Virginia plans will cover mental health checks during and after pregnancy

If you’re pregnant or recently gave birth and your Virginia-regulated policy is delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027, it must cover at least one maternal mental health screening during pregnancy and another within six weeks after birth. It must also cover additional postpartum screenings when your treating provider finds them medically necessary and clinically appropriate.

If your plan covers an FDA-approved prescription drug for a maternal mental health condition, it generally can’t require prior approval. It can do so only when there are clinically significant safety or efficacy concerns. You don’t need to apply for these protections. They cover state-regulated individual and group policies, subscription contracts, and HMO plans that include obstetrical services. The law excludes short-term travel, accident-only, and limited or specified-disease coverage, along with policies designed for people eligible for Medicare or similar government coverage. Large employer plans that pay claims themselves often fall under federal rules instead.

Del. Margaret Franklin carried the bill. The Senate passed the amended bill 40–0, and the House accepted the Senate’s change 70–25. Gov. Abigail Spanberger approved it on April 13, 2026. It was later featured in an April 22 signing event for a maternal health package known as the Momnibus. Another bill in the package, HB 425 from Del. Destiny LeVere Bolling, lets Medicaid pay for remote monitoring of high-risk pregnant patients through 12 months after birth.