Tag: truly agreed and finally passed

Plan on Governor’s Desk would Allow Investments by Rural Hospitals

      A plan to bolster Missouri’s rural hospitals’ financially stability is one of the measures awaiting action from the governor after the close of the legislative session earlier this month.

Representative Tara Peters (Photo: Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

      The proposal from Representative Tara Peters (R-Rolla) would expand the authority of rural hospital boards to invest funds that aren’t used for immediate obligations or hospital operations. 

      It was one of several measures she proposed this year aimed at supporting rural healthcare.   

      “We have small, rural hospitals closing all over the state.  This was an opportunity for them to expand that so they can use more of that money on other investment opportunities so they can get more money back, to stay afloat.”

      “It’s very important for our smaller hospitals in districts like mine to stay open so that we can provide great healthcare for the State of Missouri,” Peters said. “This is just one tool to allow them to stop operating in the red.”

      Peters said for many years rural hospitals have been barred from investing non-operating funds.

      “It was explained to me that it was put in the statute a long time ago because one hospital, I guess, had invested all of its money, 100 percent of it, in pork bellies, and at that time all the pork bellies went under and they lost all their money, so there were limitations put on the percentage of the amount of money that hospitals could invest, to not lose it all,” said Peters.

      The hospitals had been asking for full spending authority, but that wasn’t feasible to House lawmakers. 

      “They didn’t get everything they wanted.  Obviously they would have liked the opportunity to have 100 percent but the committee who heard that negotiated, and this is allowing them to take 15 percent to do a variety of stocks, bonds, and money market investments.  It’s not 100 percent but it’s a lot more than what the state statute was allowing them to do in the first place.  I’m hoping that by doing that they can recoup some of that money and hopefully get some gains, and use that money to keep in operation.”

      Peters said there was good reason for the prohibition on investing that was put in place, but with the passage of time and with rural hospitals struggling to stay in operation, that law was out of date.

      “We need to make sure that our state’s statutes are actually supporting the causes of our local hospitals, and any entity, so that we can operate to the full extent, so again that we can benefit Missourians and not operate in archaic times where the state statutes aren’t really benefitting out establishments.”

      The language was sent to the governor as part of Senate Bill 1359.  He can choose to sign it into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without taking any action.

Extension of postpartum coverage for low-income mothers expected to save lives, awaits governor’s action

      One of the measures the Missouri legislature approved before its session ended last week could save and improve the lives of mothers and their infants, and get the state out of the basement in state rankings for infant and maternal mortality.

Representative Melanie Stinnett (Photo: Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

      Amendments added to two bills, Senate Bill 106 and Senate Bill 45, would extend MO HealthNet or Show-Me Healthy Babies coverage for low-income pregnant women to a full year after the end of their pregnancy.  Currently that coverage stops after 60 days. 

      At the beginning of the legislative session a bipartisan group of six House members had filed that proposal, with several more having co-sponsored it. 

      “It takes a team of people that really care about legislation to move it and I’m just proud to be a part of that team,” said Representative Melanie Stinnett (R-Springfield), one of those sponsors. 

      “I think it makes a big difference for women who are looking at what life looks like after birth and how they can take care of themselves well and make sure that their family is healthy also.  It really is going to impact children, also.  I spoke when I testified in the House hearing about how important that first year of life is for a child, and if that mom’s getting healthcare she can ask those important questions about those things that are impacting her child, as well, so I think there are a wide variety of impacts that we’re going to see for families.”

      It was the fourth time Representative LaKeySha Bosley (D-St. Louis) had brought the idea forward, and she said she was ecstatic to see one of “her babies” reach the governor’s desk, and for it to have been part of a truly bipartisan effort.

Representative LaKeySha Bosley (Photo: Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

      “Everybody was just excited about actually doing something around postpartum that could really make a difference,” said Bosley.

      Legislators heard time and time again that a reason to pass this legislation is that Missouri is one of the lowest ranked states in terms of maternal and infant mortality.  Representative Patty Lewis’ (D-Kansas City) background includes more than 20 years in nursing.  She said this extension will make a huge difference for low-income Missouri mothers, and thereby help Missouri improve that ranking.

      “Currently an average of 60 Missouri women die within one year of being pregnant … seventy-five percent of these deaths are preventable, so extending the coverage from 60 days to one year will absolutely address our maternal mortality rate in this state.”

      Many Republicans point out that the measure is also fiscally conservative.  By improving outcomes for mothers, and thereby for their infants, many of them will require less state assistance and will make fewer emergency room visits.

      Sedalia Republican Brad Pollitt said, “I didn’t vote for expanded Medicaid but this isn’t an expansion, this is just an extension for a select few who kind of fall through the cracks.  I was glad that we were able to give them the opportunity to have this coverage to cut down on the number of deaths, not only in the mothers but also the babies.”

Representative Patty Lewis (Photo: Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

He adds, “I’m pleased that we had a bipartisan, pro-life bill that we could come to an agreement on and pass and get it to the governor’s desk.”

      Democrats say the bill was especially important in the wake of last year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that triggered a law banning most abortions in Missouri. 

      “We need to give [women] access to the services and the care that they need in order to stay healthy in order to raise those babies,” said Bosley.

      She noted that some groups in Missouri are impacted more greatly by infant and maternal mortality than others. 

      “As an African American woman I am three times more likely to die during childbirth in the State of Missouri and throughout this country, so to be able to give women who look like me and poor women across this state an opportunity to be able to have lifesaving [healthcare], like we’re actually changing lives, that was the purpose of us being sent here.”

      Bosley said this additional coverage for mothers and infants impacts an entire family.  People often don’t think about what a partner goes through when a mother or infant are sick.

Brad Pollitt
(Photo: Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

      “From a partner’s perspective, who doesn’t know how to identify the signs of when someone is going through a postpartum, maybe postpartum depression, this also gives them the ability to learn and to advocate on behalf of their partner – behalf of the mom and baby, so not only are we saving mommy and baby’s lives, we also are saving relationships and families and building a cohort around how we can do that for mommy, baby, and papa.”

      Each of these lawmakers spoke to House Communications through huge smiles as they talked about getting this legislation to the governor. 

      Said Lewis, “One of the main reasons I ran for office is because I believed I could save more lives on a macro level through policy, and this particular bill is something that will truly save lives.”

Pollitt added, “It’s a good thing.  It’s something we should do.  I think it’s a common sense approach.”

This provision would become law immediately upon SB 106 or SB 45 becoming law. Those bills are now awaiting action by Governor Mike Parson (R), who could choose to either sign them into law, allow them to become law without his action, or veto them.