Menopause care is finally getting a national spotlight—and lawmakers are stepping up
In midlife, perimenopause—the transitional phase before menopause—and menopause itself are significant health milestones for women. Yet, until recently, they have received little attention from lawmakers.
That is changing in 2025. Menopause is emerging as a long-overdue priority in the policy arena. More than a dozen U.S. states are now considering legislation to mandate insurance coverage for menopause-related treatment, improve clinician training, and introduce workplace protections for menopausal women.
This wave of legislation marks a long-overdue shift. It's what so many midlife moms have been asking for: to be taken seriously, to have their health needs recognized as real and important, and to stop being told to 'just deal with it' when their bodies demand otherwise.
According to CNN, at least 24 bills across 15 states were introduced this year alone—targeting insurance coverage, medical education, public awareness campaigns, and workplace protections for women in menopause. And while not all of them will pass this year, advocates say simply forcing these issues onto statehouse floors is a sign of how far the conversation has come.
Related: What if we didn't have to dread menopause?
California Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, who sponsored one of the most ambitious bills (requiring insurance coverage for menopause evaluation and treatment), says her own experience of being dismissed by doctors was the last straw. In her words:
'Here I am, a woman in my mid-40s, telling my doctor that my brain isn't working properly, and once again, I was dismissed as 'fine.''
Sound familiar?
Millions of women have shared similar stories online. Posts about being blown off by physicians when describing menopause symptoms routinely rack up thousands of likes and comments. It's no surprise—women in midlife have historically been an afterthought in research and policy. Dr. Mary Claire Haver, author of The New Menopause, calls out the lack of standardized protocols and spotty insurance coverage, especially for evidence-backed treatments like hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
And if you're wondering why so many doctors are undertrained on menopause, there's a specific historical reason. In 2002, the Women's Health Initiative study prematurely linked HRT to breast cancer, sparking fear that shut down research, training, and prescribing for years. Since then, follow-up studies have clarified that for many women under 60, HRT can offer significant benefits that far outweigh any increased cancer risk, when appropriately prescribed.
As Dr. Sharon Malone put it:
'We are still digging ourselves out of a hole of the past 23 years.'
That 'hole' has left millions of women suffering without clear guidance, and doctors without the education to help them.
This is what midlife moms have been asking for
Legislators are beginning to recognize menopause as a major health milestone that affects half the population, deserving real attention and support. About 1.3 million U.S. women enter menopause each year, most with symptoms ranging from hot flashes and insomnia to mood changes, weight gain, and vaginal discomfort.
The new bills are designed to address that with:
Insurance mandates so that cost isn't the barrier to care.
Education for clinicians so they don't dismiss symptoms as 'normal aging' without offering real solutions.
Public awareness campaigns to normalize talking about menopause.
Workplace protections so symptoms don't become grounds for discrimination or forced unpaid leave.
In Rhode Island, lawmakers recently passed the nation's first menopause-in-the-workplace law. New York and New Jersey are weighing similar measures that would ensure menopausal women can request remote work or leave if their symptoms demand it.
As Assembly member Bauer-Kahan says:
'This isn't a political issue; it's about recognizing that half our population deserves proper healthcare.'
A generational shift
It's a big shift, and it reflects how far we've come in talking openly about once-taboo health topics.
Twenty years ago, talking openly about periods at work was rare; now, we have period leave policies, better menstrual products, and more honest education for girls. In the last decade, maternal health has become a policy priority, with new federal investments to address postpartum care and Black maternal mortality.
Menopause is the next frontier. And moms in midlife are leading the charge by sharing their stories, voting for legislators who take their health seriously, and demanding that our medical system and workplaces treat them with dignity.
Hope, not fear
If you're in perimenopause right now—up at 2 a.m. trying to Google why your heart is racing, or crying in frustration after yet another unhelpful doctor's visit—know this: You are not imagining it. You deserve care. And you're not alone.
After decades of silence, menopause is having its moment. I'll say it: Menopause is hot right now. And it's time for real change for the millions of women who deserve more.
Related: There's now an at-home perimenopause test
Sources:
Menopause care is finally getting a national spotlight. July 11, 2025. CNN. Menopause care is finally getting a national spotlight—and lawmakers are stepping up.
Reproductive Health and the Workplace. March 2023. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reproductive Health and the Workplace: Physical Job Demands.
Menopause disparities: March 2024. Society for Women's Health Research. Menopause disparities: prevalence and health impact across the United States.
Women's Health Initiative Hormone Therapy Trials. October 18, 2013. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Women's Health Initiative Hormone Therapy Trials.
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