Eating disorders are more than just the inability to see food in a normal way. They’re serious mental diseases that can be dangerous, even fatal, if untreated. An estimated 24 million men and women in the United States suffer from eating disorders. However, only 10 percent of these individuals seek treatment for their eating disorders. There are currently three eating disorders recognized by the National Eating Disorders Association – anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder.
Assurant Health is a well-known nationwide insurance carrier that offers health insurance to both individual policyholders and employer groups. Short-term health insurance policies can also be purchased through Assurant Health.
At one point, Assurant Health eating disorder coverage did not exist. However, as a result of the Affordable Care Act, Assurant Health has begun including mental health and behavior health coverage as part of its benefits package. Today, Assurant Health eating disorder coverage is available at certified treatment centers around the country.
Although Assurant Health does cover treatment for eating disorders, some limitations do exist, as they do with all insurance carriers. The particulars of Assurant Health eating disorder coverage depend largely on the individual’s level of coverage. These limitations can include restrictions on the number of times that a nutritionist can be seen; in addition, lifetime maximums for mental health disorders may be present on some policies.
Assurant Health eating disorder coverage is also dependent on the individual’s location. Although Assurant Health covers medically necessary visits made to nutritionists and counselors within its provider network, the absence of local healthcare providers may become problematic for Assurant Health policyholders. To help its customers, Assurant Health offers discounts to individuals who visit FirstHealth and Multiplan providers. Visits to providers in these networks is not covered in full, but it comes at a substantial discount when compared to the out-of-pocket rate.
While Assurant Health covers eating disorders, it also covers mental disorders such as depression. This is critical because nearly half of those suffering from eating disorders also exhibit symptoms of depression. The combination of an eating disorder and depression is referred to as dual diagnosis, which is a very dangerous, yet highly treatable situation. Dual diagnosis treatment is covered by providers in the Assurant Health network.
More people die from eating disorders than they do from any other mental illness. It’s vitally important that those suffering from eating disorders get the help they need. Assurant Health makes this possible by covering the treatment of eating disorders at medical providers that accept Assurant Health, FirstHealth or Multiplan insurances.