In the latest budget for the state of Illinois, licensing fees are waived for frontline health care workers for the state fiscal year 2023, which runs from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. This includes licensing fees for nurses, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, physicians and surgeons, physician assistants, and social workers. The waiver covers initial applications for licensing as well as renewals.
Appreciation for Frontline Healthcare Workers
In an effort to show appreciation for the frontline workers still battling the COVID-19 pandemic after two long years and in recognition of the financial burden many have faced, Governor J.B. Pritzker proposed that license fees will be waived for nearly 470,000 frontline healthcare workers. The budget was approved in February and takes effect on July 1.
If you hold more than one license through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), you will be granted a waiver for each application. There are certain variances to license renewal schedules that have been granted to ensure all possible workers will be able to benefit. Refer to the IDFPR website for more details. Nurses who qualify include registered nurses, APRNs, full practice APNs, APRN controlled substance nurses, and full practice APN controlled substance nurses.
Healthcare workers who are licensed in another state and are applying in Illinois for the first time would also be included in the waiver. This includes licensure through an endorsement or by examination.
These are some fees that will still apply. Nurses who need certification or verification of their license sent to another state are still required to pay the certification fee. If you have been temporarily reinstated and are now applying for full reinstatement, your reinstatement fee must still be paid as well. License fee waivers only apply if you renew your license before the expiration date. If you wait until after the deadline to renew, you will be charged the renewal fee as well as a late fee.
Contact an Illinois Healthcare License Defense Attorney
If you are a healthcare worker who is facing any issues with your professional license, you can trust the attorneys at Williams & Nickl, LLC. Our Chicago IDFPR Defense Attorneys have the experience you need to understand your flights, what discipline you may be facing, and determine a course of action to defend your license. Call us at 312-335-9470 to set up your free initial consultation.
Sources:
https://idfpr.illinois.gov/
https://idfpr.illinois.gov/Forms/COVID19/2022%2005%2011%20Frontline%20Healthcare%20Fee%20Waiver%20FAQs.pdf