Maryland legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Maryland HB1118: Health, Health Insurance, and Health Occupations - Perinatal Behavioral Health Conditions
Status: Signed into law, May 26, 2026
Requiring the Maryland Medical Assistance Program and certain insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for screening for perinatal behavioral health conditions at certain times; requiring the Maryland Department of Health to identify certain screening tools and to assist certain health care providers with accessing resources and referral services related to screening for perinatal behavioral health conditions; etc.
What the bill says
An act concerning Health, Health Insurance, and Health Occupations - Perinatal Mental Behavioral Health Conditions FOR the purpose of requiring carriers to provide a standing referral to a mental behavioral health care provider for a certain period of time; clarifying the application of provisions requiring carriers to allow a member to obtain a referral to a provider who is not part of the carrier's provider network when seeking care for a mental health condition in certain circumstances…
From the enrolled text, June 3, 2026:
AN ACT concerning Health, Health Insurance, and Health Occupations - Perinatal Mental Behavioral Health Conditions FOR the purpose of requiring carriers to provide a standing referral to a mental behavioral health care provider for a certain period of time; clarifying the application of provisions requiring carriers to allow a member to obtain a referral to a provider who is not part of the carrier's provider network when seeking care for a mental health condition in certain circumstances; requiring the Maryland Medical Assistance Program and certain insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for screening for perinatal mental behavioral health conditions at certain times; altering and establishing requirements related to the identification and development of training programs that improve early identification of perinatal mental behavioral health conditions; requiring the Maryland Department of Health to establish a perinatal mental health condition screening program certain health care providers to screen for perinatal behavioral health conditions; requiring the Maryland Department of Health to identify certain screening tools and to assist certain health care providers with accessing resources and referral services related to screening for perinatal behavioral health conditions; requiring certain applicants for the renewal of a health occupation license or certificate to provide documentation that the applicant completed continuing education credit hours health occupations boards to grant a certain …