Mississippi lawmakers advance health, insurance bills as fourth week of 2026 session ends
JACKSON, Miss. — The fourth week of the 2026 Regular Session wrapped up with a heavy focus on health care and insurance legislation, as more than 15 House committees met to advance bills ahead of a key deadline. Committees have until Feb. 3 to report general bills and constitutional amendments.
The State of the State Address, originally scheduled for this week, was postponed to Feb. 4 after a severe ice storm disrupted large portions of Mississippi.
Among the major proposals moving forward is House Bill 565, known as Jill’s Law. The measure would require state-regulated health insurance plans — including Medicaid and the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan — to cover biomarker testing when medically necessary for diagnosing, treating, managing, or monitoring a patient’s condition. The bill honors Jill Eure, the late wife of Rep. Casey Eure.
Lawmakers also considered House Bill 1117, the Creating Transparency and Accountability in Dental Services Act. The legislation would require dental insurance carriers to calculate and report their dental loss ratios, comparing premium dollars collected to claims paid. Reports would be submitted to the Mississippi Insurance Commissioner, who would make the information public to increase transparency in the dental insurance market.
The Capitol saw a steady stream of visitors throughout the week, including SPIRE Learning Center, EMCC School of Nursing, UMMC Dental Hygiene students, Jefferson Davis High School, the Mississippi Nurse Practitioner Association, the Alderwomen of Clinton, Mississippi College nursing students, Boys2Men, the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and the Lamar School Football Team.
