Health Occupations, Public Health, and Insurance - Menopause - Provider Training Coverage Requirements, Policy Initiatives, and Access to Care
HB1365 is a menopause-focused health policy bill that makes several changes across Maryland’s health, insurance, and public health laws. It expands the State Advisory Council on Health and Wellness by adding the Executive Director of the Maryland Commission for Women and a member with expertise in perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal evaluation and treatment. The bill also directs the Maryland Department of Health to identify at least one approved training program on menopause care, in consultation with professional associations such as the Menopause Society.
The bill requires health occupations boards that mandate continuing education for license renewal to award at least two hours of credit for every one hour of approved menopause-related continuing education, with authority to cap the total credits by regulation. It also requires insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations to cover the evaluation and management of menopause and menopause-associated symptoms as determined by the treating provider. In addition, it directs the Maryland Commission for Women and the Maryland Department of Health to study policy options, community health worker outreach, and clinical education pathways to improve access to care for perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal individuals, with reports due to the General Assembly by October 1, 2027.
HB1365 amends the Health-General, Health Occupations, and Insurance Articles of the Maryland Code. It creates new continuing education and coverage requirements tied specifically to menopause care, affecting health professional licensing boards, licensed providers who treat menopause-related conditions, and state-regulated insurers and health plans. The bill also imposes new study and reporting duties on the Maryland Commission for Women and the Maryland Department of Health, while expanding the composition of the State Advisory Council on Health and Wellness.
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and a generally favorable reception. It passed the House 127-2 and the Senate 42-0, and the final status indicates it was approved by the Governor as Chapter 606. The strong vote totals suggest little opposition overall and a consensus that menopause care, provider education, and insurance coverage warranted legislative action.
No committee transcript was provided, and the voting record shows minimal recorded opposition. The main policy questions implied by the bill are how much continuing education credit should be granted for menopause training, whether health plans should be required to cover evaluation and management as determined by the treating provider, and how the Department of Health should define or approve qualifying training programs. Any potential concerns would likely center on administrative burden for boards and insurers, but the available record does not show organized opposition.