The bill, known as "The New Hampshire Momnibus 2.0," aims to enhance maternal health and wellness through several key provisions. It mandates maternal depression screenings for new mothers during well-child visits under the state Medicaid program, ensuring that healthcare providers can identify and address maternal mental health issues. The bill requires health insurance carriers to cover these screenings, including periodic assessments during prenatal and postpartum periods, and provides necessary instructions and referrals based on screening results. Additionally, it includes appropriations for establishing a perinatal psychiatric provider consult line, supporting rural maternal health EMS services, and funding a study on barriers to independent birth centers. New legal language is inserted to define maternal depression screening and outline coverage requirements for perinatal mental health and substance use treatment, as well as home visiting services for pregnant and postpartum women, while deleting previous provisions that may conflict with these new requirements.

Furthermore, the bill expands employee protections by allowing new parents to take unpaid leave to attend medical appointments related to childbirth, postpartum care, or their child's pediatric appointments within the first year of the child's birth or adoption. It also directs the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a perinatal peer support certification program, with a report due by November 1, 2026. The effective dates for various sections of the bill are set for January 1, 2026, and July 1, 2025, for others. The fiscal impact includes appropriations from the general fund totaling $380,000 for FY 2026 and $350,000 for FY 2027 to support these initiatives, ultimately seeking to improve access to healthcare services for new mothers and their children while promoting mental health support.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 275:37-d