The Mississippi Legislature on Thursday passed a bill on prior authorization for medical procedures, and it has now been sent to the governor’s desk for final consideration.
Both chambers in the past few weeks have voted to pass the bill into law with overwhelming support. If signed by the governor, the law will go into effect July 1, creating online portals and a standard timeline for insurance companies to give authorization for certain prescriptions and procedures.
In the 2023 session, the bill passed through both chambers, but was vetoed by Gov. Tate Reeves because he wanted the law to be regulated by the Mississippi Insurance Department and not the Mississippi Department of Health, as well as wanting the bill involved in the state’s overall health plan.
State Sen. Walter Michel, R-Madison, who authored the bill, told the Clarion Ledger he has worked to accommodate the governor’s request over the last year and was glad the bill passed after a few amendments were made by the House earlier this month.