Short Answer 
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), enacted in 2010, aimed to improve healthcare access in the U.S. by enhancing parity laws for mental health services, ensuring they are covered equally with physical health benefits. Key features include the requirement for mental health as essential health benefits and encouraging comprehensive coverage, significantly strengthening the earlier Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.
Step 1: Understand the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), widely known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), was enacted in 2010 to improve healthcare access in the U.S. One of its primary goals is to enhance parity laws related to mental health services. By establishing this act, the government aimed to eliminate disparities between mental and physical health coverage.
Step 2: Explore Key Features of the ACA
The ACA introduced several critical changes to insurance coverage, especially for mental health services. This included:
- Expansion of Insurance Coverage: Required mental health services to be included as essential health benefits.
- Equal Treatment Mandate: Ensured that benefits for mental health and substance use disorders are covered on the same level as medical and surgical benefits.
- Encouragement of Comprehensive Coverage: Motivated insurance providers to offer better coverage options, promoting equity across all health-related concerns.
Step 3: Recognize the Impact on Parity Laws
The ACA’s implementation significantly strengthened the earlier laws established by the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008. This advancement ensures that mental health treatments receive equal status in healthcare plans. Thus, the ACA plays a crucial role in fostering comprehensive healthcare that treats both mental and physical health equally, making it the primary regulation for enhancing parity laws.