Missouri’s House has passed comprehensive healthcare legislation expanding maternal care and contraception access, with the Senate approving it 26-5. The House voted 116-21 to send the 177-page bill to Gov. Mike Kehoe in one of the legislature’s final actions. The measure addresses longstanding maternal health disparities and insurance access issues in the state.
Key Provisions
The bill allows women with private insurance to access an annual supply of contraceptives rather than visiting the pharmacy every few months—a policy already established in a majority of states. Studies show this increased access and continuity help prevent unintended pregnancy. The legislation also requires insurance to cover home blood pressure monitoring devices for pregnant and postpartum mothers, addressing cardiovascular disease, which is among the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths in Missouri. On average, around 70 women die annually in Missouri during childbirth or in the first year postpartum; of those deaths, 80% were deemed preventable.
The bill expands doula services for low-income families enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program from six to 16 visits covering pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and lactation support. It also expands insurance coverage through Show-Me Healthy Babies to include childbirth education classes. An amendment from Sen. Barbara Washington expands the Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review Board’s duties to study maternal healthcare deserts, track prenatal and postnatal care for women who die, and make recommendations to combat racial inequities.
Removed Provisions and Trade-offs
The Senate removed several proposed restrictions on pharmacy benefit managers after concerns about healthcare costs and government overreach. An earlier version would have barred insurance companies from denying coverage of prescribed non-opioid drugs in favor of opioids. The bill maintains coverage of blood pressure monitoring and advances maternal healthcare access, though not all proposed measures reached the final version.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.sedaliademocrat.com/stories/healthcare-bill-expanding-maternal-care-contraception-access-heads-to-missouri-governor,52589