Yes, this is correct. The economic bailout bill that was passed in the fall of 2008 included a provision that, for the first time, required equal health insurance coverage for physical and mental illnesses. Under this law, employers and group health plans that provided a lower amount of coverage for mental health care than for the treatment of physical conditions had to revise their coverage guidelines.
Before the passage of this law, it was common for health insurance plans to impose stricter limits on the treatment for mental illnesses and addictions than for physical conditions such as cancer, heart disease, or diabetes. Many plans also charged higher out-of-pocket costs (e.g., deductibles and co-pays). It is estimated that 113 million Americans were positively affected by the passage of this law. The effective date for implementation of this law was January 1, 2010.
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