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Read. Follow. Verify.Missouri General Assembly Enacts Healthcare Reimbursement Rates and Pharmacy Licensing Rules
Last action · May 7, 2026: Placed Back on Formal Perfection Calendar (H)Sponsor: George Hruza
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What This Bill Would Do
is required to pay for the professional component of inpatient provided by hospital-based pathologists at thirty percent of the Medicare-based fee schedule. Wholesale drug distributors, pharmacy distributors, drug outsourcers, and s must obtain a Missouri Board of Pharmacy license and pay required fees. Health carriers and health benefit plans are prohibited from imposing time limits or excluding when calculating payments for anesthesia services.
Inpatient pathology services for patients receive set reimbursement rates paid directly to hospitals or third-party providers, wholesale drug distributors face strict licensing prerequisites, and health plans cannot restrict anesthesia payment calculations based on time limits.
- The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature responsible for enacting laws relating to health care, state programs like MO HealthNet, and professional licensing through bodies such as the Board of Pharmacy. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Hospital-based pathologists
Their professional services rendered for inpatient clinical pathology will be reimbursed through MO HealthNet at a specified percentage of the Medicare-based fee schedule.
Wholesale drug distributors
They must obtain a license and pay required fees to operate within Missouri, with provisions for out-of-state reciprocity and temporary licensing.
Health carriers
They are prohibited from enforcing time limits or excluding anesthesia time when calculating payments for anesthesia services.
MO HealthNet patients
Covered inpatient clinical pathology services provided to them by hospital-based pathologists are explicitly included for MO HealthNet fee payments.
Key Facts
- MO HealthNet must pay for the professional component of inpatient clinical pathology services provided by hospital-based pathologists.
- Reimbursement for the professional component of clinical pathology services is set at thirty percent of the approved outpatient simplified fee schedule based on Medicare's clinical laboratory fee schedule.
- If pathology services are provided by a hospital-employed pathologist, the professional fee is paid directly to the hospital.
- If pathology services are provided by a non-employed pathologist, the professional fee is paid directly to the third party providing the services.
Show all 10 facts
- No person or distribution outlet may act as a wholesale drug distributor, pharmacy distributor, drug outsourcer, or third-party logistics provider without a license from the Missouri Board of Pharmacy.
- Out-of-state wholesale drug distributors and third-party logistics providers without a resident state license may be eligible for Missouri licensure using a valid drug distributor accreditation from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
- Health carriers and health benefit plans are prohibited from establishing, implementing, or enforcing any policy or procedure that imposes a time limit for the payment of anesthesia services.
- Health carriers and health benefit plans are prohibited from restricting or excluding all anesthesia time when calculating the payment of anesthesia services.
- Excepted benefit plans are subject to the anesthesia payment requirements of the act.
- Rulemaking authority and rules created under section 208.149 become void if chapter 536 review powers are held unconstitutional, with a specific date of August 28, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the reimbursement amount calculated for inpatient clinical pathology services under MO HealthNet?
Who must obtain a license from the Missouri Board of Pharmacy under this bill?
Can health plans impose a time limit for paying for anesthesia services?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently on floor. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Passed.
Procedural history
16 actions- May 7, 2026HousePlaced Back on Formal Perfection Calendar (H)
- Apr 28, 2026HousePlaced on the Informal Perfection Calendar (H)
- Apr 20, 2026HousePlaced Back on Formal Perfection Calendar (H)
- Apr 7, 2026HousePlaced on the Informal Perfection Calendar (H)
- Mar 30, 2026HouseCommitteeReported Do Pass (H)
- Mar 30, 2026HouseCommitteeVoted Do Pass (H)
Show 10 earlier actions
- Mar 30, 2026HouseExecutive Session Completed (H)
- Mar 10, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred: Rules - Administrative(H)
- Mar 5, 2026HouseCommitteeHCS Reported Do Pass (H)
- Mar 5, 2026HouseCommitteeHCS Voted Do Pass (H)
- Mar 5, 2026HouseExecutive Session Completed (H)
- Feb 26, 2026HousePublic Hearing Completed (H)
- Jan 29, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred: Health and Mental Health(H)
- Jan 8, 2026HouseFloorRead Second Time (H)
- Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroducedRead First Time (H)
- Dec 1, 2025HouseIntroducedPrefiled (H)
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Comprehensive Healthcare and Distribution Update
House Bill 1945 combines distinct regulatory areas by simultaneously updating MO HealthNet pathology service payments, Missouri Board of Pharmacy licensing rules for distributors, and health plan anesthesia payment calculation standards.
Connected Entities
Sources
house.mo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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