better mental health coverage?
A 941 page long manual may be the key to better mental health coverage when it comes to large employers and health benefits. The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) is at the heart of a debate that might see mental illnesses being covered by health plans on an equal level of parity with physical ailments. It appears that President Bush is backing parity, and will make an announcement to that effect on Monday. But, a question remains - should equal health benefits apply to all of the "diseases, disorders and distresses" within the book, or only the most serious of them?