Section 1: Postpartum Depression (PPD) by the Numbers

Texas Medicaid promotes PPD screening at the postpartum checkup.

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Postpartum depression screening should be conducted for all women at their postpartum checkup.  Medicaid does not provide separate reimbursement for PPD screening at the postpartum visit but encourages health-care providers to follow best practices and recommendations in screening all women, including those who:

  • Received prenatal care through Medicaid for Pregnant Women. Women can receive postpartum care up to 60 days after the birth of the baby.
  • Received prenatal care through the Children's Health Insurance Program - Perinatal (CHIP-P) program. CHIP-P covers up to two postpartum visits, even when coverage ends at birth.
  • Remain eligible for Medicaid more than 60 days after giving birth.
  • Meet eligibility requirements to receive services through the Healthy Texas Women program. Most women are automatically enrolled in Healthy Texas Women when their Medicaid for Pregnant Women coverage period ends.

Expert Advice

“As many as 40% of women do not attend postpartum visits,” according to ACOG. New mothers are far more likely to attend infant checkups where they can be screened for PPD.

Texas Health Steps providers can conduct PPD screening as part of routine preventive infant care.

A 2017 Texas law allows Texas Health Steps providers to be separately reimbursed once for conducting maternal postpartum depression screening up to an infant’s first birthday during a Texas Health Steps preventive medical checkup. The remainder of this course provides details about the postpartum screening benefit and how to implement it.