The Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee, chaired by Senator Barlow and Representative Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, convened on June 23 and 24 in Casper. WMS staff attended alongside WMS physician members Dr. Jacques Beveridge (Cheyenne OB/Gyn), Dr. Tracey Hass (Laramie Family Medicine), Dr. Dustin Mayne (Casper and Douglas Pediatrician), and Dr. Justin Romano (Cheyenne Pediatric/Adolescent Psychiatry).
Naturopathic Physician Licensure and Scope of Practice
The Wyoming Naturopath Association requested the committee to consider drafting legislation for the licensure of Naturopathic Physicians. Naturopathic Physicians are seeking a separate professional recognition and scope of practice than traditional naturopathic doctors. Naturopathic Physicians proposed licensure under the Wyoming Board of Medicine and detailed a desired scope of practice that would mirror the current MD/DO scope of practice. An issue brief detailing their proposal was provided to the legislative committee by the Wyoming Naturopath Association and is available HERE.
While the proposal to draft legislation received support from Representatives Rodriguez-Williams and Guggenmos, the committee decided that forming a working group would be a more appropriate next step. WMS advocates testified to their interest in remaining involved and at the table as these discussions unfold and reminded the committee of the wealth of expertise and training within the broad membership of WMS that is available to the committee as they proceed with contemplating this proposal.
Hospital Statute Amendment
The Wyoming Hospital Association (WHA) proposed an amendment to existing statutes, which was discussed by the committee. Representative Thayer (Rawlins) requested a draft following WHA’s recommendation. The proposed amendment to W.S. 18-8-109 would allow county memorial hospitals to include bankruptcy filings as an option during dissolution. Currently, hospitals have limited ability to reorganize financially, and this amendment would expand eligibility to include memorial hospitals under similar provisions.
Maternal Health
The Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee has again prioritized Wyoming’s maternal health deserts as a key issue for the interim. The Governor’s Healthcare Task Force, on which representatives from WMS sit, was represented at the hearing by Governor Gordon’s health policy advisor, Curtis Biggs. Mr. Biggs, along with the Wyoming Department of Health (DOH) presented on key areas of focus for the committee, which included: Increased Medicaid Reimbursement, various approaches to liability reform, the establishment of a GME council, and enhanced training opportunities for training and practicing physicians across the state. The Dept. of Health presented a slide deck outlining concerns surrounding both maternal health and EMS coverage in Wyoming. That slide deck can be viewed HERE. Additionally, the Legislative Service Office (LSO) produced a report reviewing the strategies to improve maternal health which can be viewed HERE.
Dr. Jacques Beveridge (Cheyenne OB/Gyn) testified as a sitting member of the taskforce and invested stakeholder about the success of the Cheyenne family medicine residency launching a family medicine OB track July 1st. He spoke of the success that the Casper UW Family Medicine Residency program has achieved with their OB track on which the Cheyenne program is mirrored, and expressed his pride in the partnership between the Cheyenne program and Cheyenne Regional Medical Center (CRMC) to bring the Cheyenne OB track to fruition. He implored the committee to remember the importance of both the WWAMI medical education program and the UW Family Medicine Residencies as future questions around funding and support are presented.
Dr. Dustin Mayne (Douglas/Casper Pediatrician) testified on behalf of the Wyoming Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics reminding the committee of the importance of not forgetting the specialized pediatric care team that infants frequently require and that any efforts around support for recruitment and retention of OB/Gyn, and/or FM/OB should also include Pediatricians and Pediatric specialists.
Medicaid Reimbursement
Senator Charlie Scott (Casper) requested the Legislative Service Office (LSO) to draft two separate bills that would increase Medicaid reimbursement rates to the federal maximum for Ob/Gyn and EMS services.
Vaccine Review
Co-chair Representative Rachel Rodriguez-Williams referenced vaccine-related initiatives supported by RFK Jr. She directed the Department of Health (DOH) to review the CDC’s recent recommendation regarding the removal of COVID vaccine guidance for pregnant women.
Bill Re-drafts
Committee members also called for re-drafts of several bills from the previous session, including:
- HB-0273 – Wyoming pregnancy centers- autonomy and rights (Representative Guggenmos)
- Prohibits any government entity from enacting any law, rule or regulation bringing oversight or regulation to pregnancy centers.
- HB-0323 – SNAP benefits waiver request (Representative Wasserburger)
- Requires the director of the Department of Family Services to request a waiver under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to restrict sugary food and drinks.
Next Meeting
The next interim committee meeting for the Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee is scheduled for October 16 and 17, 2025, in Cheyenne.