Ten years after the passage of federal legislation requiring that insurers cover mental health illnesses on par with physical illnesses, only one state, Illinois, received a perfect score of 100.
Louisiana earned an “F” grade, along with 31 other states.
Paritytrack.org issued report cards for states in October, one decade after the passage of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. The federal law mandates that healthcare coverage for illnesses of the brain, like depression or drug addiction, be cared for on the same level as diseases like diabetes or cancer.
The southern states of Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas ranked among top ten states for adhering to federal guidelines. Tennessee (79), Alabama (74), and Virginia (71) all earned C grades. Texas received a D grade of 68 out of 100, and Louisiana a 51, for their mental health coverage laws.
In Louisiana, the analysis found that 42 percent of state residents were covered by employer health insurance.
No states received a B. Only six states received a C; 11 states received a D; 32 states received an F.
State scores on mental health parity
| Rank | State | Grade | Points out of 100 earned |
| 1 | Illinois | A | 100 |
| 2 | Tennessee | C | 79 |
| 3 | Maine | C | 76 |
| 4 | Alabama | C | 74 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | C | 71 |
| 6 | Virginia | C | 71 |
| 7 | Colorado | C | 70 |
| 8 | Maryland | D | 68 |
| 9 | Texas | D | 68 |
| 10 | Hawaii | D | 67 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | D | 67 |
| 12 | Kentucky | D | 66 |
| 13 | Montana | D | 66 |
| 14 | Kansas | D | 65 |
| 15 | Missouri | D | 63 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | D | 61 |
| 17 | Connecticut | D | 60 |
| 18 | Georgia | D | 60 |
| 19 | Arkansas | F | 59 |
| 20 | Utah | F | 58 |
| 21 | Delaware | F | 57 |
| 22 | Mississippi | F | 57 |
| 23 | Oklahoma | F | 55 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | F | 55 |
| 25 | South Dakota | F | 55 |
| 26 | West Virginia | F | 55 |
| 27 | Michigan | F | 54 |
| 28 | Nevada | F | 54 |
| 29 | New Jersey | F | 54 |
| 30 | Florida | F | 53 |
| 31 | New York | F | 53 |
| 32 | Vermont | F | 53 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | F | 52 |
| 34 | California | F | 51 |
| 35 | Louisiana | F | 51 |
| 36 | Minnesota | F | 51 |
| 37 | Ohio | F | 51 |
| 38 | Washington | F | 51 |
| 39 | Iowa | F | 50 |
| 40 | South Carolina | F | 50 |
| 41 | North Carolina | F | 49 |
| 42 | North Dakota | F | 48 |
| 43 | New Mexico | F | 47 |
| 44 | Oregon | F | 47 |
| 45 | Alaska | F | 43 |
| 46 | Nebraska | F | 43 |
| 47 | Indiana | F | 38 |
| 48 | Idaho | F | 36 |
| 49 | Arizona | F | 26 |
| 50 | Wyoming | F | 10 |
Source: Paritytrack.org
Revised article based on data compiled by Watchdog.org.
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