Missouri’s 2026 legislative session concluded with meaningful momentum toward reducing administrative burden in health care — even though prior authorization reform ultimately did not cross the finish line.
We extend our appreciation to Missouri House Speaker Jon Patterson, R-Blue Springs, and Rep. Melanie Stinnett, R-Springfield, for their leadership and continued commitment to improving care for Missouri patients and providers.
Rep. Stinnett sponsored legislation aimed at modernizing prior authorization requirements by establishing a “gold carding" system for high-performing providers. The proposal would have reduced unnecessary delays and administrative burden for providers with a proven track record of appropriate care.
Rep. Stinnett also joined the Missouri Hospital Association on its PolicyHuddle podcast to talk about her experiences as a provider and her work in educating her legislative colleagues about the challenges presented by prior authorization process.
Speaker Patterson, a surgeon, has been a strong advocate for addressing the growing administrative challenges facing patients, clinicians and hospitals. Throughout session, he consistently emphasized the importance of allowing health care professionals to spend more time caring for patients and less time navigating paperwork.
Thank Rep. Stinnett and Speaker Patterson for their continued advocacy for Missouri patients, providers and communities, specifically, ensuring care plans decided by patients and their providers are not delayed or denied due to insurance red tape.
The 2026 reform legislation advanced further than ever before, passing the Missouri House with overwhelming bipartisan support before stalling in the Senate during the final days of session.
While the final outcome was disappointing, the progress made this year reflects growing recognition that prior authorization reform is both a provider issue and a patient care issue that can and should be fixed with commonsense solutions.