Health Care for Mental IllnessAt present, there is no general consensus that would require states to cover mental health (Cauchi, Landess, and Thangasamy 2011 ). Of the 49 states that cover mental illness, there are three main categories that vary widely: mental health "parity" or equal coverage laws, mandatory minimum mental health benefit laws and mental health “compulsory offer laws.” Mental illness is as serious an illness as any other health problem. It should be covered as such. Mental health parity has come a long way over the years. With health care reform underway, this question is sure to arise. Hopefully, reform can put in place a program that will lead to greater mental health parity. Mental health parity means recognizing that mental health problems are equivalent to physical illnesses (Barry, Huskamp, ​​and Goldman 2010). Historically, most health insurance companies provided significantly limited benefits to people with mental illness compared to people with physical illnesses (it can be argued that mental illnesses are physical conditions caused by damage or imbalances in the brain, but for the sake of simplicity there will be a line drawn between mental and physical conditions). Because of this limited coverage, many people have chosen not to seek treatment. Even when individuals chose to seek treatment, only brief therapy sessions were covered. Private insurance policies did not even include mental health coverage until World War II (Barry, 2006). For them, there was not much financial incentive, as the services were already paid for by the public sector. More and more psychiatric care units began to appear in hospitals. This was facilitated by third party payment (priv...... middle of paper....../Content/ContentGroups/ENews/1996/The_Mental_Health_Parity_Act_of_1996.htmNew York State Archives. (2010, February 9). Mental Health Overview Health in New York and the Nation Accessed November 19, 2011, http://www.archives.nysed.gov/a/research/res_topics_health_mh_timeline.shtmlOffice of the Legislative Counsel (May 1, 2010). on Patient Protection and Affordable Care. Legislative Council 1-111. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (January 29, 2010). Services. Accessed November 21, 2011, http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/01/20100129a.html Weiss, GL and Lonnquist, LE (2012). Prentice Hall.