Starting Jan. 1, Naperville residents who schedule annual physicals or wellness checkups at local clinics will get an upfront warning: if your doctor discusses a chronic condition during that visit, you might owe more than you expected.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed House Bill 4698 on Saturday, Aug. 1, creating a new transparency requirement for medical offices, clinics, and group practices across Illinois. Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, those organizations must notify patients before their appointment that additional services discussed during a preventive visit could trigger separate billing charges.

The law targets a common frustration. Under current rules, most preventive services are covered by insurance without copays or deductibles. But if a routine wellness visit also includes evaluation or treatment of an acute or chronic condition, insurers can reclassify part of the visit as diagnostic, leaving patients with unexpected out-of-pocket costs. Nearly one in five insured adults report receiving a surprise medical bill, according to a JAMA study cited in Sen. Laura Ellman's announcement of the new law.

Ellman, a Democrat representing Naperville in the Illinois Senate, said she introduced the legislation after a constituent reported receiving an unexpected copay following what they believed was a routine preventive visit.

"Patients should be able to make informed decisions about their care without worrying about surprise charges appearing weeks later," Ellman said in her Aug. 2 announcement. "By providing clear notice upfront, we can help families better understand their coverage and avoid unnecessary confusion."

For Naperville, the compliance burden falls on some of the city's largest healthcare employers. Duly Health and Care, formerly DuPage Medical Group, operates 16 locations in Naperville, including offices on Spalding Drive, Ogden Avenue, Washington Street, and Rickert Drive. Edward Hospital, the city's largest employer with 4,500 workers, and the University of Chicago Medical Center's two Naperville locations also fall under the law's scope as healthcare organizations.

Solo practitioners are exempt.

The law does not specify what form the notice must take, whether written, verbal, or digital, nor does it outline penalties for non-compliance. Those details may emerge through implementation guidance before the deadline. Naperville-area medical offices have roughly five months to update their intake and billing notification procedures before the Jan. 1, 2027 effective date.