A Missourian’s Guide to the 2026 Healthcare Omnibus
Published on July 14, 2026
by Drs. Jennifer Bean and Isabel Warner
The Governor signed House Bill 2372 into law. It is a 110-page omnibus package that touches on nearly every aspect of healthcare in the state. The bill affects health care costs and access, care for mothers, infants, and people with specific health needs, rules for some health care workers, and how Missouri tracks and manages disease.
1. Healthcare Access & Costs
For the average Missourian, the most immediate impacts of HB 2372 will be felt at the pharmacy counter and during doctor visits:
Insurance Coverage of Telehealth: Internet, phone, and audio-only telehealth visits will be covered by insurance.
Prescription Drug Pricing Fairness: Insurers cannot pay a lower amount to providers that serve low-income patients through the federal drug discount program. State insurance is prohibited from using cost-inflating practices, such as non-transparent drug pricing or drug up charging.
Contraceptive Access: Health insurance plans in MO must allow patients to receive a full year's supply of self-administered contraceptives at one time.
“Food is Medicine”: MO can apply for federal permission to let Medicaid cover medically prescribed healthy food to treat and manage nutrition-related chronic diseases.
Learn more about how insurance benefits can be used for healthy foods in the Science Note Food Prescriptions.
The Food Prescription Lifecycle. Food prescriptions provide healthy food to help people with limited income or food insecurity manage chronic diseases. Federal grants and health plans provide the money for these benefits, which are loaded onto digital cards or printed as vouchers. People redeem these prescriptions at participating grocery stores and farmers markets to receive fresh produce at no or reduced cost.
Breast Cancer Screenings: Insurers cannot charge more for diagnostic or supplemental exams for patients with dense breast tissue or other elevated risks.
Surprise Billing: Insurers can no longer cap or cut payment for anesthesia based on how long a procedure takes. Hospitals that do not follow federal price transparency rules cannot send patients to collection for associated visits.
MO Health Insurance Marketplace: MO can now operate a state-run health insurance marketplace.
Working Disabled Healthcare: A temporary program to let working Missourians with disabilities keep Medicaid is now permanent.
2. Maternal, Infant, and Specialized Care
The bill also targets geographic and racial disparities in care, particularly for mothers, infants, children, and seniors:
Doula Services and Childbirth Education: Doula services and childbirth education classes are now covered under MO HealthNet services.
Examining Pregnancy Mortality: Missouri's Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review Board is tasked to examine pregnancy-related deaths in maternity care deserts.
States with a Dementia Services Coordinator. Twenty-eight states have a Dementia Services Coordinator as of 2024.
Allergies in Schools and Child Care: Schools, childcare facilities, and nursing homes are now able to stock a broader, more modern range of epinephrine delivery devices to treat allergic reactions, rather than narrowly defined “auto-injectors.”
First Responder Mental Health: All peace officers and first responders must complete a confidential mental health check-in every three to five years, and what they share cannot be used against them in any legal or disciplinary proceedings.
Protecting Vulnerable Missourians: Adult protective service teams can now share reports across agencies to strengthen elder abuse investigations. Children entering state custody must receive a physical exam within 72 hours to identify signs of abuse or medical needs as soon as possible.
3. Healthcare Professional Scope of Practice and Training
HB 2372 expands healthcare professionals’ ability to prescribe treatment and creates additional opportunities for healthcare workforce training:
Occupational Therapists: Occupational therapists may now issue disabled parking placards.
Occupational Therapy Interventions for Children and Adults. Occupational therapists (OTs) use standard evaluations to identify a patient's functional status and implement interventions tailored to that patient. For children, the focus is on developmental growth and school participation. For adults, the emphasis is on restoring independence and safety after an injury or illness. Both populations benefit from specialized equipment and environmental modifications designed to facilitate daily self-sufficiency.
Pharmacist Prescriptions: Pharmacists are now able to prescribe medical devices and dispense some kinds of behind-the-counter medications such as ivermectin.
Health Professional Training: Instructors licensed in other states can oversee clinical training for Missouri social workers and speech language pathologists.
4. Public Health and Disease Management
Finally, the bill expands disease monitoring programs and creates a dedicated group to examine disease impacts and treatment:
Tick Borne Illness Reporting: Healthcare providers must now report alpha-gal syndrome and Lyme disease to the state for disease tracking.
Sickle Cell Standing Committee: The new standing committee will assess the state’s needs and gaps in care for people living with sickle cell disease.
HB 2372 represents a multi-faceted effort by the General Assembly to tackle health challenges across a broad range of topics. Most provisions will go into effect on August 28th, with remaining insurance provisions effective January 1, 2027.
