Insurance Coverage for Anorexia Treatment & Eating Disorders

Will Insurance Cover Anorexia Treatment?

Most insurance plans cover some form of treatment for anorexia and other eating disorders. However, the extent to how much of treatment may be covered is dependent on your particular insurance plan, the state you reside, and the severity of your disorder.

Insurance Coverage for Eating Disorders

While a chosen treatment center can provide guidance on coverage and costs an individual may be responsible for, one’s insurance company is the best resource for this information. Important questions to ask include:

• Is medical detox for substance abuse a covered benefit?
• Will coverage be applied for both inpatient and outpatient forms of care?
• Is nutritional counseling covered?
• For what duration is treatment covered, and how many trips to rehab are covered during a policy year?
• Is there a copay for services or medications?
• What is the policy’s deductible?

Traditionally, medical detox is carried out in a supervised manner in which clients are weaned off the substances they have been abusing, often with withdrawal symptoms treated with medication. There are no medications approved for the treatment of anorexia; however, medications may be prescribed to treat other mental health issues that contribute to anorexia or hinder treatment, such as benzodiazepines to treat the anxiety that many individuals experience related to eating.

Anorexia often warrants the need for inpatient or partially hospitalized care so treatment professionals can make sure the client is eating a balanced diet, or eating at all. Across the country, 835 facilities are available to treat clients with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse issues through partial hospitalization.⁴ Many of these facilities specialize in the treatment of eating disorders.

Some insurance companies only make payments toward outpatient care when substance abuse is the primary issue cited for treatment.

Special dietary needs must be considered with clients suffering from anorexia. Nutritional counseling is usually a mandatory part of most treatment programs for people with eating disorders. Since addiction and anorexia are both chronic conditions that may require subsequent trips to rehab to treat cases of relapse, individuals should check with their insurance providers regarding time and frequency of treatment limitations. Be clear on any copayments and deductibles that are due prior to payments being made by the insurance company.

Medicaid provides many forms of behavioral health coverage for the 71.1 million people who have an insurance plan through Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) in the United States.⁵ If one doesn’t have sufficient insurance coverage, many facilities offer sliding scale payment options and payment assistance programs. In addition, several states offer grants to help fund treatment services for people with financial hardships.