The bailout bill that the Senate is voting on today contains a provision requiring health insurance companies to cover mental illness. I can't tell you how important -- and heretofore overlooked -- this issue is.
A close personal friend and his family don't have health insurance. Why? Because they can't afford both the premiums AND the cost of the $300-per-month antidepressant one of them requires each month. The plans that actually cover this prescription are too expensive, and the more affordable plans don't cover any mental health expenses, including and especially prescription drugs.
There's no difference between mental health meds and any other prescription medication -- other than the tragic fact that mental health isn't considered a "real" health issue like, say, impotence or excessive pissing.