Paving the Path to Parity in Health Insurance Coverage for Mental Illness: New Law or Merely Good Intentions?

This article begins with an examination of the problem of inadequate insurance coverage for mental health care, with a particular focus on serious mental illness, and includes a consideration of some of the reasons for this inadequacy. The article then explores the limited efficacy of state law solutions, whether through judicial or legislative efforts, to address fully the extent of the problem. Finally, the article sets forth a consideration of current and potential federal statutory approaches to achieving parity in coverage for mental health care generally, or at least with respect to the treatment of serious mental illnesses, and includes a detailed focus on the recently failed Senate measure and the ultimate success of a narrow, compromise parity bill.