Getting help
What treatment costs, and what you may already have
Cost is one of the main reasons this goes untreated. Some of what stops people is a coverage rule they did not know changed.
4 min read
Money is not a soft barrier here. It is one of the main reasons perinatal depression goes untreated, and it usually operates as a guess — people decide they cannot afford it without ever finding out what it would cost.
If you are on Medicaid in the US
This is the single most useful thing on the page. Medicaid postpartum coverage used to end 60 days after birth. It now runs for a full twelve months in every state except Arkansas, which as of early 2026 was the last one without it.
If you gave birth this year and assumed your coverage was gone at two months, check. A large number of people are covered right now and do not know it, and twelve months is long enough to complete a course of therapy.
Ask this exact question
Call the number on your card and ask: “Am I covered under postpartum extension, and does it cover outpatient mental health?” Then ask for a list of in-network perinatal or maternal mental health providers. They have one.
If you have private insurance
- Mental health parity rules generally require mental health to be covered comparably to physical health. If therapy is being treated as a lesser benefit, that is worth challenging.
- Ask specifically about telehealth. It is often cheaper, has shorter waits, and lets you see a perinatal specialist anywhere in your state.
- Ask about out-of-network reimbursement. Many perinatal therapists are out of network but will give you a superbill, and plans often pay back a meaningful share.
If you have nothing
- PSI's online support groups are free, weekly, need no referral and have no waiting list. This is the fastest free help that exists.
- PSI's helpline is free, and volunteers will help you look for low-cost options where you live.
- Many therapists hold sliding-scale places and do not advertise them. Ask: “Do you have any sliding-scale spots, and what is your lowest fee?” The worst answer is no.
- Community health centres, university training clinics and hospital outpatient programmes are usually far cheaper than private practice.
- Ask your own clinician whether your state has a free perinatal psychiatry consultation line. Your doctor calls it, not you, and gets expert advice about your care at no cost to you.
And here
If HoldMama's own membership is the thing you cannot afford, say so at signup and it is yours. No proof, no application, no waiting list, and nobody is told. Somebody already paid for it. The crisis lines, the reflection, the grounding tools, the articles and the partner guide are free for everyone, always, regardless.
One honest note: untreated depression has costs too, and they are not only yours. “Wait and see whether it lifts” is a financial decision as much as a medical one, and it is usually the more expensive of the two.
Where this comes from
HoldMama is a support and education resource. It does not provide medical diagnosis, treatment, or emergency services, and nothing here replaces care from a qualified clinician. If you are in crisis, call 988 or your local emergency number.