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Missourians to benefit from expanded coverage for mental health

Some mid-Missourians are celebrating a victory on mental health coverage.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Friday announced a new rule that will require health insurance companies to provide the same co-payments and deductibles for mental health services as they would physical health.

This rule will be an addition to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. The act requires health insurance companies to cover both mental and physical health equally.

Brent McGinty, CEO and president of the Missouri Coalition of Community Mental Health Centers, said this is a huge victory for the mental health community.

“It’s been a long struggle to get to this point but now really millions of Americans and literally hundreds of thousands of Missourians will have better access to the mental health care that is so crucial to their recovery,” McGinty said.

According to McGinty, the next step will be to bring awareness and educate mid-Missourians about this new policy.