Senate Bill No. SLS 25RS-227 aims to enhance perinatal behavioral health treatment by mandating that health benefit plans and Medicaid managed care organizations provide coverage for voluntary inpatient treatment following a perinatal psychiatric diagnosis. The bill specifies that covered services include inpatient admissions, overnight stays, medications, infusions, prescriptions, and counseling. It also establishes that decisions regarding such treatment should be made solely by an attending physician in consultation with the patient, and prohibits health insurers from denying coverage if the treatment is deemed medically necessary by a physician.

The implementation of this bill is contingent upon the appropriation of funds by the legislature. The effective date for the provisions outlined in the bill is set for August 1, 2025. Additionally, amendments made during the legislative process included technical changes and the removal of certain Medicaid coverage requirements, ensuring that the focus remains on the necessity of treatment as determined by healthcare professionals.