Stava-Murray’s New Health Care Efficiency Law Aims to Reduce Costs by Streamlining Data Sharing

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In a step toward more affordable health care and more efficient data sharing, state Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, D-Downers Grove, has enacted a new law eliminating a longstanding bureaucratic redundancy related to state health care information.

“Moving Illinois forward means keeping healthcare costs down and outcomes effective and efficient. That, in turn, requires that our government keep pace with our changing administrative needs,” Stava-Murray said. “That’s why we’re moving the functions of the independent Health Information Exchange within an existing department that’s better situated to handle them.”

Stava-Murray sponsored Senate Bill 2294, which finalized the shutting down of the Illinois Health Information Exchange and the transferal of its functions and staff to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS). The purpose of the exchange had been to promote and facilitate the sharing of health care information between various providers both within Illinois and across state lines. However, HFS had already mostly taken over these functions over the last few years, to the point that the Exchange became redundant.

The bill passed both the House and Senate unanimously and was signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Aug. 4, taking effect immediately.

“Ultimately, health care policy is about consistently delivering the best possible outcomes at the lowest cost in time and taxpayer dollars,” Stava-Murray said. “When we eliminate redundancies, we’re boosting cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness, which has downstream benefits for Illinois families.”