Enacts provisions relating to health care provider participation in health insurance plans

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Enacts provisions relating to health care provider participation in health insurance plans

The following summaries of this bill are available: Print All Summaries Introduced Print SB 1447 - This act creates the "Patients First Act", which directs the Department of Commerce and Insurance to implement and enforce certain provisions of the federal Public Health Service Act.

What This Bill Does

• The following summaries of this bill are available: Print All Summaries Introduced Print SB 1447 - This act creates the "Patients First Act", which directs the Department of Commerce and Insurance to implement and enforce certain provisions of the federal Public Health Service Act.
• Insurers shall not discriminate with respect to participation under the plan or coverage against any health care provider who is acting within the scope of that provider's license or certification under state law.
• Health benefit plans shall not discriminate against health care providers based on the providers' licensure with respect to reimbursement or participation in any plan or insurance program.
• All health care providers shall be reimbursed at the same rate for the same service as long as the service is within the provider's scope of practice.

Limits and Unknowns

• This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Official Summary Text

The following summaries of this bill are available:

Print All Summaries

Introduced

Print

SB 1447 - This act creates the "Patients First Act", which directs the Department of Commerce and Insurance to implement and enforce certain provisions of the federal Public Health Service Act. Insurers shall not discriminate with respect to participation under the plan or coverage against any health care provider who is acting within the scope of that provider's license or certification under state law.

Health benefit plans shall not discriminate against health care providers based on the providers' licensure with respect to reimbursement or participation in any plan or insurance program. All health care providers shall be reimbursed at the same rate for the same service as long as the service is within the provider's scope of practice.

The act shall not be construed as preventing a group health plan or a health insurance issuer from establishing varying reimbursement rates based on quality or performance measures.

Nothing in this act shall apply to licensed physicians.

This act is identical to HB 1894 (2026), substantially similar to SB 499 (2025), and similar to HCS/HB 530 (2025), HB 309 (2025), HB 2733 (2024), SB 558 (2023), and HB 935 (2023).
TAYLOR MIDDLETON

Current Bill Text

SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 1447
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR SCHROER.
5951S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To amend chapter 376, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to health care provider
participation in health insurance plans.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 376, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto 1
one new section, to be known as section 376.1583, to read as 2
follows:3
376.1583. 1. The provisions of this section shall be 1
known and may be cited as the "Patients First Act". 2
2. The department of commerce and insurance shall 3
implement and enforce the nondiscrimination protections in 4
Section 2706 of the federal Public Health Service Act, 42 5
U.S.C. Section 300gg-5, by ensuring that no group health 6
plan or health insurance issuer offering group or individual 7
health insurance coverage shall discriminate with respect to 8
participation under the plan or coverage against any health 9
care provider who is acting within the scope of that 10
provider's license or certification under state law. 11
3. (1) A health benefit plan, as defined in section 12
376.1350, shall not discriminate against a health care 13
provider based on the provider's licensure with respect to 14
reimbursement or participation in any plan or insurance 15
program. 16
SB 1447 2
(2) All health care providers shall be reimbursed at 17
the same rate for the same service as long as such service 18
is within the provider's scope of practice. 19
(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to 20
prevent a group health plan or a health insurance issuer 21
from establishing varying reimbursement rates based on 22
quality or performance measures. 23
4. Nothing in this section shall apply to physicians 24
licensed under chapter 334. 25
5. The department of commerce and insurance may 26
promulgate all necessary rules and regulations for the 27
administration of this section. Any rule or portion of a 28
rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is 29
created under the authority delegated in this section shall 30
become effective only if it complies with and is subject to 31
all of the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, 32
section 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are 33
nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the 34
general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay 35
the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are 36
subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of 37
rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after 38
August 28, 2026, shall be invalid and void. 39
✓