Have you or a loved one been diagnosed with an eating disorder? If so, one of the most important steps you can take is to seek professional treatment. Unfortunately, only five in every fifty people with an eating disorder ever seek treatment, and four out of those five never receive the treatment they need to fully recover. With treatment, however, survival and success rates are high, with only two-three percent dying and about sixty percent recovering.
One of the reasons many people fail to seek professional help is due to finances. If you’ve been wondering “How do I pay for eating disorder treatment?” or feel like the cost of ED treatment is an obstacle to you or a loved one’s care, this article is for you. We uncover how much eating disorder treatment is, plus reveal practical ways you can pay for eating disorder treatment.
Why Professional Treatment is Important
Eating disorders affect at least 30 million people in the US alone and have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Tragically, despite their high death rate, over 70 percent of those suffering from an eating disorder never seek treatment. And even those who do seek treatment often fail to get the long-term care they need to fully recover. Around 80 percent of the women and girls who receive care for their eating disorders are sent home weeks earlier than recommended. This keeps them from fully recovering and often leads to dangerous relapses.
Obstacles to Eating Disorder Treatment
One of the reasons many people fail to pursue and receive the treatment they need is due to the high cost of eating disorder treatment. Most people with eating disorders require several months of intensive care, often in a medically-staffed treatment center away from home. This type of high-level care is expensive, with the average residential treatment program costing around $30,000 per month. For those without insurance, treatment may feel completely out of reach. And even with insurance, paying for treatment can be a battle, as many health insurance providers refuse to cover the full cost of eating disorder treatment.
But the good news is, with or without insurance, there are numerous ways you can access or pay for eating disorder treatment.
Levels of Eating Disorder Treatment
Before diving into the various ways you can pay for eating disorder treatment, let’s briefly look at the different types of eating disorder treatment available.
There are five main levels of care for eating disorder treatment, each designed to treat varying degrees of eating disorder severity. Level one, for example, is designed for patients with the least severe symptoms, while level five is for the most severe ED cases. Keep in mind, the more intensive the treatment, the higher the cost it is.
OUTPATIENT TREATMENT
Outpatient treatment is for individuals who are medically stable. This level of care is a flexible, part-time program typically involving therapy and counseling sessions 2-5 times a week. Although cheaper than more intensive programs, ongoing outpatient costs (including medical monitoring and therapy sessions) can easily add up.
INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT PROGRAM (IOP)
The next level of treatment is the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). This level of care still allows the patient to live at home but involves more frequent treatment sessions (usually 3-7 days a week for 3-5 hours each day).
IOP is ideal for those who are medically stable, but would also benefit from a more structured program with daily group therapy sessions and possibly also meal support. The costs for intensive outpatient programs vary, but in many cities, IOP will cost between $7,000 and $10,000 for a six-week period.
PARTIAL HOSPITALIZATION PROGRAM (PHP)
With a partial hospitalization program (PHP), patients at this level still live at home or outside of the residential setting, but take part in an all-day treatment program 5-7 days a week. Partial Hospitalization is great for those coming out of residential treatment. PHP usually involves group therapy sessions, counseling, and daily meal and snack support.
RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT
Residential treatment is for individuals who do not need intensive medical support like intravenous fluids or tube feedings, but they still do benefit from daily medical support from an on-site nursing staff. Individuals in a residential program live on-site and benefit from a structured, 24/7 program. The length of stay varies based on the individual’s needs but usually is around 45-60 days. In 2010, the average residential program cost $10,000 for a 30-day stay.
INPATIENT TREATMENT
Inpatient treatment is for those who are medically unstable and need immediate medical intervention and nutritional monitoring. They may be suffering from malnutrition, electrolyte imbalance, dehydration, liver or kidney problems, and blood pressure or heart rate complications. Inpatient care is provided in a hospital or medically-staffed treatment facility, so the costs are quite high, sometimes averaging around $2,000+ per day.
Since costs are much higher, patients typically have much shorter stays in the higher levels of treatment (residential and inpatient), but spend more time in lower levels of care (outpatient, intensive outpatient, and partial hospitalization) since the cost is greatly decreased.
Insurance for Eating Disorder Treatment
The law requires insurance companies to provide coverage for mental health disorders equivalent to the coverage they give for physical health problems.Despite this legislation, however, insurance never covers the full cost of treatment, and some providers may even deny coverage for ED treatment or cease covering costs once the patient has admitted. If you experience problems of this kind with your insurance provider, consider going to www.DontDenyMe.org to learn about your coverage rights and find out how to file an appeal or issue a complaint against your health plan provider. Your treatment team and insurance case manager are also available to support you through the insurance process.
If you have health insurance, the first thing you’ll want to do is ask your insurance company or employer for a copy of your plan to determine what level of treatment they will cover. You’ll also want to ask for a list of outpatient providers or treatment facilities available in your network. Opting for in-network treatment programs is always the most cost-effective choice. An easier option for many, is to reach out to programs that you may be interested in and ask them to complete a benefits check for your insurance policy which will outline your precise benefits as it applies to that specific program. These checks are at no cost or obligation to the patient.
Here at ‘Ai Pono Hawaii, we proudly participate with a variety of insurance companies. Our admissions and medical teams work directly with your insurance provider to determine your eligibility and benefits, so you can access the appropriate care for your ED treatment. Find out more about our admissions process and the insurance providers we accept.
If you can’t find an eating disorder program/specialist within your insurance network, you still have a few options. Your insurance provider may allow you to go out of the network for an additional fee or via a slightly more extensive process, like a single case agreement. If you find a treatment program/specialist who does not accept insurance, see if they will give you a superbill (or itemized invoice). If they will, you can send the itemized invoice to your insurance company and seek partial reimbursement for the cost of treatment.
Seeking Treatment Without Insurance
If you don’t have insurance and are unable to pay for treatment privately, there are still many options available to you. Here are some of the ways you can access ED treatment at a lower cost or a sliding-scale basis.
NON-PROFIT TREATMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
There are many non-profit treatment programs that provide either free treatment, scholarships, or income-based rates. Check out the following resources if you’re interested in applying for a scholarship or accessing low-cost treatment:
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
Some universities and hospitals offer low-cost ED treatment in exchange for your participation in clinical research. If you are interested in this treatment route, contact major research universities and/or hospitals to find out about their research studies and treatment options.
SUPPORT GROUPS
If you’re unable to access treatment, support groups can be a great way to connect with people who have gone through similar struggles and get extra support as you pursue recovery on your own. The National Eating Disorder Association provides a list of support groups and forums to help people on their recovery journey.
UNIVERSITY/COMMUNITY COUNSELING DEPARTMENTS
While these may not be staffed with eating disorder specialists, counseling with a local university or community counseling department may be a great low-cost option to start you on the road to recovery.
WEB-BASED TREATMENT PROGRAMS
Some treatment centers offer web-based treatment programs, workbooks, guides, and other helpful resources. Though much cheaper than their in-person programs, these resources provide helpful tools and education for your recovery.
Ai Pono Hawaii is now offering online intensive outpatient therapy for Hawaii residents only. If you live in Hawaii and want to find out more, visit our online IOP information page. In addition, Dr. Johnston also offers a semi-structured online course exploring topics related to disordered eating through Light of the Moon Cafe which can help provide an introduction to concepts and principles or supplementary support for those who are currently seeing an outpatient therapist.
REACH OUT!
Finally, if you’ve found a treatment center or program that you like, but don’t have insurance or the means to pay privately, reach out to the admissions staff directly to learn more about your financial options. They may be able to offer income-based rates, connect you with scholarships, or provide a payment plan option. Don’t let finances get in the way of getting the help you need.
How to Find Eating Disorder Treatment
If you’re unsure of how to find eating disorder treatment specialists/programs in your area, start by using EDreferral or Eating Disorder Hope. You’ll be able to specifically search for programs in your area (and beyond) to find treatment options at every level of care. You can also refine your search to find treatment that accepts insurance like Medicaid and Medicare.
Seeking professional treatment for your eating disorder is one of the most important steps you’ll ever take. Though it can seem costly, your recovery and healing are worth every penny, and if you don’t have insurance and require financial assistance, remember that there are many treatment options available. From non-profit programs and scholarships to research-based treatment and university counseling centers, there are numerous ways to find help and support for your recovery process.
Take the first step today and talk to someone about recovery or simply learn more about the eating disorder recovery programs we offer.
