Millions to benefit from mental health insurance

New legislation in the United States will mean that health insurance companies will have to offer mental health coverage on a par with financial and treatment coverage offered for other physical illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes or asthma.

The bill will effectively end discrimination against people with mental health disorders and assure treatment is available for those who need it.

The Mental Health Parity Act of 2007, which has been introduced by Senators from both sides of the house, would provide mental health insurance coverage equivalent to physical health coverage, and benefit 113 million Americans in large group health plans.

The bill has cleared the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and now goes to the full Senate for a vote and already has the support of employers and insurers.

The mental health laws passed in 1999 only provided parity for annual and lifetime limits between mental health coverage and medical surgical coverage.

The 2007 bill expands that parity by including deductibles, co-payments, out-of-pocket expenses, coinsurance, covered hospital days, and covered out-patient visits.

It has been welcomed by mental health advocates who say insurers have discriminated against patients with conditions ranging from depression to schizophrenia.

The bipartisan bill includes a small business exemption for companies with fewer than 50 employees.

Experts say that having a mental health disorder can be as serious as having a heart attack or any other debilitating, life-threatening physical health disorder and there is a clear connection between mental health disorders and physical ailments.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), 85 percent of Americans say health insurance should cover mental health services and 87 percent say the lack of insurance coverage stops them from seeing a mental health professional.