Illinois House Bill 1432 To Provide Fair And Equal Coverage For Eating Disorders

Main Category: Eating Disorders
Article Date: 09 May 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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State Senators John Cullerton (D-6th District) and Heather Steans (D-7th District) will present a bill to the Illinois State Legislature Insurance Committee on May 8th that could have life or death consequences for the citizens of Illinois. Introduced by Rep. Fred Crespo (D-44th District), HB 1432 will strengthen the Illinois mental health insurance parity law by providing fair and equal insurance coverage for those suffering from anorexia nervosa and bulimia.

In the United States, as many as 10 million females and one million males are fighting a life and death battle with anorexia or bulimia, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. Eating disorders are biologically-based psychiatric illnesses and can be deadly. Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness, nearly 12 times greater than that of any other cause of death among females between the ages of 15 and 24.

According to Kimberly Dennis, M.D., Medical Director at Timberline Knolls, a nationally recognized treatment and recovery center, eating disorders should have the same coverage as the serious mental illnesses currently covered by the Illinois mental health parity law. "It's extremely important that the state legislature recognize the importance of providing equal medical coverage to those suffering from eating disorders," said Dr. Dennis. "Anorexia and bulimia are real and very dangerous disorders and without proper treatment, are often deadly."

Timberline Knolls urges the citizens of Illinois to contact their local state senator and show their support for House Bill 1432, ensuring that fair and equal insurance coverage for those suffering from anorexia and bulimia is available. For more information on House Bill 1432 please visit this Web site.

About Timberline Knolls

Timberline Knolls specializes in helping women and adolescent girls 12 and older, offering treatment for complex co-occurring disorders that can include self-injury behavior (SIB), substance abuse, eating and other affective disorders.

Timberline Knolls