Ohio law expands mental health care
October 22nd, 2007Many Ohio insurance plans now must treat seven illnesses just like other medical ailments
From the Akron Beacon Journal:
A state law that went into effect this month requires many but not all insurers to provide the same coverage for seven serious, ”biologically based” mental illnesses as they provide for physical problems.
The mental health parity law is a long-sought victory for behavioral health experts and patient advocates, who have argued for more than a decade that mental illnesses shouldn’t be covered differently than other ailments.
“It does help break down the stigma of viewing mental health conditions as being something apart from other physical ailments,” said Jim Mauro, executive director of NAMI Ohio, the state affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.


