AB 2193: Maternal mental health.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various healing arts professions, including, but not limited to, physicians and surgeons, by various boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law imposes certain fines and other penalties for, and authorizes these boards to take disciplinary action against licensees for, violations of the provisions governing those professions.

This bill would require, by July 1, 2019, a licensed health care practitioner who provides prenatal or postpartum care for a patient to offer to screen or appropriately screen a mother for maternal mental health conditions.

Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of that act a crime. Existing law also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies that provide hospital, medical, or surgical coverage to provide coverage for the diagnosis and medically necessary treatment of severe mental illnesses, as defined, of a person of any age.

This bill would require health care service plans and health insurers, by July 1, 2019, to develop, consistent with sound clinical principles and processes, a maternal mental health program, as specified. Because a willful violation of the bills requirement 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.