• California requires health plans to cover mental health services on an equal footing with physical health services.woman seated image by IKO from Fotolia.com
  
  Since 2000, California has had a mental health parity rule for health plans. This means that health plans must cover physical and mental health services "equally." For example, if office visits, referrals to specialists and prescription drugs are covered for physical health care, they must also be covered for mental health needs. The parity rule is limited to certain conditions, defined as "severe mental illness" for adults and "severe emotional disturbances" for children.
  
  

Conditions Covered

• California's mental health parity law is limited to services for the following conditions (defined by specific diagnostic terms):
  
  * Major depression.
  
  * Bipolar/manic-depressive disorder.
  
  * Panic disorder.
  
  * Anorexia.
  
  * Bulimia.
  
  * Obsessive compulsive disorder.
  
  * Autism.
  
  * Schizophrenia.
  
  * Schizoaffective disorder.
  
  * Children's severe emotional disturbances.
  
  * Pervasive developmental disorder.
  
  

Services Covered

• California's mental health parity rule is also limited to three specific categories of services: outpatient services (office visits with a physician or mental health counselor); hospitalization related to mental health; and prescription drugs (only if the plan already includes prescription drug coverage).
  
  

Accessing Services and Further Information

• To find out more about your rights and benefits and how to avail yourself of services under your particular plan:
  
  * Carefully read the "Evidence of Coverage" from your insurance company (mailed as a booklet once a year or available online).
  
  * Talk to your primary care provider.
  
  * Visit the website for the California Department of Mental Health at dmhc.ca.gov (see Resources).
  
  * Visit the website for the California Office of the Patient Advocate at opa.ca.gov (see Resources).