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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — State Rep. Jamie Johnson, D-Kansas City, filed House Bill 900 Thursday to require health insurance agencies to cover midwife and doula services in the state of Missouri. Johnson feels this measure would both alleviate the issue of maternal mortality and provide services to mothers in rural areas where hospitals or birthing centers might be few and far between.
“Under current law, midwife services are covered through reimbursement, but we need to do better and cover midwife and doula services outright,” Johnson said. “We have a responsibility to better provide for expectant mothers given our unacceptably high maternal mortality rate, and this bill will help save lives by ensuring Missourians get the coverage and the services they need and deserve.”
Missouri currently ranks 43rd in maternal mortality.
However, Johnson said she was optimistic about her legislation making it into law this year, given commitment from the other side of the aisle to improve maternal health outcomes in Missouri. In his State of the State address Wednesday, Gov. Mike Parson prioritized $4.3 million to fully implement the Department of Health and Senior Services’ plan to combat maternal mortality in Missouri.
Johnson also hopes to see HB 900 move through the Healthcare Reform Committee and is excited to work with committee chair, State Rep. Kent Haden, R-Mexico.
Johnson is also excited about her committee appointments earlier this week, primarily Children and Families Committee and the Committee on Emerging Issues. She is looking forward to working with the committee chairs to get good legislation passed in Missouri, especially state Rep. Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain Grove, given Kelly’s effective, bipartisan work to pass child care and maternity legislation.
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