The state’s mental health parity act provides that insurers must provide the same coverage for a mental illness that they would for a physical illness says a three-judge panel on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

For decades mental health advocates have thought insurance companies to get equal treatment for mental disorders or brain illnesses that were covered under insurance policies. In 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act expanded the rules to include substance abuse treatment and barred employers who include mental health services in their insurance plans from covering them at a lower level than other medical conditions. As a result, an estimated 140 million Americans no longer face higher deductibles, steeper co-payments or other restrictions when they seek mental health and substance abuse treatment services.

In the meantime, when a dog has attacked someone, there are certain legal rights to which that person is entitled. Whether or not the damages are covered by the pet owner’s homeowners insurance is another issue.