Implementation of Mental Health Parity: Lessons from California.

In 2000, California legislated parity coverage for mental health care. This article reviews the experiences of state health plans, providers, and consumers between 2000 and 2005 in implementing parity and discusses implications for the 2008 federal parity law. California’s experiences suggest that federal policymakers should consider monitoring health plan performance related to access and quality, in addition to monitoring coverage and costs; examining the breadth of diagnoses covered by health plans; and mounting a campaign to educate consumers about their insurance benefits.