We have a number of medicines that adequately control the symptoms of a whole range of mental illnesses, with more and better medicines being developed all the time. We have MRI scans that demonstrate when something in the brain is not functioning correctly or is not anatomically normal. With mental illness, a person begins behaving differently. The change in behavior is caused by something wrong or functioning wrong in the person's brain. Mental illnesses have physical causes.
Mental illnesses are physical illnesses.
The only difference is that the physical illness is in the brain, instead of some other part of the body. Yet private medical insurance plans discriminate in the kind of medical coverage they provide for these illnesses of the brain. Although plans may differ slightly, the following is typical. If I need hospitalization, there is no limit to how long I may stay as long as the physician says I need to be in the hospital. The hospital bill is covered in full.