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| 2 | 2 | | FIRST REGULAR SESSION |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE BILL NO. 499 |
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| 4 | 4 | | 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 5 | 5 | | INTRODUCED BY SENATOR SCHROER. |
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| 6 | 6 | | 1582S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | To amend chapter 376, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to health care provider |
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| 9 | 9 | | participation in health insurance plans. |
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| 10 | 10 | | |
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| 11 | 11 | | Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Section A. Chapter 376, R SMo, is amended by adding thereto 1 |
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| 13 | 13 | | one new section, to be known as section 376.1583, to read as 2 |
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| 14 | 14 | | follows:3 |
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| 15 | 15 | | 376.1583. 1. The provisions of this section shall be 1 |
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| 16 | 16 | | known and may be cited as the "Patients First Act". 2 |
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| 17 | 17 | | 2. The department of commerce an d insurance shall 3 |
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| 18 | 18 | | implement and enforce the nondiscrimination protections in 4 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Section 2706 of the federal Public Health Service Act, 42 5 |
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| 20 | 20 | | U.S.C. Section 300gg -5, by ensuring that no group health 6 |
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| 21 | 21 | | plan or health insurance issuer offering group or individual 7 |
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| 22 | 22 | | health insurance coverage shall discriminate with respect to 8 |
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| 23 | 23 | | participation under the plan or coverage against any health 9 |
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| 24 | 24 | | care provider who is acting within the scope of that 10 |
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| 25 | 25 | | provider's license or certification under state law. 11 |
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| 26 | 26 | | 3. (1) A health benefit plan, as defined in section 12 |
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| 27 | 27 | | 376.1350, shall not discriminate against a health care 13 |
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| 28 | 28 | | provider based on the provider's licensure with respect to 14 |
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| 29 | 29 | | reimbursement or participation in any plan or insurance 15 |
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| 30 | 30 | | program. 16 SB 499 2 |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) All health care providers sh all be reimbursed at 17 |
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| 32 | 32 | | the same rate for the same service as long as such service 18 |
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| 33 | 33 | | is within the provider's scope of practice. 19 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (3) Nothing in this section shall be construed as 20 |
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| 35 | 35 | | preventing a group health plan or a health insurance issuer 21 |
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| 36 | 36 | | from establishing varying reimbursement rates based on 22 |
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| 37 | 37 | | quality or performance measures. 23 |
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| 38 | 38 | | 4. The department of commerce and insurance may 24 |
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| 39 | 39 | | promulgate all necessary rules and regulations for the 25 |
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| 40 | 40 | | administration of this section. Any rule or portion of a 26 |
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| 41 | 41 | | rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is 27 |
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| 42 | 42 | | created under the authority delegated in this section shall 28 |
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| 43 | 43 | | become effective only if it complies with and is subject to 29 |
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| 44 | 44 | | all of the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, 30 |
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| 45 | 45 | | section 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are 31 |
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| 46 | 46 | | nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the 32 |
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| 47 | 47 | | general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay 33 |
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| 48 | 48 | | the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are 34 |
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| 49 | 49 | | subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of 35 |
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| 50 | 50 | | rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after 36 |
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| 51 | 51 | | August 28, 2025, shall be invalid and void. 37 |
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| 52 | 52 | | |
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