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Monday, March 28, 2011

Remuda East closing -- Insanity continues!!

Okay, I don't post in over a month, and now I'm posting twice in one day.  This really merits a post, though.  I am infuriated!!

The Eating Disorders Coalition (EDC) blogged today about how Remuda East (the Virginia branch of the Remuda Ranch Residential Treatment Center) will be closing its doors due to....yep, you guessed it....LACK OF COVERAGE BY INSURANCE COMPANIES.

*steps on soapbox*

I don't know why I'm surprised.  I mean, when I was a patient at Remuda Ranch in Arizona, Anthem BC/BS (who was a leading contributor to RR East closing its doors) didn't cover a single penny of my stay!!  Since that was the case, RR was willing to work out a payment plan which put my family paying quite a bit every month for five years.  I know for a FACT that I am not the only person denied treatment access by an insurance company.  And I know that there are probably millions of individuals out there who cannot receive treatment at all because they are not as fortunate as I was....their families wouldn't be able to do what mine did, simply because of life circumstances.  I was lucky.  I am blessed.

BUT THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT THIS IS WRONG!!!!

How many individuals are going to have to pay the ultimate price (death) before these insurance companies get the picture?!  How many individuals will have to go untreated because their insurance companies ARE NOT working FOR them, but instead are OPPOSING them?!  In an age where more and more treatment facilities should be OPENING (do to growing demand in recent years), we instead have wonderful facilities like Remuda East CLOSING because the insurance companies won't PAY UP.

Did you know Anorexia Nervosa has the highest mortality rate of ANY mental illness??  Get that??  That means MORE PEOPLE DIE EACH YEAR FROM ANOREXIA NERVOSA THAN FROM ANY OTHER MENTAL ILLNESS.  And did you know that individuals who suffer with Anorexia Nervosa receive the least amount of insurance coverage compared to, say, Schizophrenia??  Why on EARTH would insurance companies deny coverage to those who suffer?!

I realize this post is being written out of pure emotionality on my part, but seriously....what is it going to TAKE for insurance companies to get it through their heads that they need to offer coverage to clients suffering with eating disorders?!

I would LIKE to be able to say that I don't think every insurance provider sits around and is happy with the way they treat their clients who suffer with these disorders, but I can't help but think that only cold, callous people could stand to work for companies who CLEARLY DO NOT have their PAYING clients' best interests in mind.

Reasons like the closing of Remuda East are why things like the FREED Act (Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders) are so important.

It is absolutely sickening to think of the amount of insurance coverage (or lack of coverage, rather) eating disorders receive.

*steps off soapbox*

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