The Minnesota Starvation Study, conducted over 70 years ago, provides us with enlightening and important information about the power of starvation on the human body. While the findings of this study are not news to most of us in this field, it is an immediate reminder as to why weight restoration on its own is […]
An NBC news investigation has found that health plans improperly denied coverage of mental health services in 48 percent of all cases. The California Department of Managed Health Care (“DMHC”) conducts independent medical reviews of insurance health claims denied based on lack of medical necessity. The DMHC reviews have resulted in overturning more mental health […]
The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has issued a published decision in Pacific Shores Hospital v. United Behavioral Health, et al., an ERISA case in which a severely anorexic 43-year old woman sought benefits under her Wells Fargo employee health benefit plan for inpatient psychiatric treatment.At her admission to Pacific Shores Hospital, the […]
It’s no surprise that as a society, we overlook males with eating disorders. This deadly disease has been extensively labeled and cast as a “female” disease, (and even still females are being overlooked and misdiagnosed) leaving the other half to suffer in even more shame and silence. Misinformation, and a lack of understanding within the […]
What The “Final Rules” Really MeanLast month, the mental health community celebrated as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued the “Final Rule” for the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equality Act (MHPAEA). Parity was signed into law by President George Bush in 2008. After five years of […]
As reported by ABC news on February 8, 2012, Jenifer Beaudean’s bulimia began when she was a third-year cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. She felt pressure from her family, school and peers to “make the uniform look good,” she said this, understandably, affected her self-image.Beaudean recalls that at a […]
Originally posted on BEDA’s WSAW blogAs an advocate for those with eating disorders, a question I often ponder is, “how long must we wait before the truths that dieting does not work, all body types can be healthy, and weight is not a predictor of overall health, become assimilated into our culture?” Recently, Sue Thomason, […]
As recently reported by CNN and in several news stories over the last few days, the parents of elementary school students in 19 states — including Arkansas, Illinois, California and Massachusetts – are receiving letters regarding something quite personal about their child and outside the scope of a school’s typical business and expertise; their children’s […]
Do you have questions? We have answers. This month we decided to do something a little bit different for our newsletter. We reached out to the eating disorder community to find out the type of questions they have when seeking insurance coverage for the treatment of eating disorders. We know that this can be an […]
You may have heard the recent chatter, panic even, within the mental health community surrounding The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and its “abandonment of the DSM.” After speaking to Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology (in Psychiatry) from Columbia University Medical Center, Rachel Marsh, Ph.D., this seemingly shocking and bold news revealed two important […]
