SB 841: Health Care Omnibus
Sponsor: Mike Bernskoetter
STRONGLY OPPOSE
Violates limited govt principles
SB 841 is a large omnibus "health care" bill that touches dozens of different topics: awareness weeks, hospital investments, telemedicine rules, and MO HealthNet reimbursement changes. It also quietly expands the authority of state health officials to issue standing medical orders and creates a new Medicaid doula benefit.
What Does This Bill Do?
- Standing Order Expansion: Allows the chief medical officers of DHSS and other agencies to issue standing orders for "any other purpose" (non-controlled substances) by rule, granting broad power to unelected officials.
- Medicaid Doula Benefit: Creates a new MO HealthNet benefit for doula services, utilizing "pregnant individual" language and establishing a state-run certification infrastructure.
- National Public-Health Contracting: Authorizes DHSS to contract directly with affiliates of national public-health associations as "qualified vendors," potentially embedding progressive NGOs in state grants.
Constitutional or Critical Context
This bill is a classic "Christmas tree" omnibus that bundles genuine reforms (like prior-authorization relief and non-opioid pain coverage) with significant expansions of state bureaucracy. While it includes pro-life language in the "Show-Me Healthy Babies" section, it simultaneously opens doors for state agencies to push controversial medical policies through standing orders without legislative approval.
Red Flags & Recommended Amendments
Open-Ended Standing Orders
Section 191.708 grants agency physicians immunity and authority to issue standing orders for ANY non-controlled substance purpose, effectively bypassing legislative debate on medical policy.
Ideological Language & NGOs
The bill privileges national public-health affiliates for state contracts and uses gender-neutral "pregnant individual" language in the new Doula Reimbursement Act.
Act for Missouri Recommendation:
Act for Missouri OPPOSES this bill. While we support individual provisions—especially those that recognize unborn children and reduce prior-authorization abuse—the bill, as written, is an omnibus package that expands state health bureaucracy, opens dangerous standing-order authority, and deepens federal entanglement. We encourage legislators to kill SB 841 in its current form.