A Jackson County Circuit Court judge blocked enforcement last week of nearly all Missouri laws that restrict abortion, ruling the 2024 passage of Amendment 3 enshrined the right to an abortion in the state constitution. Missouri has already started and stopped abortion services several times this year as legal battles continue.

Kimberly Gallagher gave up guardianship of her son — a decision prompted by Missouri Medicaid rules about who can be compensated for caretaking work. But as Republicans plan to slash $1 trillion in federal Medicaid spending, Gallagher is among the millions of Americans who could be required to prove that they work enough to keep their health insurance.

Missouri's Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review Board found that 350 women died while pregnant or up to a year postpartum between 2018 and 2022. The report found that 80% of those deaths were preventable.

As it did in 2023, the ACLU of Missouri is arguing that the ballot summary for a constitutional amendment on abortion is misleading and should be rewritten

For the third time, a Jackson County judge ruled that Missouri's abortion restrictions cannot be enforced under Amendment 3. Planned Parenthood said its Kansas City clinic will resume services on Monday, but Attorney General Andrew Bailey will appeal the ruling.

Republican U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas said he made changes to the Senate’s version of the Trump administration's reconciliation bill to soften the blow of Medicaid cuts on Kansas hospitals. But health care advocates say it won’t be enough.

After three months of funding freezes, Missouri again has access to federal Title X funding, which funds reproductive health care services like contraceptives and cancer screenings. But officials are concerned about losing more funding under President Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill."

An Overland Park high schooler traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for cancer research funding after the Trump administration proposed slashing the National Institutes of Health budget.

The final Senate version of the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" contains restrictions on medical provider taxes that alarmed Missouri health experts — and Sen. Josh Hawley. But he voted for the bill anyways, after adding $50 billion in funding for rural hospitals.

The Mid America Regional Council has a new agreement with Guadalupe Centers to operate a Head Start program near Swope Park. The council also approved an amendment for Kansas City Public Schools to take on more kids in the Columbus Park area.

The COVID-19 pandemic paused many HIV prevention efforts, which helped fuel last year's rise in new infections. President Donald Trump's federal funding cuts threaten to further hamper those efforts.

The Missouri Hospital Association strongly opposed a plan to cap medical provider taxes at 3.5 percent. The tax helps hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies pay to treat low-income patients.