship to medical students. In the Chicago area especially, where numerous medical schools and networks operate, the demand for experienced volunteers is high. Removing volunteer licensing fees and simplifying the process could have a ripple effect on access to care, allowing retired providers to serve in free clinics, rural areas or underserved neighborhoods with persistent gaps in access to basic care. And, unlike recruitment campaigns or new workforce subsidies, this is a no-cost solution. Volunteers bring experience, stability, coaching abilities and invaluable perspective — especially from years of direct patient care — with virtually zero taxpayer investment. They not only expand access to care but also serve as mentors — passing on skills and wisdom to the next generation. Illinois lawmakers are right to consider easing requirements that prevent willing, qualified individuals from volunteering in hospitals and clinics. With health care worker shortages straining the system, removing red tape for volunteers is a smart, low-cost way to expand capacity. The state should continue identifying and eliminating unnecessary barriers that limit skilled people from contributing in this way. At a time when political gridlock is the norm, it's refreshing to see both Republicans and Democrats align behind a commonsense proposal. HB1270 passed the Illinois House with unanimous support and is under consideration in the Senate. Lawmakers should seize the momentum and get this done. We hope the General Assembly sends this slam-dunk reform to the governor's desk soon. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@
Chicago Tribune
07-05-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: Let health care volunteers help ease the worker shortage
'First, do no harm' is a guiding principle in medicine, reflecting the commitment from doctors and nurses to ensure treatment and care to protect patients while not worsening outcomes. Illinois' licensing rules for medical professionals who want to volunteer in retirement run counter to this core tenet. Physician and state Rep. William Hauter, R-Morton, introduced a bill to fix the problem. Several Democrats have signed on as co-sponsors. Hauter's House Bill 1270 would allow retired health care professionals in Illinois to switch from an active medical license, which costs $543 for a three-year renewal, to a free volunteer license, provided they meet certain conditions and do not receive compensation. The bill simplifies a previously unimplemented 2014 law and is supported by state regulators for its streamlined approach. That it's even necessary to legislate this fix is, frankly, baffling. On this, let all Illinoisans agree: Volunteers are helpful, and we should encourage them whenever possible. People shouldn't have to go through an entire bureaucratic process because they're switching from full-time paid work to part-time volunteerism. We should be encouraging this kind of honorable service — not making it needlessly burdensome. That's especially true in health care settings, where doctor and nurse shortages plague Illinois' health systems. Health care associations estimate our state will face a shortage of about 15,000 registered nurses by 2025, and we'll need an additional 1,063 primary care physicians by 2030 to maintain patient needs with many practitioners expected to retire and demand increasing as our population ages. Retired physicians and nurses can volunteer to provide primary care, specialty services and mentorship to medical students. In the Chicago area especially, where numerous medical schools and networks operate, the demand for experienced volunteers is high. Removing volunteer licensing fees and simplifying the process could have a ripple effect on access to care, allowing retired providers to serve in free clinics, rural areas or underserved neighborhoods with persistent gaps in access to basic care. And, unlike recruitment campaigns or new workforce subsidies, this is a no-cost solution. Volunteers bring experience, stability, coaching abilities and invaluable perspective — especially from years of direct patient care — with virtually zero taxpayer investment. They not only expand access to care but also serve as mentors — passing on skills and wisdom to the next generation. Illinois lawmakers are right to consider easing requirements that prevent willing, qualified individuals from volunteering in hospitals and clinics. With health care worker shortages straining the system, removing red tape for volunteers is a smart, low-cost way to expand capacity. The state should continue identifying and eliminating unnecessary barriers that limit skilled people from contributing in this way. At a time when political gridlock is the norm, it's refreshing to see both Republicans and Democrats align behind a commonsense proposal. HB1270 passed the Illinois House with unanimous support and is under consideration in the Senate. Lawmakers should seize the momentum and get this done. We hope the General Assembly sends this slam-dunk reform to the governor's desk soon.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Illinois bill would bar time limits on anesthesia coverage
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — A bill in the Capitol would bar insurance companies from putting time limits on anesthesia coverage. 'The goal is to make sure that Illinoisans get the coverage that they paid for and that they deserve and that they were promised,' State Rep. Bill Hauter (R-Morton) said. Health insurers now required to cover pregnancy, postpartum care in Illinois It comes after Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said they would tie payments in some states to the length of time a patient was under anesthesia. The health insurance provider planned to base the length of time a surgery or procedure is estimated to take based on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service's physician work time values. After public outcry, they reversed the decision in December saying there was 'significant widespread misinformation' about the policy. The proposal in the State Capitol would guarantee that insurance companies cover anesthesia regardless of how long the procedure takes. Dignity in Pay Act signed into Illinois law 'The patient doesn't have any control over that, the anesthesiologist certainly doesn't have any control over it, and the surgeon sometimes has very little control if there's an issue with anatomy or there's a complication or there's a problem with the equipment in some way,' Hauter, who is also a physician and anesthesiologist, said. 'You can see how that would be ludicrous and almost dangerous.' If the bill becomes law, it would apply to insurance policies that begin at the start of January next year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
