In Case You Haven't Heard…

In Nebraska, lawmakers are seriously considering whether insurance companies should cover treatments for eating disorders. In a hearing last week on a bill that would require such payments, insurance companies said this requirement was unnecessary and would raise costs for taxpayers and small businesses. Anorexia nervosa has the highest death rate of any psychiatric disorder. “This bill is not asking for something radical; it is asking for parity,” said Gabriella Smith, an advocate for those with eating disorders. “It is asking that eating disorders be treated like any other serious medical condition.” But Jeremiah Blake, a representative from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, argued that only Medicaid and other insurance the state can regulate would be required to cover the treatments. As a result, other people in Nebraska would not have the coverage, and taxpayers would have to cover increased premiums with no benefit to them. Thanks to NPR Nebraska for the reporting.