By no later than 60 days after the end of each calendar quarter, each ambulatory surgical treatment center licensed in the State shall electronically submit to the Department outpatient claims and encounter data collected under paragraph (5) for each patient, provided however, that, until July 1, 2006, ambulatory surgical treatment centers who cannot electronically submit data may submit data by computer diskette. For hospitals, the claims and encounter data to be reported shall include all inpatient surgical cases. Claims and encounter data submitted under this Act shall not include a patient's Social Security number; provided, however, that the Department may require, by rule, the inclusion of a unique patient identifier that may be based upon the last four digits of the patient's Social Security number. The Department shall promulgate regulations to protect the patient's rights of confidentiality and privacy. The regulations shall ensure that patient names, addresses, Social Security numbers, or any other data that the Department believes could be used to determine the identity of an individual patient shall be stored and processed in the most secure manner possible.
None of the information the Department discloses to the public under this Act may be used to establish a standard of care in a private civil action.
20 ILCS 2215/4-2