HOUSE BILL NO. 3169 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE GRAGG.
6633H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT To amend chapters 208 and 376, RSMo, by adding thereto three new sections relating to insurance coverage of doula services.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapters 208 and 376, RSMo, are amended by adding thereto three new 2 sections, to be known as sections 208.1430, 376.1758, and 376.1765, to read as follows: 208.1430. 1. As used in this section, the following terms mean: 2 (1) "Doula", a birth worker who: 3 (a) Provides health education, advocacy, and physical, emotional, and 4 nonmedical support for pregnant and postpartum women before, during, and after 5 childbirth, including support during natural miscarriage and stillbirth, with the goal of 6 achieving healthy, live births; 7 (b) Is not a licensed or clinical provider; and 8 (c) Does not require supervision in the performance of the activities described in 9 paragraph (a) of this subdivision; 10 (2) "Doula care", physical, emotional, and other nonmedical care provided by a 11 doula during the prenatal and postpartum periods; presence of a doula during labor 12 and delivery; and doula support for natural miscarriage and stillbirth; 13 (3) "Doula services", health education, advocacy, and physical, emotional, and 14 nonmedical support provided before, during, and after childbirth, including throughout 15 the postpartum period; 16 (4) "Eligible participant", any pregnant woman who is eligible for MO 17 HealthNet benefits and requests doula services;
EXPLANATION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is intended to be omitted from the law. Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language. HB 3169 2
18 (5) "Postpartum period", the one-year period after a pregnancy ends; 19 (6) "Postpartum support session", any session provided during the postpartum 20 period that is designed to help a woman understand what to expect, identify normal 21 experiences, communicate concerns to providers, transition back to well-woman care, 22 engage in family planning, participate in screening for postpartum depression, engage in 23 parenting education and skills development, and transition to other insurance as 24 necessary; 25 (7) "Prenatal support session", any session provided during the prenatal period 26 that is aimed at enhancing health literacy, covering what to expect during pregnancy 27 and childbirth, identifying normal experiences, communicating concerns to providers, 28 and discussing nutrition, exercise, tobacco cessation, and self-monitoring of existing 29 health risks or conditions; 30 (8) "Support session", any prenatal or postpartum support session. 31 2. Any eligible participant shall be entitled to coverage of doula care and doula 32 services under the MO HealthNet doula program. The department of social services 33 shall expand the coverage under the program by: 34 (1) Allowing coverage for attendance at scheduled cesarean section deliveries; 35 and 36 (2) Increasing the number of support sessions that qualify for coverage so that 37 any participant who needs more than six support sessions is entitled to up to ten 38 additional support sessions for a combined total of sixteen support sessions. 376.1758. 1. For purposes of this section, the following terms mean: 2 (1) "Doula", an individual who has been trained to provide doula services; 3 (2) "Doula services", services that provide a stable source of psychosocial 4 support and education throughout the perinatal period as well as during and after 5 childbirth. 6 2. The department of health and senior services shall review and approve doula 7 registration to allow for health insurance reimbursement of doula services. 8 3. The department of health and senior services shall create the criteria for the 9 doula registration application. 10 4. The department of health and senior services shall promulgate all necessary 11 rules and regulations for the administration of this section. Any rule or portion of a 12 rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is created under the authority 13 delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to 14 all of the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This section and 15 chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly 16 pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove and annul HB 3169 3
17 a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority 18 and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 2026, shall be invalid and void. 376.1765. 1. As used in this section, the following terms mean: 2 (1) "Doula", the same meaning given to the term in section 208.1430; 3 (2) "Doula services", services provided by a doula that provide a stable source of 4 psychosocial support and education throughout the perinatal period as well as during 5 and after childbirth; 6 (3) "Health benefit plan", the same meaning given to the term in section 7 376.1350; 8 (4) "Health carrier", the same meaning given to the term in section 376.1350. 9 2. Each health carrier or health benefit plan that offers or issues health benefit 10 plans that are delivered, issued for delivery, continued, or renewed in this state on or 11 after January 1, 2027, shall provide coverage of doula services. 12 3. This section shall not apply to a supplemental insurance policy, including a life 13 care contract, accident-only policy, specified disease policy, hospital policy providing a 14 fixed daily benefit only, Medicare supplement policy, long-term care policy, short-term 15 major medical policy of six months' or less duration, or any other supplemental policy 16 as determined by the director of the department of commerce and insurance. ✔
Statutes affected: