The Illinois Department of Insurance has kicked off its third annual campaign spotlighting mental health parity, coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Month. The campaign aims to inform residents about state and federal laws mandating insurance coverage for mental health and substance use disorders to be on par with coverage for physical health conditions. Department officials emphasize that equal access to care is not only a matter of health but of rights. Resources and information sessions will be available to help Illinoisans understand and advocate for their coverage. This effort continues the department’s push to eliminate stigma and support statewide wellness.
“We are engaging Illinoisans with ads, educational website videos and outreach to ensure they understand what mental health parity is and how our Department enforces parity laws to protect them,” said IDOI Acting Director Ann Gillespie. “For example, the protections provided by the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act mean that if your health insurance plan has unlimited doctor visits for a chronic condition like hypertension, then it must offer unlimited visits for a mental health condition such as depression.”
The mental health parity campaign runs through September, and the Department’s Consumer Protection and Education division provides information about mental health parity and how to file a consumer complaint during community outreach presentations.
You can view educational videos about mental health parity and learn more about parity laws at Getcoveredillinois.gov . Get Covered Illinois is a division of the Illinois Department of Insurance.
