Illinois has notified more than 100 jails, health departments and family planning programs that it no longer will provide free testing for sexually transmitted diseases at state labs.
The labs will no longer accept specimens starting this week. The programs now must use testing services of commercial private labs or local hospitals.
The Illinois Department of Public Health says the change will save money, but it's not related to the state budget impasse between the Legislature and Gov. Bruce Rauner.
An Illinois Public Health Association spokesman says the change comes at a difficult time because the stalemate has stalled other state funding to health departments.
