UMR Eating Disorder Coverage

View all insurance carriers

From time to time, many people feel the need to lose weight. While it is important to maintain a healthy weight for overall good health, when an individual becomes obsessed with losing weight, an eating disorder may develop. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are two of the most common eating disorders.

Eating disorders are often characterized by the following symptoms:

• Emaciation
• Fear of gaining weight
• Denial of severity of low body weight
• Lack of menstruation
• Restricted eating
• Continual pursuit of thinness
• Osteoporosis
• Brittle nails and hair
• Growth of fine hair on the body
• Anemia
• Severe or chronic constipation
• Lethargy
• Sore throat
• Tooth decay
• Dehydration

Using UMR for Eating Disorder Treatment

According to Ohio State University, more than 3 percent of women may suffer from anorexia and more than 4 percent may suffer from bulimia during their lifetimes. No matter how serious the situation is, it is not too late to reach out for help. If you believe that you or someone close to you may have an eating disorder, it’s important to understand that resources are available to help. Your UMR insurance may assist in paying for eating disorder treatment. For help in locating an eating disorder treatment facility, please contact us at .

Does UMR Cover Eating Disorders Rehab Programs?

Whether your UMR policy will cover an eating disorder rehab program depends on the type of policy you have and the level of coverage you have. For more specific information, you should consult your policy. You can also obtain specific information regarding your covered benefits by contacting a UMR representative. In determining your level of coverage, it’s important to verify several areas related to coverage for eating disorder programs.

One of the first factors to verify is whether your UMR policy will cover both inpatient and outpatient treatment. It is also important to understand the differences between the two types of treatment. With inpatient care, patients actually reside at the facility during treatment. This is not the case with outpatient care. Instead, patients live at home and simply visit the facility for treatments. Due to the fact that patients do not live at the facility with an outpatient rehab program, care is often not as intensive. In addition, your loved one will receive the benefit of continual medical supervision with inpatient care. Inpatient treatment programs are also often able to provide a range of services that are not available in an outpatient program.

Inpatient Treatment Length UMR Will Cover (28-30, 60, 90+ Day)

The next step will be to verify the length of treatment your UMR policy will cover. Some insurance plans restrict the length of treatment for which you are covered. For instance, in terms of residential treatment, you or your loved one may be limited to only a few weeks of care. This is an important point that must be verified. An eating disorder is a complex medical condition that typically requires a comprehensive approach and intensive care. The South Carolina Department of Mental Health reports that individuals with an eating disorder may require a minimum of three months of care and up to six months of residential care. When you or your loved one is suffering from an eating disorder, the most important thing to focus on is the quality of your care, rather than duration.

Eating disorders can be quite serious and, if not treated in time, can even become life threatening. When an individual has reached the point that their health is in danger, it may be necessary for them to spend time in the hospital. This can be particularly true in cases where the individual has become severely emaciated or if they are dehydrated. When this is the case, the overall length of treatment may be longer due to the need to address critical medical issues first. Only when the patient’s medical condition has been stabilized will it be possible to begin addressing the issues that led to the development of the eating disorder.

UMR Coverage for Eating Disorders With Dual Diagnosis

When a person suffers from an eating disorder, other disorders may occur as well. Such disorders include:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Substance abuse
• Depression
• Anxiety

In this case of co-occurring disorders, it is imperative that you or your loved one find a treatment facility that offers dual-diagnosis care. In the event that a patient is suffering from both an eating disorder and substance abuse, detoxification may be necessary. Patients who are suffering from depression and an eating disorder may require medications such as antidepressants to assist them with their recovery. Without the ability to properly address and treat all the disorders that may be present, a patient will not have the most optimal chance for full recovery.

If you need help in locating a treatment facility that offers dual-diagnosis capabilities, call us at . We are available 24/7 to speak with you and answer any questions you might have regarding how to find help in treating an eating disorder.

Specialty Eating Disorder Treatments Using UMR

Verifying that your UMR policy will cover specialty eating disorder treatment is also important. While there are many rehabilitation programs available, eating disorders are complex mental illnesses that require highly specialized treatment. One of the first goals of an eating disorder rehab program is often to help the individual return to a healthy weight. Using a comprehensive approach, a team of highly skilled and experienced physicians, dieticians and psychologists will work with you or your family member to identify the negative thinking patterns that may have resulted in the eating disorder.

Without the ability to identify those distorted thoughts, many patients find it difficult to replace them with positive thoughts and maintain a successful recovery after leaving treatment. Individual and group counseling are often used to assist patients. Counseling can also help patients learn how to cope with difficult emotions, stress and relationship problems in order to avoid triggering a relapse in the future. In many instances, families may also be able to participate in counseling to support their loved one both while the patient is in treatment as well as after he/she leaves the facility.

Nutritionists often work with patients in an eating disorder treatment program to design custom meal plans. Such meal plans are personalized to the dietary needs of the patient and take into account any other disorders that may be present. For instance, patients with diabetes will naturally need a different meal plan than non-diabetic patients.

In some cases, medications may be prescribed to assist patients who are suffering from depression or anxiety disorders. Dosages will need to be carefully monitored by attending physicians, particularly in the case of patients who also have substance abuse problems.

How to Cover What Insurance Doesn’t Pay For

In the event you find your insurance policy does not pay for all the treatment you or your loved one requires, it is important to understand that there are other options available. State-operated and government programs may be able to provide some assistance, particularly if your income is below established guidelines. Some eating disorder treatment facilities will also offer to finance some or all of the cost of your treatment.

For help in locating an eating disorder program that meets your needs, please contact us at . Our caring staff is always available to answer any questions you might have.

Verify Insurance Coverage and Find the Best Treatment Programs

Verifying your insurance coverage is an important first step, but it is also important to focus on finding the eating disorder treatment that is most suitable for your needs or those of your loved one. It is truly not too late to get the help you need. Identifying a treatment facility that specializes in eating disorders and provides dual-diagnosis capabilities can provide you or your family member with the tools necessary to achieve a successful and sustained recovery. Call now.