ENROLLED
2022 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 784
BY REPRESENTATIVES DUPLESSIS, ADAMS, BAGLEY, CARPENTER, CORMIER,
COX, FISHER, FREEMAN, FREIBERG, GAROFALO, GREEN, HILFERTY,
HORTON, HUGHES, JEFFERSON, TRAVIS JOHNSON, LAFLEUR, LANDRY,
LARVADAIN, LYONS, MARCELLE, MCMAHEN, DUSTIN MILLER,
NEWELL, PIERRE, PRESSLY, SCHLEGEL, SELDERS, AND STAGNI
1 AN ACT
2 To enact Part XIII of Chapter 5-B of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, to be
3 comprised of R.S. 40:1125.1 through 1125.4, relative to perinatal mental health
4 policy; to provide for furnishing of certain information by hospitals and birthing
5 centers that provide labor and delivery services; to provide for perinatal mood
6 disorder screening; to provide for treatment; to provide for collaborative care; and
7 to provide for related matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. Part XIII of Chapter 5-B of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950,
10 comprised of R.S. 40:1125.1 through 1125.4, is hereby enacted to read as follows:
11 Part XIII. PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH POLICY
12 §1125.1. Short title
13 This Part shall be known and may be cited as "The Perinatal Mood and
14 Anxiety Disorders Act".
15 §1125.2. Awareness
16 In accordance with this Part, all hospitals and birthing centers that provide
17 labor and delivery services shall, prior to discharge following pregnancy, provide
18 pregnant women and their family members information about perinatal mood and
19 anxiety disorders, including the symptoms, treatment, and available resources. The
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1 Louisiana Department of Health bureau of family, in cooperation with the office of
2 behavioral health, shall make such information available to hospitals and birthing
3 centers and shall include this information on the department's website.
4 §1125.3. Screening for postpartum or related mental health disorders
5 A. Healthcare providers who provide postnatal care to women up to twelve
6 months following the birth shall screen for the signs and symptoms of postpartum
7 depression or related mental health disorders through a validated screening tool in
8 accordance with the recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians
9 and Gynecologists if in the exercise of their professional, medical judgment the
10 healthcare providers believe that such screening would be in the best interest of the
11 patient.
12 B. Upon the consent of the caregiver, a healthcare provider who is providing
13 pediatric care to an infant shall screen the caregiver for postpartum depression or
14 related mental health disorders in accordance with the recommendations of the
15 American Academy of Pediatrics if in the exercise of his professional medical
16 judgment the healthcare provider believes that such screening would be in the best
17 interest of the patient. Screenings pursuant to this Subsection shall not create either
18 a physician-patient relationship between the healthcare provider and the caregiver
19 or any continuing obligation to provide medical services or referral by the healthcare
20 provider.
21 §1125.4. Treatment; access to perinatal mental health providers
22 The Louisiana Department of Health shall work with the Medicaid managed
23 care organizations to do the following:
24 (1) Identify providers who specialize in pregnancy-related and postpartum
25 depression or related mental health disorders and pregnancy-related and postpartum
26 substance use disorders, which are searchable by location.
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1 (2) Develop network adequacy standards for treatment of pregnant and
2 postpartum women with depression or related mental health disorders and pregnant
3 and postpartum women with substance use disorders.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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