New Federal Benefit Challenges States From About Health , Vol. Mental health advocates hope the new policy, which came from a Clinton Presidential Executive Order, sends a signal to all employers and sets a standard for coverage. Mental health advocates hope the new policy, which came from a Clinton Presidential Executive Order, sends a signal to all employers and sets a standard for coverage. Individuals with mental retardation sometimes also have mental illness, as do some individuals with physical disabilities.
Mental illness strikes otherwise healthy people as well.
Only four have comprehensive parity laws. Another five states include some but not all of those elements. A common limitation is naming only certain severe disorders to be covered. Many children are excluded from treatment in these situations because the illness has not yet reached the severe stage. A federal statute calling for mental health parity was enacted in 1996.