Missouri legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Missouri HB1944: Creates provisions relating to health insurance claims settlement practices
Status: In committee, May 15, 2026
What the bill says
To amend chapter 376, RSMo, by adding thereto two new sections relating to health insurance claims settlement practices, with penalty provisions. Section A. Chapter 376, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto two new sections, to be known as sections 376.1245 and 376.1580, to read as follows: 376.1245. 1. As used in this section, the following terms mean: (1) "Anesthesia time", the period during which an anesthesia practitioner is present with the patient, starting when the anesthesia practitioner begins to prepare the patient for anesthesia services in the operating room or an equivalent area and.
From the introduced text:
To amend chapter 376, RSMo, by adding thereto two new sections relating to health insurance claims settlement practices, with penalty provisions. Section A. Chapter 376, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto two new sections, to be known as sections 376.1245 and 376.1580, to read as follows: 376.1245. 1. As used in this section, the following terms mean: (1) "Anesthesia time", the period during which an anesthesia practitioner is present with the patient, starting when the anesthesia practitioner begins to prepare the patient for anesthesia services in the operating room or an equivalent area and ending when the anesthesia practitioner is no longer furnishing anesthesia services to the patient because the patient may be placed safely under postoperative or postanesthesia care. The term "anesthesia time" includes, if counted by the anesthesia practitioner, blocks of time around an interruption in anesthesia time provided the anesthesia practitioner is furnishing continuous anesthesia care within the time periods around the interruption; (2) "Anesthesia time units", time units recognized with appropriate time intervals that do not exceed fifteen minutes in length for each interval and that, taken together, represent the total anesthesia time for a particular anesthesia service; (3) "Excepted benefit plan", the same meaning given to the term in section 376.998; (4) "Health benefit plan", the same meaning given to the term in section 376.1350. …