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SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 3169
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENT A TIVE GRAGG.
6633H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o 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) Pr ovides health education, advocacy , and physical, emotional, and
4 nonmedical support for preg nant and postpartum women befor e, 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 pr ovider; and
8 (c) Does not requ ire supervision in the performance of the activities described in
9 paragraph (a) of this subdivision;
10 (2) "Doula car e", physical, emotional, and other nonmedical care pr ovided by a
11 doula during the pren atal 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 provi ded befor e, during, and after childbirth, including thr oughout
15 the postpartum period;
16 (4) "Eligible participant", any pr egnant woman who is eligible for MO
17 HealthNet benefits and r equests doula services;
EXPLANA TION — 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.
18 (5) "Postpartum period", the one-year period after a pregn ancy ends;
19 (6) "Postpartum support session", any session pro vided during the postpartum
20 period that is designed to help a woman understand what to expect, identify normal
21 experiences, communicate concerns to pr oviders, transition back to well-woman car e,
22 engage in family planning, participate in scr eening for postpartum depr ession, engage in
23 par enting education and skills development, and transition to other insurance as
24 necessary;
25 (7) "Pren atal support session", any session pro vided during the pre natal period
26 that is aimed at enhancing health literacy , covering what to expect during pr egnancy
27 and childbirth, identifying normal experiences, communicating concerns to pro viders,
28 and discussing nutrition, exer cise, tobacco cessation, and self-monitoring of existing
29 health risks or conditions;
30 (8) "Support session", any pr enatal or postpartum support session.
31 2. Any eligible participant shall be entitled to coverage of doula car e and doula
32 services under the MO HealthNet doula pr ogram. The department of social services
33 shall expand the coverage under the pr ogram by:
34 (1) Allowing coverage for attendance at scheduled cesar ean section deliveries;
35 and
36 (2) Increa sing the number of support sessions that qualify for coverage so that
37 any participant who needs mor e 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 pr ovide doula services;
3 (2) "Doula services", services that provi de a stable sour ce of psychosocial
4 support and education thr oughout the perinatal period as well as during and after
5 childbirth.
6 2. The department of health and senior services shall r eview and appr ove doula
7 r egistration to allow for health insurance rei mbursement of doula services.
8 3. The department of health and senior services shall creat e the criteria for the
9 doula reg istration application.
10 4. The department of health and senior services shall pr omulgate all necessary
11 rules and reg ulations 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 crea ted under the authority
13 delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to
14 all of the pr ovisions 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 revi ew , to delay the effective date, or to disappr ove and annul
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17 a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority
18 and any rule prop osed 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 prov ided by a doula that prov ide a stable sourc e of
4 psychosocial support and education thr oughout 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 ar e deliver ed, issued for delivery , continued, or r enewed in this state on or
11 after January 1, 2027, shall pro vide coverage of doula services.
12 3. This section shall not apply to a supplemental insurance policy , including a life
13 car e contract, accident-only policy , specified disease policy , hospital policy pr oviding a
14 fixed daily benefit only , Medicar e supplement policy , long-term car e policy , short-term
15 major medical policy of six months' or less duration, or any other supplemental policy
16 as determined by the dir ector of the department of commer ce and insurance.
✔
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