Section 410 ILCS 517/20 - Single credentialing cycle(a) The Department shall by rule establish a single credentialing cycle. The single credentialing cycle shall be based on a specific variable or variables. To the extent possible the single credentialing cycle shall be established to ensure that the credentials data of all health care professionals in a group or at a single site are collected during the same time period. However, nothing in this Act shall be construed to require the single credentialing cycle to be established to ensure that the credentials data of all health care professionals in a group or at a single site are collected during the same time period.(b) Beginning July 1, 2002, all health care entities and health care plans shall obtain credentials data on all health care professionals according to the established single credentialing cycle.(c) The Department shall by rule establish a process to exempt a small or unique health care entity or small or unique health care plan from the single credentialing cycle if the health care entity or health care plan demonstrates to the Department that adherence to the single credentialing cycle would be an undue hardship for the health care entity or health care plan.(d) The requirements of this Section shall not apply when a health care professional submits initial credentials data to a health care entity or health care plan outside of the established single credentialing cycle, when a health care professional's credentials data change substantively, or when a health care entity or health care plan requires recredentialing as a result of patient or quality assurance issues.Amended by P.A. 103-0436,§ 5, eff. 8/4/2023. P.A. 91-602, eff. 8/16/1999; 92-193, eff. 1/1/2002.