Existing law requires a licensed health care practitioner who provides prenatal, postpartum, or interpregnancy care for a patient to offer to screen or appropriately screen a mother for maternal mental health conditions. For purposes of that requirement, existing law defines "maternal mental health condition" to mean a mental health condition that occurs during pregnancy, the postpartum period, or interpregnancy, as specified.
This bill would modify the term "maternal mental health condition" to "perinatal mental health condition" and additionally include in its definition a mental health condition that occurs during the perinatal period. The bill would require a licensed health care practitioner who provides perinatal care for a patient to screen, diagnose, and treat the patient for a perinatal mental health condition in accordance with applicable clinical guidelines or standards appropriate to the provider's license, training, and scope of practice, as specified.
Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires a health care service plan or health insurer to develop a maternal mental health program designed to promote quality and cost-effective outcomes. Existing law requires the program to, among other things, conduct specified maternal mental health screenings during pregnancy and the postpartum period. For purposes of these provisions, existing law defines "maternal mental health" to mean a mental health condition that occurs during pregnancy or during the postpartum period, as specified.
This bill would modify the term "maternal mental health" to "perinatal mental health" and additionally include in its definition a mental health condition that occurs during the perinatal period, as specified. The bill would instead require the above-described program to include perinatal mental health screening to be conducted during pregnancy and during the postpartum and perinatal periods in accordance with applicable clinical guidelines or standards appropriate to the provider's license, training, and scope of practice, as specified. The bill would require a health care service plan or health insurer to provide case management and care coordination for an enrollee or insured during the perinatal period. The bill would require a plan or an insurer to annually report the utilization and outcomes of case management services to the appropriate department and to post that reported information to its internet website. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Statutes affected:
SB 626: 1367.625 HSC, 123640 HSC, 10123.867 INS
02/20/25 - Introduced: 1367.625 HSC, 123640 HSC, 10123.867 INS
03/24/25 - Amended Senate: 1367.625 HSC, 123640 HSC, 10123.867 INS
05/05/25 - Amended Senate: 1367.625 HSC, 123640 HSC, 10123.867 INS