There is now a United States law stating that certain health plans must cover mental health and substance use (MH/SU) services comparably (in a similar way) to medical and surgical care, or what most people refer to as physical health. Many simply refer to the requirement of the law as parity. In this document created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), common questions about the parity law are answered. This information will help patients and families gain access to mental health and substance use services that need to be paid for (either fully or partially) by health insurance. As of 2019, enforcement of this law has been highly variable and lack of parity often remains signaling the need for ongoing advocacy efforts with insurers and state insurance regulators. If you believe that your insurance is violating parity laws, contact your states Insurance Commissioner to file a report.