Governor signs five other health care-related bills and vetoes Senate Bill 608
JEFFERSON CITY – Gov. Jay Nixon today signed into law a bill that will help protect Missouri healthcare consumers. Senate Bill 865 gives authority to the Missouri Department of Insurance to review rates for health plans offered under the federal Affordable Care Act. Currently, the only review of those rates could be done by federal regulators, acting on behalf of the state.
Senate Bill 865 establishes the Missouri Health Insurance Rate Transparency Act which allows the Missouri Department of Insurance to review insurance rates filed by health insurance companies, and to determine if the rates are reasonable. The rates filed by the insurance companies will also be made available online, and open to public comment prior to the rates taking effect.
“Up until now, Missouri was the only state in the nation without the ability to review health insurance rates, ceding that responsibility to the federal government,” Gov. Nixon said. “Now, with this legislation, Missouri consumers will no longer be in the dark when shopping for health insurance plans.”
In addition, the Governor also announced he signed the following bills today:
n Senate Bill 635, an omnibus healthcare bill containing several provisions contained in bills already signed into law by the Governor;
n Senate Bill 973, which, among its provisions, will allow pharmacists to dispense varying quantities of maintenance medication (such as medication used to treat blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes) up to the total dosage prescribed. This could lower the amount the patient spends in co-pays and save trips to the pharmacy;
n Senate Bill 988, which modifies several provisions related to health providers, including allowing certain municipal and county hospitals greater flexibility in their investments, and allowing ambulance districts to conduct fingerprint background checks on current and prospective employees, contractors and volunteers;
n House Bill 1682, which, among its provisions, directs the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to expand the newborn infant screening program to include screening for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), also known as bubble boy disease; and
n House Bill 1816, which, among its provisions, allows various state boards that regulate medical professions to work with state agencies to collect workforce data to assess the accessibility and availability of healthcare services in Missouri.
Gov. Nixon today also vetoed Senate Bill 608, which would have imposed a host of new penalties and fees on low-income families, the aged, blind, and disabled.
“Senate Bill 608 would needlessly punish our state’s most vulnerable citizens without improving access to care or bringing Missourians’ tax dollars back to Missouri,” the Governor said in his veto message, which is available here.
