APPENDIX E: States with Mental Health Parity Statutes

TABLE IA: DEFINITION OF "BROAD-BASED" MENTAL ILLNESS IN STATE PARITY STATUTES
TABLE IB: DEFINITION OF "SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS" IN PARITY STATUTES
TABLE IC: DEFINITION OF "BIOLOGICALLY-BASED" MENTAL ILLNESS IN STATE PARITY STATUTES
TABLE ID: HEALTH PLANS SET THE DEFINITION OF MENTAL ILLNESS COVERAGE IN STATE PARITY STATUTES
TABLE II:   VARIATION IN STATE MENTAL HEALTH PARITY STATUTES

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As of May 15, 2000, 31 States now prohibit discrimination in insurance and managed care coverage of mental illnesses:

Alabama Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Georgia Hawaii Indiana Kentucky Louisiana

Maine Maryland Massachusetts Minnesota Missouri Montana Nebraska New Hampshire New Mexico New Jersey

New Mexico North Carolina Oklahoma Rhode Island South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia

Source: Richard M. Scheffler, Daniel P. Gitterman, Marcia C. Peck, University of California, Berkeley, The Political Economy of Mental Health Insurance in the United States, NIMH grant (MH-18828-11).

¹ DSM-IV includes disorders contained in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth edition.

² ICD includes disorders contained in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Disease, latest edition (current edition is 10th edition).

³ Connecticut includes coverage for all mental disorders in the most recent edition of the DSM-IV excluding mental retardation, learning disorders, motor skills disorder, communication disorders, caffeine-related disorders, relational problems, additional conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention, that are not otherwise defined as mental disorders in the most recent edition of the DSM-IV.

⁴ Kentucky includes coverage for all disorders in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual or the International Classification of Disease but excludes coverage for conduct disorders (except ADHD), pervasive developmental disorder (except autism), learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, personality disorders, and mental retardation.

⁵ Maryland parity statute covers "mental illness and emotional disorders" and is considered a broad-based statute. However, the statute does not specify DSM or ICD criteria.

⁶ Utah includes coverage for all disorders in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual but excludes the following when diagnosed as the primary or substantial reason or need for treatment: marital or family problems; social, occupational, religious or other social maladjustment; conduct disorder; chronic adjustment disorder; psychosexual disorder; chronic organic brain syndrome; personality disorder; specific developmental disorder or learning disability; or mental retardation.

Source: Richard M. Scheffler, Daniel P. Gitterman, Marcia C. Peck, University of California, Berkeley, The Political Economy of Mental Health Insurance in the United States, NIMH grant (MH-18828-11).

Go to TABLE IB: DEFINITION OF "SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS" IN PARITY STATUTES

¹ Does not include State statutes that match the federal 1996 MHPA or cover State employees only.

² Individual plan indicates determined by individual health plans, usually subject to approval by the respective Departments of Insurance.

Source: Richard M. Scheffler, Daniel P. Gitterman, Marcia C. Peck, University of California, Berkeley, The Political Economy of Mental Health Insurance in the United States, NIMH grant (MH-18828-11).

Go to TABLE II: VARIATION IN STATE MENTAL HEALTH PARITY STATUTES

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This page was last updated: November 1, 2000.