Everyone deserves to have their voice heard this election. This post provides a brief overview of your voting rights, and what you can expect to see on the ballot. Make sure you are registered to vote and view a sample ballot here! Know Your Voting Rights It is illegal for someone to intimidate or harass…
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The passage of Amendment 7, a ballot measure appearing on the November 5 election ballot, would eliminate ranked choice voting, except for St. Louis. St. Louis currently uses approval voting for their local elections. The Community Health Commission of Missouri opposes the passage of Amendment 7 because ranked choice voting has been shown to decrease…
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A critical health-focused ballot measure on the November 5 election ballot is Amendment 3, or the “Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative.” The amendment would establish the constitutional right to an abortion. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, nearly all abortions became illegal in Missouri, with few exceptions for the health of…
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Proposition A (Prop A), a key ballot measure on the November 5 Missouri election ballot, focuses on raising the minimum wage and increasing the amount of sick time accrued by employees. The minimum wage will increase from $12.30 to $13.75 an hour starting 1/1/2025. It will increase to $15 an hour effective 1/1/2026. The Community…
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State legislators are currently deliberating on a number of proposed laws aimed at limiting the ability of public and private organizations to conduct training or implement initiatives focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Some of these bills target only state departments, while others extend to public and private medical institutions within higher education. If passed,…
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On January 31, the RHC submitted public comment in support of proposed rule 13 CSR 70-25.160 Doula Services, which would establish the Department of Social Services’ MO HealthNet Division guidelines regarding coverage and reimbursement for community doula services. Maternal and infant mortality rates in Missouri are consistently one of the highest in the nation, and people…
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On December 5th, KFF posted a press release about their recently published 2023 Racism, Discrimination and Health Survey. The survey, a large, nationally representative sample of over 6,000 responses illustrates the experiences of racism and discrimination across racial and ethnic groups. The survey explores experiences related to economic circumstances, interactions with police, discrimination in daily…
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On January 17th, the Regional Health Commission (RHC) submitted testimony in support of Senate Bill 748 (SB 748) which would remove the expiration date for the federal reimbursement allowance (FRA). The federal reimbursement allowance (FRA) system also known as the “provider tax” started in the 1990s, when hospitals began voluntarily contributing funds to the state,…
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On January 16th, the Regional Health Commission (RHC) submitted testimony in support of House Bill 2190 which would expand access to contraception by prioritizing and passing annual-supply birth control legislation. HB 2190 would require any health benefit plan in Missouri to reimburse a health care provider or dispensing entity for the dispensing of a supply…
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Following the conclusion of the 2023 Missouri legislative session on May 12th, the RHC has published a legislative “wrap-up” to summarize the wins, losses, and issues to keep an eye on going forward. You can read the full wrap-up here, or find summaries of the key policy issues we are tracking below. If you missed…
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On April 27th, the Regional Health Commission released a statement on gender-affirming care in response to the Missouri Attorney General’s emergency regulation. Read the statement from the RHC below, or click to download a pdf version. The St. Louis Regional Health Commission and Alive and Well Communities advocate for access to gender-affirming care for transgender…
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