Mental health and substance use parity is the idea that insurance plans should cover mental health and substance use treatment the same way they do physical health.
In the United States, the 2008 Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requires group health plans to do just that. Many other states also have their own parity laws with more specific protections and enforcement requirements. California, for instance, has the strongest parity law nationwide, Senate Bill 855 (2020), sponsored by the Steinberg Institute.
Watch the video below to learn more about parity.