Wide range of medical bills for women The bill, which has been stalled in the House for months over concerns about expanded birth control coverage, is one step away from the governor’s desk, but dysfunction in the Senate could jeopardize its chances for passage. be.
The bill, the work of a bipartisan group of five women from both chambers of Congress, would be a “game changer” for women’s health, said state Rep. Melanie Stinnett, a Republican from Springfield. .
The bill, which includes provisions focused on annual supplies of birth control, congenital syphilis, mammograms, sexually transmitted disease treatment and rape test kits, is sponsored by Stinnett. State Sen. Elaine Gannon, a DeSoto Republican; State Rep. Tara Peters, R-Rolla; State Sen. Tracy McCreary, D-Olivet; and state Rep. Patty Lewis, D-Kansas City.
“We need to focus on women’s health, children’s health and infant health,” Gannon said. “We must do whatever we can to produce healthy people.”
Although the House held its first committee hearing in January, it took until the end of April to pass the bill and send it to the Senate. The delay was due to a number of Republican lawmakers expressing concern that contraception could be used as an abortion pill, bill sponsors said.
Since passing the House with the approval of 60 Republicans and 45 Democrats, it has moved quickly in the Senate and was approved unanimously by the House Emerging Issues Committee on Monday.
“This bill was on life support many times as it moved forward,” Lewis said. “But no matter what side of the aisle you’re on, it’s politically advantageous to support women’s health care right now.”
Sponsors remain hopeful that the bill can cross the finish line by the end of the session on May 17.
But progress in the Senate has stalled, with nothing on the floor due to infighting between the Freedom Caucus and Senate Republican leadership and a deadline to pass the state budget.
Also floating in the air is a bill that would make it harder to pass a nationally-initiated constitutional amendment, which Democrats fear could undermine an abortion rights bill that is expected to be on the November ballot. I am firmly against it.
Proponents of the women’s health care bill argue that unlike other bills, the bill should not be controversial and therefore not a victim of Senate gridlock.
“If you have a supermajority that knows how to govern, you can force anything through,” Lewis said. “But they are too busy fighting among themselves and ultimately playing games with people’s lives.”
contraceptives supplied annually
Peters said if there’s one thing he learned during his freshman term in the House, it’s that all it takes is the word “abortion” to start a movement to kill a bill.
The bill, which would allow women with private insurance to receive the contraceptives they need every year instead of going to the pharmacy every few months, has already been passed in 26 states. Research shows that this increased access and continuity may help prevent unplanned pregnancies. It does not apply to abortion pills.
Stinnett, who has a master’s degree in health care administration and is vice chair of the House Health Care Reform Committee, said several of his Republican colleagues questioned whether hormonal contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs fall under the law. He said he was holding a
“At every turn, we’ve had to educate or chill or argue against things that aren’t true,” Peters said, noting that some members of Congress were concerned that the bill was related to abortion pills. He added that they are spreading inaccurate information that they are doing so.
After introducing the bill several times, Peters finally won the support he needed, and despite an initial House committee hearing in January, the bill was finally approved in late April. was submitted by the House of Representatives.
The only companies present to testify against the birth control policy were the Missouri Insurance Federation, America’s Health Insurance Plan, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City.
Recent research published by The Right TimeFamily planning efforts by the Missouri Family Health Council have shown that: Missourians overwhelmingly support access to contraceptives; But some people are concerned that their own lawmakers could pass laws that would limit its availability.
In a survey of 1,000 Missourians between the ages of 18 and 35, 77% said they believe annual contraceptives should be available.
Mandy Hagseth, the council’s director of policy and external affairs, said: “You have to dig pretty deep to find out when the last time a ‘women’s health type’ aggressive reproductive health care bill was passed. There will be,” he said. “So it doesn’t happen often and it doesn’t happen easily.”
Hagseth previously told The Independent that in conversations with women around Missouri, access to clinics, a lack of consistent transportation, and juggling work and children often hinder continued access to contraceptives. He said the council had learned that this could create a gap in use and increase the likelihood of it being used. An unwanted pregnancy.
More than 373,000 Missouri women live in the desert without contraceptives. This is defined as a place where there is no reasonable access to all forms of contraception, according to data compiled by Power to Decide. Most are in rural counties.
“The Senate has an opportunity to pass a very important and aggressive women’s health bill,” Hagseth said. “At a time when it is so needed, both generally and politically.”
Congenital syphilis test
In 2022, Missouri recorded 81 congenital syphilis cases — The state health department said it issued the most alerts in 30 years earlier this year.
From 2017 to 2021, the number of congenital syphilis cases increased by 219% nationwide. Missouri saw a 593% increase, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From 2012 to 2015, one stillbirth due to congenital syphilis was reported in Missouri. At least one infant has died every year since then, with 18 deaths reported from 2016 to 2022, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
A mother can transmit congenital syphilis in the womb at any point during pregnancy. However, if the baby is infected before passing through the birth canal, the disease recovers in the womb.
In adults, symptoms include a rash on the palms and soles of the feet, hair loss, swollen lymph nodes, and pain. Often these symptoms go away on their own, although they are still contagious. According to the CDC, if a mother becomes infected within four weeks of giving birth and does not receive treatment, the infant has a 40% chance of dying at or shortly after birth.
Currently, only two syphilis tests are required during pregnancy: during the first trimester and at birth. The bill would also require third-trimester testing for HIV, hepatitis C, and hepatitis B, which can cause liver damage in infants.
This legislation aims to address this epidemic by adding an optional test during regularly scheduled visits for women around 28 weeks pregnant.
“Anything we can do to make sure the baby is born healthy, that’s what we have to do,” Gannon said.
Mammography, sexually transmitted disease treatment, forensic testing
McCreary said after going for a mammogram earlier this year, she received a “strangely formatted letter” and thought she needed additional testing to make sure she didn’t have breast cancer.
This bill would make the language given to patients after cancer screenings less confusing, as new federal regulations regarding mammography currently conflict with Missouri law and the current language could cause unnecessary concern. It will be updated to.
“When you communicate with someone after taking a test like this, you need to use clear and understandable language,” McCreary says.
The bill also hopes to make it easier to treat trichomoniasis, an infection that affects women more than men.
Under current state law, when someone is diagnosed with gonorrhea and chlamydia, doctors can also treat the patient’s sexual partner in a process called rapid partner therapy. Under the legislation, trichomoniasis would also be added to that list, opening the door for syphilis to be added if federal guidelines change as syphilis rates rise. .
The last part of the bill would smooth out legislation passed in 2022 that would require it to be given to survivors of rape or sexual assault. Option to request forensic testing.
Currently, specialty hospitals without emergency departments are not exempt from this law, meaning survivors may be taken to health care providers without access to rape test kits. The law requires patients who initially attend a specialized hospital to be transferred to a hospital with an emergency department equipped to perform forensic tests.
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