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H 4899

An Act enhancing post-pregnancy mental health care

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by James Arena-DeRosa and 10 co-sponsors

Expands post-pregnancy mental health coverage and elimination of cost-sharing across plans, ensuring timely, parity-based access for enrollees, spouses, and dependents.

Reporting date extended to Thursday, December 31, 2026
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Bill Summary · H 4899

Summary of Bill H.4899 (194th Massachusetts General Court)

Purpose and intent

  • The Act titled “An Act enhancing post-pregnancy mental health care” expands and strengthens coverage for post-pregnancy mental health services across multiple health plans and insurance products.
  • The baseline idea is to ensure comprehensive access to mental health care after pregnancy (including postpartum and post-miscarriage mental health needs) and to remove typical barriers to access such as cost-sharing and restrictive coverage rules.

Key Provisions

  • Coverage expansion to include post-pregnancy mental health care across multiple sections of Massachusetts General Laws (various chapters addressing public and private health coverage, Medicaid managed care, and health plan regulation).
  • Cost-sharing elimination:
    • Post-pregnancy mental health care, including postpartum and post-miscarriage care, shall not be subject to deductibles, coinsurance, copayments, or other cost-sharing requirements.
  • Timeliness and restrictions:
    • The bill prohibits unreasonable restrictions or delays in coverage for post-pregnancy mental health services.
  • Parity across enrollees and families:
    • Benefits for an enrollee must be the same for the enrollee’s covered spouse and covered dependents.
  • Compliance oversight:
    • The Massachusetts health plan oversight bodies and the Commission are empowered to ensure plans comply with the new requirements.
  • Cross-references and amendments:
    • The act makes numerous amendments to existing law to add “post-pregnancy mental health care” to the protections and requirements previously applied to postpartum and related care across multiple subsections and chapters, including:
    • Chapter 32A (retirement benefits and health benefits for state employees)
    • Chapter 118E (Massachusetts Medicaid managed care and related health plan requirements)
    • Chapter 175 (health insurance, including private insurers and plans)
    • Chapter 176A, 176B, 176G (special health plans and programs, including behavioral health and managed care)
    • Specific insertion points include references after “postpartum care” to also cover “post-pregnancy mental health care” in more than a dozen sections.
  • Effective date:
    • The act would take effect six months after its passage.

Affected Parties and Impacts

  • Enrollees:
    • Individuals receiving post-pregnancy mental health services would face no cost-sharing for these services.
    • Coverage must be consistent for enrollees, spouses, and dependents.
  • Employers, insurers, and health plans:
    • Private insurers, health maintenance organizations, and Medicaid managed care entities must adjust plans to comply with the new post-pregnancy mental health coverage rules.
  • State regulatory and oversight agencies:
    • The Division and related commissions would monitor and enforce compliance with the enhanced coverage requirements.
  • Timing and administration:
    • Carriers and Medicaid-related programs must align their policies and contracts with the expanded definitions and protections within six months of enactment.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Legislative action history:
    • Referred to the Committee on Financial Services; reported favorably and referred to the Committee on Health Care Financing.
    • A new draft (House No. 1314) accompanied the petition and the bill.
  • Effective date:
    • Six months after enactment.
  • The bill involves a broad set of technical amendments across multiple chapters to standardize post-pregnancy mental health coverage.

Notable Considerations

  • The bill emphasizes parity in benefits across enrollees and their families, reducing inequities in access to mental health care after pregnancy.
  • By removing cost-sharing and preventing undue delays or restrictions, the bill aims to improve timely access to postpartum mental health services and related care after miscarriage.

If you’d like, I can provide a section-by-section map showing exactly which chapters and subsections are amended and how each change would look in practice for a given insurer or Medicaid plan.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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