Fight erupts over rules issued for mental health parity insurance law

A fight has erupted over rules issued by the Obama administration to enforce a 2008 law that requires equal insurance coverage for the treatment of mental and physical illnesses. Insurance companies and employer groups are lobbying the White House to delay and rework the rules on "mental health parity." Insurers and many employers supported the law, but they say the rules go far beyond the intent of Congress and would cripple their cost-control techniques while raising out-of-pocket costs for some patients. Advocates for patients generally support the rules, saying they will eliminate many forms of insurance discrimination against people with mental illness, the New York Times reports.