Missouri changes insurance requirements for eating disorders
(AP) — Missouri is set to be the first state in the nation to spell out the type of eating disorder treatments that insurance companies must cover, a move advocates say will ensure families have access to care for not just the physical aspect but also the underlying mental issues.
Families of those struggling with eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia have complained for years that patients are kicked out of treatment prematurely and risk relapsing, despite Missouri's current laws mandating insurance companies to cover treatment of mental illnesses the same way physical ailments are.
What the measure does is fix a gap in what insurance companies should pay for and what's actually being covered, Missouri Eating Disorders Association board President Annie Seals said.
The steep cost of treatment was an issue for former Missouri state Rep. Rick Stream, whose 18-year-old daughter Katie had anorexia and died nearly two decades ago in her sleep when her potassium levels dropped so low that her heart stopped beating and couldn't restart.