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 authorize a licensed health care practitioner to satisfy the above-described requirement by referring the patient or client to another licensed health care practitioner who is authorized to screen, diagnose, and treat the patient or client for a perinatal mental health condition. The bill would require a licensed health care practitioner who provides perinatal care for a patient or client to diagnose and treat the patient or client for a perinatal mental health condition in accordance with the 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. Existing law requires the program guidelines and criteria to be provided to relevant medical providers, including all contracting obstetric providers. 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.