At long last, you decided to reach out for help. To make a change. To take a leap. You’re ready to seek treatment for your eating disorder.
Yet even this seemingly simple first step can be a daunting task for many, requiring great bravery in the midst of a disease that thrives on keeping people weak. Contemplating the idea of life in a new form, free from the disease, can be incredibly uncomfortable and overwhelming – intolerable maybe. Thoughts of unpleasant changes and persistent challenges linger, but the curiosity and longing for change encourages you. And so you begin your search for treatment.
And then you discover one of the most disturbing barriers to eating disorder recovery: the insurance denial. Almost as fervently as you committed yourself to seeking treatment and embarking upon your recovery journey, your insurance company (almost certainly not a qualified doctor, therapist, or eating disorder expert) decides that treatment is not for you. They decide that treatment is not medically necessary; that the appropriate level of treatment for you is not covered under your plan; that the treatment detrimental to your health and survival is not essential.
Twice the battle!
In addition to fighting a disease, you must now go to battle with your insurance company (over the seemingly obvious reality) to convince them that treatment is critical. It isn’t fair, but it happens all the time, every day.
Many people are unsure of what to do when an insurance denial arises. We can help. We understand that when your insurance company denies access to health benefits, it only intensifies an already distressing situation.
At Kantor & Kantor, LLP, we spend every working day disputing insurance denials, educating insurance companies about the severity of the illness, and fighting so that those struggling with eating disorders have access to the life-saving treatment to which they are entitled.
We have prepared a few important guidelines to assist you during what is often a hectic time. Keep these steps in mind when beginning your recovery journey. If your health claim is denied, following these simple guidelines will make it much easier to get your benefits recovered…and that means having access to treatment and the chance for recovery.
Use these tools to advocate for insurance coverage, and please do not hesitate to call us with questions.
We understand, and we can help.
