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April 2025 Top of Mind
New state regulations require at least one mental health screening during pregnancy and postpartum
New maternal mental health screening requirements
To help ensure new moms are supported both during and after their pregnancy, new California legislation outlines maternal mental health screening requirements. The screening requirements apply to all health plans (Commercial, Medicaid, and Medicare) to help improve health and outcomes for both mother and child.
Screening requirements and compliance
Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, all OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions of California members must receive:
- At least one maternal mental health screening conducted during pregnancy
- At least one maternal mental health screening conducted during the first six weeks postpartum
The screenings can be done by a certified and licensed obstetrician or other medical provider who is contracted with UnitedHealthcare, or a behavioral health clinician contracted with Optum Behavioral Health.
To support your patient care efforts without creating additional administrative burden, Optum will monitor compliance with this legislation in several ways:
- Monitoring for pregnancy/post-partum depression screening in ongoing provider treatment records and claims
- Reviewing processes during credentialing and recredentialing audits
- Monitoring treatment documentation and/or referrals when depression is diagnosed, as appropriate
Tap into these helpful resources
You can also visit our member website for additional resources to support moms during pregnancy and beyond.
Questions?
Please call the number on the on the back of the member’s ID card.
