Perinatal health screenings and treatment.

Senators Smallwood-Cuevas and Cervantes propose expanding California's maternal mental health requirements to encompass the broader perinatal period, mandating comprehensive screening and treatment programs across healthcare providers and insurers. The legislation replaces "maternal mental health" with "perinatal mental health" throughout existing law, extending coverage beyond pregnancy and postpartum periods.

The bill requires healthcare practitioners to screen, diagnose, and treat perinatal mental health conditions according to clinical guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists or other recognized professional standards appropriate to their scope of practice. Health plans and insurers must develop programs that include screening protocols, quality measures, and case management services during the perinatal period. These entities must also provide annual reports on utilization and outcomes, making this information publicly available on their websites.

For implementation, the legislation maintains existing provider scope-of-practice boundaries while establishing clear parameters for guideline adoption. The requirements apply to most health plans and insurers, exempting specialized plans except those offering behavioral health services. Medi-Cal managed care plans must obtain federal approval before implementing these changes to preserve federal funding eligibility.