Texas Women Strike Back with Kota on Postpartum Depression Screening Coverage
By: Gwendolyn Quintana & Jacinta David Miller
The healthcare legislature movement is in full swing all across the country as state and local representatives, senators, and the American people flock to support bills that improve the healthcare system and oppose bills that deter Americans from receiving quality care. Indeed the platform of discussion on healthcare is amplified with the introduction of the proposed American Health Care Act. A bill that if passed would be a massacre in terms of the removal of coverage for many - if not all - women. It is in this climate of uncertainty that we must ensure that there are presence of a protective framework in adjacent State legislation.
On May 5 The Kota Alliance supported Texas Representative Coleman’s House Bill 2135, relating to postpartum depression screening and coverage under the medical assistance and CHIP perinatal programs in Texas. As of today, mental health services for postpartum women are many times caught in what is termed a coverage gap.
Up to 1 out of every 5 women who give birth go on to encounter postpartum depression symptoms; yet, several women forego treatment because of a lack of screening coverage, particularly Medicaid/CHIP women. Postpartum depression can have long-term ramifications if not treated promptly and properly. Take this opportunity for activism in your community today to support bills that strengthen healthcare for women and babies in your community.
