Healthcare (Women's Health)

HB 2236 establishes Missouri's "Infertility Access Program" through the Department of Health and Senior Services to improve fertility treatment access. The program provides travel assistance, lodging stipends, or telehealth subsidies for individuals in rural or medically underserved areas seeking care at certified fertility clinics. It also creates an "Infertility Access Fund" for program administration, requires health carriers to publish clear fertility coverage summaries, and mandates annual reports on treatment utilization, geographic barriers, and demographic data. The bill directly affects patients in underserved regions, certified fertility clinics, and health insurance providers offering fertility coverage.

HB 2489 requires state-funded organizations providing pregnancy-related services (like family planning, abortion care, prenatal care, or adoption counseling) to share medically accurate and unbiased information about all reproductive health options - including birth control, pregnancy, adoption, and postpartum care. To qualify for state funding, these organizations must provide information verified by medical research, recognized by major health bodies (such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists or CDC), or aligned with national medical guidelines. The bill defines "medically accurate" through three specific criteria to ensure information is evidence-based and objective. This applies directly to clinics and providers seeking state financial support for pregnancy-related services. The bill is currently pending in committee (prefiled December 2025, read twice January 2026).

SB 929 requires health insurance plans to cover self-administered hormonal contraceptives (such as pills, patches, or rings) without cost-sharing, meaning no copays or deductibles. This directly affects individuals who use these contraceptives and their insurance providers. The key provision mandates that insurers include these specific methods in their coverage, aligning with broader contraceptive access standards. The bill focuses on eliminating financial barriers to commonly used, non-prescription-dependent birth control options.