Millions of Americans with mental disorders do not have equal access to health insurance. Many health plans discriminate against these people by limiting mental health and substance abuse healthcare by imposing lower day and visit limits, higher co-payments and deductibles and lower annual and lifetime spending caps.
The National Mental Health Association (NMHA) and is local and state affiliates support comprehensive health insurance parity legislation, which would ban these practices by requiring the same health insurance coverage for mental disorders as physical disorders.

State Actions
To date, 34 states have made into law some form of mental health parity. Several have enacted laws that require insurance parity only for a small set of specified diagnoses or serious mental illnesses, however. These laws discriminate against children and adult whose illnesses can be as disabling as those specified in the laws, but do not fit neatly within the statutes’ criteria. Adults excluded from protection under these laws include those who have multiple personality disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulimia, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and substance abuse disorders. Children with serious emotional disturbances and substance abuse disorders are also excluded. Therefore, NMHA advocates for inclusion in laws all disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—IV (DSM-IV).

The laws in three states can serve as models for legislation other states that are either considering the issue for the first time or are considering revising their existing parity law. These states are Vermont, Maryland and Connecticut. To obtain copies of these states’ laws, as well as NMHA’s parity-related reports, contact NMHA’s Advocacy Resource Center.

Federal Parity
In 1996, Congress passed the Mental Health Parity Act (P.L. 104-204), which eliminated annual and lifetime dollar limits for mental healthcare for companies with more than 50 employees. Many employers have been able to skirt the spirit of the law, however, by placing new restrictions on mental health benefits, such as additional limits on outpatient office visits and number of days for inpatient care.
Advocacy Resource Center

Policy Position Statements Index

Web Resources on Parity
Parity Timeline

Share Your Parity Story

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity Fact Sheet

Substance Abuse Insurance Parity*

Organizations Supporting Parity

What Have States Done to Ensure Health Insurance Parity?

Why Mental Health Parity Makes Economic Sense

Opponents Tactics

Getting Past the Myths of Parity*

Tribute to Sen. Paul Wellstone

Mental Health Policy- Related Links

Parity-Related Links

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The Mental Health Parity Act was designed only to remain in effect for six years. With that deadline approaching, Congress tried to pass a new law, the Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act, by the 1996 law’s deadline, the end of 2002. Despite overwhelming support for the bill in Congress, from President Bush and from more than 200 national organizations, Congress failed to pass the bill in time. Instead, they voted to keep the 1996 law in effect for an additional year.

This year, Sens. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Reps. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., and Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., reintroduced last year’s bill into the Senate and House, respectively. The new bill, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Parity Act, is named after the late-senator from Minnesota and champion of mental health parity. If enacted, it will require full parity for all categories of mental health conditions listed in the DSM. Majorities in both the House and the Senate have cosponsored the legislation and even more national organizations than last year have voiced their support for the bill. NMHA urges advocates from across the nation to encourage their elected representatives to act on the bill as soon as possible in 2003. To stay up to date on what’s happening with the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Parity Act, check out our latest Legislative Alerts.

Technical Assistance Resources
NMHA has developed a series of resources to help advocates in their parity campaigns. In addition, NMHA will research additional questions on this important topic. The following documents are available through the Advocacy Resource Center:

Expanding Mental Health Parity Toolkit. This toolkit provides background information for people who are amending their current parity laws are working to pass parity for the first time. Toolkit contents include: MHA Contact List; Expanding Parity Fact Sheet; Skeleton Media Announcement; State Insurance Parity Laws Charts; Advocacy Check List for 2001; Substance Abuse Insurance Parity: A Guide for Advocates; Media information on the Surgeon General's Report; Why Mental Health Parity makes Economic Sense; State Parity Language for Children; and Parity Case Study: Connecticut.
Strategies for Negotiating Comprehensive Parity. Discusses strategies for keeping the parity debate focused on providing protections for all Americans along with specific responses to scenarios that could jeopardize comprehensive or full parity proposals.
Substance Abuse Insurance Parity: A Guide for Advocates. Provides background information on the issues surrounding substance abuse parity.
Research Studies. NMHA collects research studies on the implementation of parity as well as cost analyses and other research on the topic. Please contact the Advocacy Resource Center if you are interested in some of these more in depth studies.