AN ACT TO REQUIRE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS TO SCREEN BIRTH MOTHERS FOR DEPRESSION AT THE TIME OF BIRTH; TO REQUIRE HEALTH INSURANCE ISSUERS TO COVER SUCH SCREENING; TO PROVIDE EXEMPTIONS TO HEALTH INSURANCE ISSUERS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO COVER SUCH SCREENING; TO AMEND SECTION 43-13-117, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE COVERAGE AND REIMBURSEMENT FOR POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION SCREENING; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 41-140-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DEFINE TERMS; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 41-140-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO DEVELOP AND PROMULGATE WRITTEN EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND INFORMATION FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS AND PATIENTS ABOUT MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS; TO REQUIRE HOSPITALS PROVIDING BIRTH SERVICES TO PROVIDE SUCH EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS TO NEW PARENTS AND, AS APPROPRIATE, OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS; TO REQUIRE SUCH MATERIALS BE PROVIDED TO ANY WOMAN WHO PRESENTS WITH SIGNS OF A MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 41-140-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE ANY HEALTH CARE PROVIDER OR NURSE MIDWIFE WHO RENDERS POSTNATAL CARE OR PEDIATRIC INFANT CARE TO ENSURE THAT THE POSTNATAL CARE PATIENT OR BIRTHING MOTHER OF THE PEDIATRIC INFANT CARE PATIENT, AS APPLICABLE, IS OFFERED SCREENING FOR POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION AND TO PROVIDE APPROPRIATE REFERRALS IF SUCH PATIENT OR MOTHER IS DEEMED LIKELY TO BE SUFFERING FROM POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 83-9-48, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DEFINE "INSURER" AND REQUIRE INSURERS TO PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION SCREENING; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
SB 2708 creates a new statutory framework in Mississippi focused on postpartum depression and broader maternal mental health. The bill requires health care professionals attending a birth, or providing postnatal or pediatric infant care, to offer screening for postpartum depression within the first six weeks after birth. If a patient declines screening, the refusal must be documented, and the provider is relieved of liability for that screening requirement. The bill also directs the State Department of Health to develop and publish educational materials for health care professionals, new parents, and family members about maternal mental health conditions, including symptoms, coping strategies, treatment options, and resources.
The bill further requires insurers, including Medicaid and managed care entities, to cover postpartum depression screening and provide reimbursement for administering the screening. The coverage is to be effective for births on or after January 1, 2027, and may not be subject to deductibles or copayments. It also amends Medicaid law to add postpartum depression screening as a covered and reimbursable service, and it requires appropriate referrals when screening suggests a patient may be suffering from postpartum depression. The bill defines key terms such as “birth mother,” “maternal health care facility,” “maternal health care provider,” and “insurer,” and it takes effect July 1, 2026.
SB 2708 would amend Mississippi Medicaid law, specifically Section 43-13-117, to require coverage and reimbursement for postpartum depression screening, and it would create new code sections in Title 41 and Title 83 establishing screening, education, and insurance coverage requirements. It expands obligations on hospitals, physicians, nurse midwives, and other providers involved in birth, postnatal, and infant care, while also imposing parallel coverage duties on private insurers and Medicaid-managed care arrangements. The bill also requires the Department of Health to publish educational materials and makes postpartum depression screening a recognized reimbursable maternal health service under state law.
The available voting history shows strong support in the Senate, with the bill passing 52-0 on February 12, 2026, as amended. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, so there is no recorded debate to indicate opposition or concerns in committee. Overall, the bill appears to have been received favorably as a maternal health and mental health measure, with unanimous Senate approval suggesting broad bipartisan agreement on the need for screening and education.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials, and there were no recorded committee discussions to identify objections. The main policy issues implicit in the bill are implementation-related: the timing and scope of screening obligations, the requirement that insurers and Medicaid reimburse the service without deductibles or copays, and the administrative burden on providers and hospitals to distribute educational materials and make referrals. The bill’s liability protection for providers when patients refuse screening and its use of evidence-based guidelines may also be relevant to how the requirements are carried out, but no explicit opposition is shown in the available record.