Potomac-area women gained broader insurance coverage for menopause and perimenopause care when a new Maryland law took effect on July 1.

State Sen. Sara Love, who represents District 16 covering Bethesda, Cabin John, Chevy Chase and Potomac, co-sponsored Senate Bill 892 alongside Sen. Nancy J. King of District 39. Sen. Dawn Gile of Anne Arundel County was the lead sponsor.

The law requires private insurers, nonprofit health service plans and HMOs to cover evaluation and management of menopause- and perimenopause-related conditions, including hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, weight gain, difficulty concentrating, and sleeplessness. It also requires state medical licensing boards to mandate continuing education on menopause and perimenopause for health care professionals beyond OB-GYNs.

Montgomery County Chief Health Officer Dr. Kisha Davis said the law removes real barriers local women have faced.

"This will help incentivize healthcare professionals to pursue additional training in this area and residents benefit from more clinicians having the knowledge on how to recognize and manage symptoms related to menopause," Davis told Montgomery Community Media.

Davis said her office is planning outreach using community health workers to raise grassroots awareness, particularly among historically underserved populations. No specific date for that outreach has been announced.

The insurance gap the law addresses is not abstract. In testimony submitted to the Maryland General Assembly by the Maryland Commission for Women, one woman described being prescribed a menopause medication costing upward of $450, only to be told by her doctor it was unlikely to be covered. The doctor suggested filling it through a Canadian pharmacy for $150. Another woman testified she was never offered hormone replacement therapy by her doctor and only learned about it from a YouTube influencer.

House sponsor Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk said she was inspired to write the bill after a friend visited five doctors, had 13 blood tests, and was prescribed anti-anxiety medicine before finally receiving a menopause diagnosis.