The REAL Jersey “Devil”
February 9, 2008 by angelique
Filed under Women's Health
Apparently, there’s a real New Jersey Devil out there, and it isn’t in the hockey rink or lurking in the backwoods… it’s in the laws surrounding heath insurance.
My amazing blogging colleague Alica (you visit her at Mental Health Notes) noted this week that a case involving eating disorders has hit the courts in the Garden State.
Without getting too longwinded (links to two articles on this topic are noted below for your reading pleasure), the gist of the story goes something like this:
- Some NJ children (minors) with eating disorders need treatment, so their parents send them (or want to send them — I’m not sure which) to get help.
- Insurance carrier denies parents coverage because NJ law requires coverage of mental illness, but only if it is biologically (rather than emotionally) based. Insurance carrier feels there is proof that anorexia and bulimia are emotional and stands by its decision.
- Parents sue.
- Court demands parents turn over ALL of children’s ED-related correspondence, diaries and emails, including Facebook and MySpace info. This information will be sifted through to “prove” that the ED is emotional rather than biological.
Whoa, nellie.
Now, I don’t place blame at the insurance carrier’s doorstep, because I understand that they cannot continue to operate if they pay for every possible procedure.
However, I am troubled that anyone would suggest that anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder is somehow an emotional choice rather than one derived from biological causes such as depression, anxiety disorder, OCD, et cetera.
I do know there are some people who want to be anorexic (the pro-Ana message boards are full of them), but I would venture a guess that most ED patients have more going on than simply wanting to be thin.
If you want to delve into the issue further, two very interesting articles on the subject appear here:
- http://www.profy.com/2008/02/03/horizon-bcbs-new-jersey-eating-disorders/
- http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1201779829458.
In the meantime, I’d love to hear your opinion on the following questions:
- Is it possible that an eating disorder could have zero biological basis? And if so, how could that be determined?
- Is it wise to have these children’s private communiques used in such a manner?
- Are you worried that cases like this could set a precedent, thus making it more difficult for ED sufferers to get the help they need?
I am 22, have been diagnosed with anorexia type II for 3 years now and I live in NJ. No one in my family has had an ED. I’ve been in the hospital more than once (with a huge bill I am still paying). I don’t think there’s any way to prove an ED is biological and I don’t think it matters.. people like me need help and cannot afford treatment.