Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 626 on September 30, 2026, and it changes what has to happen after a California mother screens positive for a mental health condition. Earlier state law already asked doctors to screen or offer screening, but it said little about the next step. SB 626 fills that gap, and it takes effect on January 1, 2027.
If you're pregnant or had a baby in the past year, here's what California's perinatal mental health law asks of your doctor and your insurer, what it leaves out, and how to get care before it starts. At the end, you'll also see how EVE, the women's mental health program at Enhance Health Group, can help.
“If you're in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 if you might hurt yourself or your baby. The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is free and confidential at 1-833-852-6262 (1-833-TLC-MAMA), 24 hours a day.”
What does SB 626 require?
Senators Sabrina Cervantes of Riverside and Lola Smallwood-Cuevas of Los Angeles wrote the bill, FOX 5 San Diego reported, and it's now Chapter 973 of the 2026 statutes. It does four main things.
Screening during pregnancy and after birth
Every health plan and insurer in California already had to run a maternal mental health program. That program now has to include at least one mental health screening during pregnancy and at least one after the baby is born.
An evaluation after a positive screen
When a screening comes back positive, the practitioner caring for you has to make sure you're offered a clinical evaluation.
Treatment or a referral after a diagnosis
If that practitioner diagnoses a maternal mental health condition, they have to offer or provide treatment within their scope of practice. They can also meet the law by referring you to another licensed practitioner who screens, evaluates and treats these conditions.
Follow-up from your insurer
Your health plan or insurer now has to provide case management or care coordination when you screen positive. This is the part of the law meant to help you reach a first appointment after a positive screen.
Who does the law cover?
The law covers you during pregnancy and during the postpartum period, the months after birth. It uses the length of that period set by the most recent guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, so the law itself doesn't say how many months it lasts.
Earlier law also covered the time between pregnancies, and SB 626 drops that from its definition. The insurer rules apply to health plans regulated by the Department of Managed Health Care and to insurers regulated by the Department of Insurance. If you aren't sure which kind of plan you have, the member services number on your card can tell you.
Is a screening the same as a diagnosis?
No. A screening is a short questionnaire, often a few minutes long, that flags symptoms worth a closer look. A diagnosis comes from a clinical evaluation, a longer conversation with a licensed clinician about your mood, sleep, thoughts, history and daily life.
Under SB 626, a positive screen means a clinician should talk with you about how you've been feeling. It isn't a diagnosis, and it isn't a judgment on you as a parent.
What must happen after a positive screen?
Under SB 626, the practitioner who screened you has to make sure you're offered a clinical evaluation. If you're diagnosed, they have to offer treatment themselves or refer you to someone who can provide it.
Your insurer's part is case management or care coordination. The law lists the kinds of help that can include, and your plan decides which fit your situation.
- Finding treatment providers and community support, in person or by video
- Scheduling your appointments
- Helping you understand your behavioral health benefits
- Helping you get a medication once it has been prescribed
- Checking in with you after your first appointment
- Keeping your obstetric provider and your mental health provider in contact
The law doesn't promise an appointment by a certain date. What it does give you is someone at your plan whose job is to help you book that first visit.
Does SB 626 require insurers to cover specific drugs or apps?
No. Some early coverage said insurers must now cover specific perinatal medications and digital therapy apps, but the version signed on September 30, 2026, doesn't say that. It encourages plans and insurers to improve treatment, including with outpatient prescription drugs the FDA has approved for maternal mental health, without requiring coverage of any one product.
The law also doesn't change your deductible, your copay, or which levels of care your plan approves. Benefits still vary by plan, so check your coverage before you start treatment.
Why screening during and after pregnancy matters
Postpartum depression is more common than many new parents expect. A CDC analysis of 2018 survey data from 31 sites found that 13.2% of women with a recent live birth reported symptoms of postpartum depression.
The baby blues are different. The National Institute of Mental Health describes them as mild, short-lasting mood changes, worry and exhaustion in the first 2 weeks after birth. Feelings that are severe or last longer than 2 weeks may be signs of postpartum depression, which generally doesn't get better without treatment. Anxiety during pregnancy or after birth is also common, and a screening can catch it as well.
A screening during pregnancy and another after birth gives two chances to notice a problem. The second one matters because most episodes of perinatal depression begin 4 to 8 weeks after the baby is born, according to NIMH, long after the hospital stay. Health policy researchers at Loma Linda University also point to stigma as a reason mothers hold back, and a routine screening makes the question part of normal care.
If you have Medi-Cal
Enhance Health Group doesn't accept Medi-Cal. If Medi-Cal is your coverage, the steps in this section are the way to find care through your own plan.
Medi-Cal already covers pregnancy and postpartum care from the start of pregnancy until one year after birth, according to the California Department of Health Care Services. That coverage includes mental health and substance use services, doula support and prescriptions, and some services need approval first.
Medi-Cal also runs a perinatal services program known as CPSP, which offers assessments, mental health education, referrals and care coordination during pregnancy and for up to 60 days after delivery. Ask your prenatal provider whether their office takes part.
If you're in a Medi-Cal managed care plan, call the number on your member card and ask about mental health services. If you have fee-for-service Medi-Cal, the Medi-Cal helpline is (800) 541-5555.
Other support that can help alongside treatment
Doulas give nonclinical emotional and physical support during pregnancy, birth and the 12 months after, and Medi-Cal covers doula services. Doula support works alongside mental health treatment, not in place of it.
Local home visiting programs support families at home during pregnancy and after birth, and California has asked Medi-Cal providers to refer more members to them. Your provider or plan can tell you whether one serves your area. Peer support groups for new parents can also help you feel less alone while you're in treatment.
What to do now if you screen positive
You don't need to wait until January to act on a result. These steps work under current law and will work better once SB 626 takes effect.
- 1Ask your provider what your score means, including which questionnaire you took and why the result suggests a closer look.
- 2Find out who will do the evaluation, and whether your OB, midwife or primary care provider will see you or refer you.
- 3Call your plan's member services line and ask whether a case manager in its maternal mental health program can help you find care.
- 4Ask any therapist you consider how often they treat depression and anxiety during pregnancy and after birth.
- 5Check whether video sessions are available, since many mothers find it easier to start therapy from home in the first months after birth.
- 6Bring in a partner or family member to make calls and keep track of appointments if you're exhausted.
EVE, the women's mental health program at Enhance
EVE is Enhance Health Group's women's mental health program in Tustin. It treats depression, anxiety and mood symptoms during pregnancy, after birth, and through perimenopause and menopause, and it's directed by Smadar Rubinsky, LCSW, Enhance's Director of Maternal Wellness. EVE has 3 tracks: Eve Bloom during pregnancy, Eve Nurture after birth, and Eve Menopause for perimenopause and menopause.
Care in EVE can include individual therapy with a licensed therapist, CBT and DBT skills for anxious thoughts and low mood, and medication management with a licensed psychiatrist when medication is part of your plan. Your partner or family can join sessions when that would help, and sessions by video are available when coming in person is hard.
EVE usually fits outpatient care or an intensive outpatient program, so you can stay home with your baby while you're in treatment. Read more about EVE and maternal mental health treatment or about postpartum depression treatment.
You can call Enhance admissions yourself at (714) 862-1907. Admissions checks your insurance benefits before you start and explains which track and level of care fit you. Enhance works with private insurance plans and doesn't accept Medi-Cal. If your OB or midwife would rather send the referral, they can use the refer a patient page.
Common questions about California's perinatal mental health law
When does SB 626 take effect?
Under the California Constitution, a statute from a regular session takes effect on the January 1 after a 90-day period from its enactment. SB 626 was signed on September 30, 2026, so its requirements begin on January 1, 2027.
Does SB 626 guarantee me a follow-up appointment?
No. It requires that you be offered a clinical evaluation after a positive screen, and that your insurer provide case management or care coordination. It doesn't set a deadline for your first appointment.
What if my insurance doesn't cover the care I need?
Ask your plan's case manager for in-network options, since helping you find a provider is part of their role. Enhance admissions can also check your benefits and, if Enhance isn't the right fit for your plan, help you look for another option.
Do I need a diagnosis before I call a treatment program?
No. A program like EVE starts with its own assessment, and admissions uses it to recommend a track and a level of care.
Is SB 626 the same as the federal TRIUMPH for New Moms Act?
No. The TRIUMPH for New Moms Act is a federal law signed in January 2023 that funds a national task force on maternal mental health strategies. SB 626 is a California law that sets rules for California practitioners, health plans and insurers.
