Recommendation for mental health benefits legislation.

Task Force Finding The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends mental health benefits legislation, particularly comprehensive parity legislation, based on sufficient evidence of effectiveness in improving financial protection and increasing appropriate utilization of mental health services for people with mental health conditions. There is also evidence that mental health benefits legislation is associated with increased access to care, increased diagnosis of mental health conditions, reduced prevalence of poor mental health, and reduced suicide rates. Evidence from a concurrent economic review indicated that legislated expansion of mental health benefits did not lead to any substantial increase in cost to health insurance plans, measured as a percentage of premiums. A summary of the Task Force finding and rationale is available at www.thecommunityguide.org/mentalhealth/ RRbenefitslegis.html.