The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act is now law.
I checked with Senator Menendez' office to see if it was part of the language of the healthcare reform bill (I tried to read the bill myself but it crashed my internet), and they said it was in. So there you have it! Here was the relevant language, that ended up being folded from the MOTHERS Act into the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act as of Christmas Eve Day last year when the Senate first passed the bill:
"Sec. 2952 Support, education and research for postpartum depression. Provides support services to women suffering from postpartum depression and psychosis and also helps educate mothers and their families about these conditions. Provides support for research into the causes, diagnoses and treatments for postpartum depression and psychosis."
The Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act is the same Senate bill that was passed by the House of Representatives tonight.
I believe there was also an amendment sponsored by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) that was passed that would ostensibly cover the cost of postpartum depression screenings.
"Under the Mikulski Amendment, coverage will be based on comprehensive guidelines developed by experts in women’s health and supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Centers for Disease Control. These guidelines will expand on the limited recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force. They are likely to include coverage of cervical cancer screenings for a broad group of women; annual mammograms for women under 50; pregnancy and postpartum depression screenings; and screenings for domestic violence."
I don't know how any of this will be implemented, how soon it will take place, or how it's funded. These are all very important issues that we need to understand. But after lo these (too) many years, the ideas first introduced as part of the Melanie Blocker Stokes Act nearly 10 years ago have finally become law.There is a lot more for all of us to learn, but at least we know today is the first step when it comes to identifying and helping women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. More to come ...
Update 11pm: Here is Susan Stone's recap on this, and she has more details! She also does a great job of outlining all of those who were responsible for bringing this to life. Go read it. She also points out that all of you who signed petitions and made calls made a big difference!
