A milestone legislation has been signed this past October. October 2008 the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 made medical history. It states that all group health insurance plans (50 or more participants) must treat mental illness and substance abuse like any other physical illness.

What this new law will mean is that if a person is receiving treatment for wither a mental illness or substance abuse the benefits will be the same for any other illness. So you will pay the same co pay for visits and prescriptions. The benefit will be the same. So the same limitations, maximums and minumiums will apply as well.

It will not be unitl January of 2010 before we see the new law take effect. There was one man that took a personal interest and made this law a reality. His name is Pete Domenici a retired Republican from New Mexico. Pete has a brother and a daughter who suffer froma mental illness and has seen first hand the expense.

Mr. Domenici along with the late Paul Wellstone did everything under their power to make this law happen. Mr. Domenici says he took a personal interest in this law after watching his brother stuggle with the expenses incurred with his mental illness. He also has a daughter that suffers from mental illness.

This new law will not benefit all health insurance policy holders. It is set to impact 113 million, but these will only be those ina large group of 50 or more participants. People who carry small group or individual health insurance will not see the change.

It could be possible that some carriers try to beef up the mental illness benefit for everyone if the consumers push for it. If one carrier does then they will all follow. I would not expect to see these changes happen anytime soon however.

Health insurance is a consumer driven industry. That is why I believe that eventually they will increase this benefit across the board. Carriers compete for business so when one offers what consumers are wanting, they all do. Mental illness and substance abuse will become a sort of marketing tool for them.

Many believe alot of changes are needed in the healthcare industry. This new law is one very positive step in the right direction. There are many activist out there celebrating this law. Many consumers have new hope. I am very excited to see what new changes are in store for us in the future in the healthcare industry.