Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama Senate Bill SB191 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	SB191INTRODUCED
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3	3	SB191
4	4	W1ZDJ59-1
5	5	By Senators Figures, Coleman-Madison, Coleman, Weaver
6	6	RFD: Healthcare
7	7	First Read: 20-Feb-25
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12	12	5 W1ZDJ59-1 02/19/2025 JC (L)lg 2025-730
13	13	Page 1
14	14	First Read: 20-Feb-25
15	15	SYNOPSIS:
16	16	There is no provision in existing law that
17	17	requires the assessment of mothers after giving birth
18	18	for postpartum depression.
19	19	This bill would require the Alabama Medicaid
20	20	Agency to cover screening and would also regulate how
21	21	Medicaid covers prescription drugs used to treat
22	22	postpartum depression.
23	23	This bill would further require the Alabama
24	24	Department of Public Health to develop educational
25	25	materials on postpartum depression for health care
26	26	professionals and parents of newborns. Doctors and
27	27	other health care professionals would be required to
28	28	assess birth mothers for postpartum depression as part
29	29	of postnatal or pediatric care.
30	30	A BILL
31	31	TO BE ENTITLED
32	32	AN ACT
33	33	Relating to postpartum depression; to add Section
34	34	22-6-15 to the Code of Alabama 1975, to require Medicaid
35	35	coverage for screening for postpartum depression; to add
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63	63	28 SB191 INTRODUCED
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65	65	coverage for screening for postpartum depression; to add
66	66	Section 22-6-125 to the Code of Alabama 1975, to prohibit step
67	67	parity protocol for drugs used to treat postpartum depression
68	68	in Medicaid patients; to add Section 22-20-3.3 to the Code of
69	69	Alabama 1975, to provide for educational materials concerning
70	70	postpartum depression; and to add Section 22-20-3.4 to the
71	71	Code of Alabama 1975, to require assessment for postpartum
72	72	depression as a part of postnatal care.
73	73	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
74	74	Section 1. Sections 22-6-15, 22-6-125, 22-20-3.3, and
75	75	22-20-3.4 are added to the Code of Alabama 1975, to read as
76	76	follows:
77	77	§22-6-15
78	78	The Alabama Medicaid Agency shall provide coverage for
79	79	postpartum depression screening consistent with the following
80	80	goals:
81	81	(1) The screening complies with evidence-based
82	82	guidelines.
83	83	(2) Eligible women have broad access to screening
84	84	services.
85	85	(3) Reimbursement is adequate to compensate health care
86	86	professionals who perform the screening.
87	87	§22-6-125
88	88	(a) For the purposes of this section, "step therapy
89	89	protocol" means a protocol, policy, or program in the
90	90	administration of medically appropriate prescription drugs to
91	91	a patient, which establishes a specific sequence in which the
92	92	drugs are approved for coverage.
93	93	(b) The Alabama Medicaid Agency may not impose a step
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123	123	(b) The Alabama Medicaid Agency may not impose a step
124	124	therapy protocol with respect to prescription drugs that are
125	125	approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for the
126	126	treatment of postpartum depression.
127	127	§22-20-3.3
128	128	(a)(1) The Alabama Department of Public Health shall
129	129	develop written materials to educate health care professionals
130	130	and patients about maternal mental health conditions,
131	131	especially postpartum depression.
132	132	(2) The materials shall include information on the
133	133	symptoms, coping methods, treatment options, and resources for
134	134	postpartum depression.
135	135	(3) The Alabama Department of Public Health shall
136	136	periodically review the materials to determine their
137	137	effectiveness and ensure that they contain current and
138	138	accurate information, including, but not limited to, clinical
139	139	practice guidelines, peer-reviewed studies, and
140	140	recommendations from experts in maternal mental health care,
141	141	including the federal Centers for Disease Control and
142	142	Prevention, from professional societies, and from patient
143	143	advocacy groups.
144	144	(b) The Alabama Department of Public Health shall post
145	145	the materials on its website and make the materials available
146	146	in printed form for distribution.
147	147	(c) Hospitals shall provide the materials developed
148	148	under this section to parents or family members of a newborn
149	149	upon discharge.
150	150	(d) Hospitals as defined in Section 22-21-20,
151	151	physicians, or health care professionals licensed under
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181	181	physicians, or health care professionals licensed under
182	182	Chapter 24 of Title 34 or Article 5 of Chapter 21 of Title 34,
183	183	shall not have legal liability or responsibility for claims
184	184	resulting from providing, or failing to provide, the
185	185	information on maternal mental health conditions, including
186	186	postpartum depression, developed pursuant to this section.
187	187	§22-20-3.4
188	188	(a) A physician or other health care professional
189	189	licensed under Chapter 24 of Title 34 or Article 5 of Chapter
190	190	21 of Title 34, when rendering postnatal or pediatric infant
191	191	care, shall assess a birth mother for postpartum depression.
192	192	(b) A physician or other health care professional
193	193	licensed under Chapter 24 of Title 34 or Article 5 of Chapter
194	194	21 of Title 34, shall exercise professional judgment in
195	195	recommending or not recommending any treatment that he or she
196	196	believes is in the best interest of the birth mother.
197	197	(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to
198	198	establish a standard of care for physicians or other health
199	199	care professionals licensed under Chapter 24 of Title 34 or
200	200	Article 5 of Chapter 21 of Title 34, or otherwise modify,
201	201	amend, or supersede any provision of the Alabama Medical
202	202	Liability Act of 1996, or any amendment thereto, or any
203	203	judicial interpretation thereof.
204	204	Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
205	205	1, 2025.
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