Orignally written for the Huffington PostThe National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has devoted the month of May as a time to promote awareness and education around mental health. Each year, the goal is to fight stigma, create stronger support systems, and advocate for equal mental health care.Every year, we need this month of commitment […]
1. Did you know that we work on contingency?We are here to help you and relieve stress, not cause you more stress or financial worry as you work to recover. For this reason, we work on a contingency-fee basis. So, what does that really mean? It means that you do not pay us a fee […]
You may have heard about – or directly experienced – an insurance denial for some type of medical care (i.e. you need a medical treatment or service, and your insurance company thinks otherwise). You may have even experienced an outright lack of coverage for specific medical needs (i.e. you need a medical treatment or service, […]
My father went on in silent desperation for much of his life.After breaking free from a lifetime of being held hostage to the Kennedy “family code,” former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy reveals the devastating realities of living a life of conspiracy and silence, of living quietly in the center of a family disease; of being […]
1. They utilize internal guidelines. Many insurances companies will make decisions based upon their own internal guidelines. They will deny or approve claims for eating disorder treatment, or deny a specific level of treatment, without providing transparency for how these decisions are being made. For a clear and simple description of what insurers should be […]
On May 13, 2015, the Missouri State House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 145 (SB 145) requiring insurance companies to provide proper diagnosis and treatment for eating disorders. After seven years of much effort, dedication, and advocacy, the legislation finally passed and remains in the hands of Governor Jay Nixon for approval. The new legislation […]
It is excruciatingly painful to remember how much she suffered and how helpless we felt when we were fighting for her life at the same time we were fighting her insurance company. The pain of having a child die does not go away. It does become bearable over time and I have found a way […]
Eating disorders are brain-based diseases and should be treated in the same way that we treat diseases of any other part of the body. Insurance companies should treat eating disorders and other mental health issues the same way that they treat other physical conditions. Those suffering from eating disorders and other mental illnesses should be […]
If you have been denied medical services by your insurer, chances are you have received one of the above reasons for that denial. Before the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (“MHPAEA”) was introduced in 2008, insurers continually denied those suffering from a mental illness on the basis that the Plan or the Policy […]
The American Psychiatric Association (“APA”) released their poster for Mental Health Parity and knowing your rights.The poster outlines 10 key elements of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act 2008 (“MHPEA”) and how to identify whether your insurance company has potentially violated this law. We implore anyone who has been denied coverage by their […]
