(1) Coverage of mental health benefits in health plans, at levels equal to other healthcare coverage.
Most mental illnesses are biologically-based (a chemical imbalance is one example). The Access Campaign believes health plans should cover these illnesses and their treatments just as they cover treatments for viruses, heart attacks, etc.

(2) Ending the criminalization of mental illness.
Jails and prisons aren't the best places to treat mental illness. But many mentally ill people wind up in criminal institutions simply because they can't get the care they need. Without treatment, these people can't function in society, and they often end up in the criminal justice system or in emergency rooms. Studies have shown that effective treatment programs are cheaper than housing the mentally ill in prisons or jail.

(3) Increased access to new and breakthrough medications.
In the last five years, highly effective new medications have revolutionized the treatment of mental illness -- with greatly reduced side-effects. The mental health community is united in its push for greater access to these medications, through private health plans and state-funded care. Without access to these amazing new medications, many people still suffer needlessly in the terror of mental illness.