Public Health – Perimenopausal, Menopausal, and Postmenopausal Conditions
HB1121 would create a set of state actions focused on perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal health. It expands the State Advisory Council on Health and Wellness by adding the executive director of the Maryland Commission for Women as a permanent member and adding a member with expertise in perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal evaluation and treatment, while reducing the number of public members from 18 to 17. The bill also directs state health and policy agencies to study coverage, access, education, and policy options related to menopause care.
The bill requires health occupations boards that mandate continuing education for license or certificate renewal to award at least two continuing education credits for each hour completed on perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal evaluation and treatment, subject to any board-set maximum. It also directs the Maryland Health Care Commission, the Maryland Commission for Women, and the Maryland Department of Health to evaluate insurance coverage barriers, state policy initiatives, community health worker outreach, and clinical education opportunities, with reports due to the General Assembly in 2026 and 2027.
HB1121 would amend the Health – General and Health Occupations articles of the Maryland Code. It changes the composition of the State Advisory Council on Health and Wellness, creates a continuing-education credit incentive for menopause-related training across applicable health occupations boards, and imposes new study-and-reporting duties on the Maryland Health Care Commission, the Maryland Commission for Women, and the Maryland Department of Health. The bill does not directly mandate coverage or treatment standards, but it could influence future policy, licensing education, insurance coverage, and workforce training related to menopause care.
The available record shows no committee transcript, vote tally, or recorded floor debate, and the bill’s last action was a canceled House hearing. Based on the bill text, the measure appears to be framed as a public health and women’s health initiative rather than a controversial regulatory overhaul. Its emphasis on education, access, and study suggests a generally supportive policy posture, but the absence of hearings or votes means there is no documented legislative sentiment in the provided materials.
The main potential points of contention are the bill’s required continuing education credit treatment for menopause-related instruction, the added reporting and evaluation duties for state agencies, and any downstream implications for insurance coverage, including hormone replacement therapy, preauthorization, and step-therapy requirements. Stakeholders likely to care most include health occupations boards, licensed health professionals, insurers, the Maryland Health Care Commission, the Maryland Department of Health, the Maryland Commission for Women, and advocates for women’s health and midlife care. Because there were no recorded discussions or votes, no specific opposition or support is documented in the provided context.