by Rosalynn Carter

About the author: Former first lady Rosalynn Carter is chairman of the Mental Health Task Force at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 contained certain provisions for parity between mental and physical illnesses. Although it passed in the end, unfortunately this portion of the bill was hotly contested. I have been an advocate for mental health reform for more than 20 years, and each time there is an opportunity for real progress, the same objections are voiced by the same interest groups.

The main objection to parity for mental illness in health coverage is the belief that insurance costs will escalate dramatically. The fact is that it is much more cost effective to diagnose and treat mental illnesses in the...