Insurance companies and employers have argued that requiring parity in coverage of mental and physical ills would raise premiums dramatically.

A more comprehensive law requiring full parity could lead to "cost increases of about 2 percent to 4 percent," it said.

Ending the annual circus around this would require permanent parity, and to pay for it, the cap might need to be around $200.

The Office of Personnel Management is seriously considering a broader policy that would require parity for many other mental disorders as well, Administration officials said.

So managed care has all the tools it needs to control costs even if Congress requires parity.

Requires parity in financial requirements and treatment limitations for mental health/substance abuse benefits with those for medical/surgical benefits.

The rule requires parity in treatment of creditors of a bank that is closed.

To protect itself, Disney wants federal regulators to require parity, or non-discrimination.

In states that do require parity between mental and physical care, premiums have typically risen only about 1 percent, offering a convincing rebuttal to industry warnings of dramatically increased costs.

Legislation requiring parity in health insurance coverage for treatment of mental illnesses was ultimately passed and signed into law in October 2008.