Kace Boland, a former college athlete, was diagnosed withrestrictive punch in anorexia nervosaat age 18.
On paper, according to her insurance company, she was better.
I was immediately just terrified and went into crisis-management mode.
So I go home and I start purging, she remembers.
Insurance had kind of proven to me, no, Im not that sick, she says.
At least 30 million Americans have an eating disorder, but only1 in 10 peoplegets the treatment they need.
Todayeating disorder rates are on the rise, especially among young people.
Yet equitable access to eating disorder treatment remains out of reach for both adolescents and adults.
Getting a diagnosis for an eating disorder and deciding you want to get help is a massive feat.
But its only half the battle.
By these estimates, a standard treatment stay could cost about $60,000sometimes its $90,000, says Grayson.
Shes seen firsthand how many people are turned away from treatment because they have Medicare or Medicaid.
Some are unjustly denied coverage for the care theyre recommended.
Others, like Boland, are prematurely discharged from treatment due to insurance limits.
As a result, she says, insurance companies often refrain from providing full comprehensive coverage.
Ultimately, coverage is authorized based on medical necessity, Eyre explains.
Eating disorders are the only mental health diagnoses that are treated based on medical symptoms alone, Eyre adds.
Medical issues are a lot easier to get covered, she says.
They look at factors like weight, heart rate, andbody mass index (BMI).
The problem is that these figures dont always tell the whole story.
Whats more, BMI measurements have largely been consideredoutdated and racially problematic.
Theres a lot of lack of education from insurance on what eating disorders look like, she says.
Mainstream media has framed Ozempic as part of a diet fad."
Ahead, doctors break down how these work, what they treat, side effects, and more.
Potts has called multiple residential eating disorder treatment centers.
She has written four separate letters of appeal after her insurance company deemed inpatient care not medically necessary.
Dealing with insurance is debilitating, says Potts.
Its like youre fighting a losing battle.
Eating disorder treatment is not reasonably accessible.
So can educating insurance providers on the complexities of eating disorders, suggests McGlone.
Getting insurance coverage for eating disorder treatment is no doubt a challenge.
However, the first obstacle is asking for help and having the ability to dedicate time to healing.
