After a 10-year battle by mental-health advocates, depression and bipolar disorder, for example, will reach equal footing with heart disease or cancer on Jan. 1, 2010." But, "the new law doesn't cover everyone; most notably, employees of companies with 50 or fewer workers are excluded, as well as people who buy their own policies."

Still, "it comes as a great relief to those who will benefit," because "starting in 2010, group health plans will no longer be allowed to impose different limitations on mental-health and substance-abuse coverage than they do for medical treatment. ... And, for the first time, employers who self-insure are required to provide equal coverage, a change that brings parity to 82 million people covered through so-called ERISA plans."