States Differentiate Between Coverage for Mental Illness & Substance Use Disorders

OPEN MINDS On-Line News Feature “Of the 32 states that mandate some coverage of behavioral health conditions, 22 require equal treatment for mental illness, defined as either biologically-based mental illness or serious mental illness. In addition, other jurisdictions have chosen to require minimum benefits for mental illness and/or substance use disorders. However, most of these laws do not require equal treatment for all mental illness and substance use disorders. “Specifically, not only are substance use disorders treated differently than physical illness, but coverage of the diagnosis is required less often than for mental illness. Only nine States . . .