National Eating Disorders Association’s National Bank of Insurance Stories. It’s time to talk about it.

With enthusiasm and appreciation, the AED Advocacy and Communication Committee announces the National Eating Disorders Association’s National Bank of Insurance Stories. It’s time to talk about it.

THE PROBLEM:

We have all faced it. Lack of treatment coverage at an appropriate level of care, premature discharge, and lack of adherence to professional guidelines, are experiences patients, clinicians, and families fight daily. Access to care is a fundamental, nationwide problem that frequently exacerbates the illness, destroying lives, while placing undue financial and emotional burden on so many.

A SOLUTION:

Insured patients and their families need a voice to communicate their experiences in the pursuit of treatment. The Advocacy and Communication Committee of the Academy for Eating Disorders urgently needs your help. We applaud NEDA for the development of the National Bank of Insurance Stories. The National Bank of Insurance Stories was created to document insurance struggles patients, families, and caregivers have faced. These stories will provide evidence of the breadth of this problem, and help to raise awareness. Providing an outlet to share the stories, we can help others know what has worked and what hasn’t, as well as to unite the community against the unconscionable policies and practices of insurance companies that discriminate against eating disorders treatment.

ACTION NEEDED:

With the cooperation of NEDA, AED, EDC, BEDA, IAEDP and others, the stories of the interface between patient, family, clinicians, and insurance companies can be heard. Please, consider taking up this mission with intent and with purpose. Please, spread the word about the NEDA Bank of Insurance stories. You can help by doing the following:

1) Refer your patients, families and colleagues to the following NEDA link:

http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/uploads/NBIS%20eForm%20(fillable).pdf;

2) Print this document and make it easily accessible to patients and their families.

3) Forward this email to your colleagues, and encourage all to use their voice to make a difference.

4) Write letters to your local media informing them of NEDA’s National Bank of Insurance Stories.

Sincerely,

AED Advocacy and Communications Committee