SPRINGFIELD – To eliminate red tape by making it easier for physicians and physician assistants to serve people with immediate medical needs, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) advanced legislation to modernize health care delivery.

“Throughout the pandemic, we have seen our medical systems and workers severely overburdened,” Murphy said. “We need to do anything we can to reduce the bureaucratic obstacles our health care workers face.”

Murphy’s proposed legislation would simplify partnerships between physicians and PAs by removing burdensome red tape, like written agreements and practice notifications. These bureaucratic barriers restrict health care access for patients, according to a 2018 study by the Brookings Institution, and eliminating them could significantly improve productivity in the health care industry.

The PA profession is tied for seventh on the list of fastest-growing occupations in the country, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment in the industry is expected to grow 31% by 2029.

“Illinois has the health care infrastructure necessary to benefit from the predicted growth in the PA industry—but first, we must break down these bureaucratic practice barriers and show our PAs we support them in their jobs,” Murphy said.

Senate Bill 145 advanced out of the Senate Licensed Activities Committee Wednesday and now heads to the full Senate.