I think insurance does a good job of saying, ‘Yes, this person who is underweight qualifies for this.’ But it’s a lot harder to justify to appear to be at a normal weight but their behaviors are dangerous.
Flatland: Treatment, Grief - And Insurance
A Family Fights Through the Practicalities of Mental Health Parity Laws
by Catherine Wheeler
Lizzy Huffman was 5 years old when she first began to consider herself overweight.
It would take nearly a decade before practitioners officially diagnosed her with a multifaceted eating disorder that combines elements of bulimia and anorexia. That was two years ago, and the Lenexa woman is now 18 years old.
But for Lizzy and her mother, Jenny, insurance battles have been almost as exhausting as fighting the eating disorder itself.
Although regulators ultimately found the Huffmans’ insurer to be in compliance with state law, their experience highlights how one of the mental health community’s most significant victories of the past couple of decades has failed to fully live up to the expectations of its supporters.
Read the full article via Flatland.
Learn more about the Eating Disorders Center at Children's Mercy.