While the issue of mental-health pa...

While the issue of mental-health parity is not novel a new federal law might betimes emerge, forcing a re-examination of what parity means.

For the more than 54 million individuals diagnosed with any type of mental disorder, equality in coverage is more than a welcome benefit--it's a way to provocation more treatment. Currently, fewer than 10 million of these individuals look after treatment, in part because of stigma surrounding the diseases and high out-of-pocket prices But parity is helping to change that.

The majority of states now give some type of parity coverage for behavioral