Section 208.1405

Title XII PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE

Chapter 208

Effective - 28 Aug 2026, see footnote   

  208.1405.  Definitions. — For purposes of sections 208.1400 to 208.1425, the following terms mean:

  (1)  "Community navigation services", services that connect pregnant women and their families with available resources using a community-based approach including, but not limited to, an approach that promotes healthy, live births and understands the services and supports available to pregnant and postpartum women receiving MO HealthNet benefits and facilitates access to those resources based upon an assessment of social service needs;

  (2)  "Doula", a birth worker who:

  (a)  Provides health education, advocacy, and physical, emotional, and nonmedical support during the prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum periods, for pregnant and postpartum women before, during, and after childbirth, including support during miscarriage and stillbirth, with the goal of achieving healthy, live births;

  (b)  Is a trained certified professional but is not a licensed or clinical provider; and

  (c)  Does not require supervision in the performance of the activities described in paragraph (a) of this subdivision;

  (3)  "Doula care", physical, emotional, and other nonmedical care provided by a doula during the prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum periods; presence of a doula during labor and delivery; and doula support for miscarriage and stillbirth;

  (4)  "Doula services", health education, advocacy, and physical, emotional, and nonmedical support provided during the prenatal and intrapartum periods, and after childbirth, including throughout the postpartum period;

  (5)  "Eligible participant", any pregnant woman who is eligible for MO HealthNet benefits and requests doula services;

  (6)  "Fee-for-service", a payment model where services are unbundled and paid for separately;

  (7)  "Intrapartum", the period of pregnancy during labor and delivery, miscarriage, and stillbirth.  Services provided during this period are rendered to the pregnant woman;

  (8)  "Managed care", the delivery of Medicaid health benefits and additional services through contracted arrangements between state Medicaid agencies and managed care organizations that accept a set per-member per-month (capitation) payment for these services;

  (9)  "Postpartum", the one-year period after a pregnancy ends;

  (10)  "Postpartum support session", any session provided during the postpartum period that is designed to help a woman understand what to expect, identify normal experiences, communicate concerns to providers, transition back to well-woman care, engage in family planning, participate in screening for postpartum depression, engage in parenting education and skills development, and transition to other insurance as necessary;

  (11)  "Prenatal", the period of pregnancy before labor or childbirth.  Services provided during this period are rendered to the pregnant woman;

  (12)  "Prenatal support session", any session provided during the prenatal period that is aimed at enhancing health literacy, covering what to expect during pregnancy and childbirth, identifying normal experiences, communicating concerns to providers, and discussing nutrition, exercise, tobacco cessation, and self-monitoring of existing health risks or conditions;

  (13)  "Support session", any prenatal, intrapartum, or postpartum support session.

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(L. 2026 H.B. 2372)