The advocates for those with eating (disorders), who often cooperate or get financing from (residential) treatment centers, estimate there are about 75 such facilities for those specific illnesses, and many others for (substance) abuse and for emotionally or psychologically disturbed children.
Sam Menaged, founder and president of the Renfrew Center, which is based in Philadelphia and is one of the oldest and largest (residential) treatment centers for eating disorders, said only 60 percent of insurers covered the therapy and that hundreds of people were turned away from Renfrew each year.
The Blue Cross Blue Shield plan for federal employees added language to policies at the beginning of this year (specifying) that residential treatment for any condition would not be covered. Two months later, citing that change in policy, the Remuda Ranch closed its eastern center for eating disorders, which was in Milford, Va.
Executives at the federal plan said that residential (treatment) had never been covered and that the new language merely made that more explicit.
Yet Samantha Ascanio, 23, of Gaithersburg, Md., said the plan had covered her four previous stays at a residential center but denied payment this year. She instead enrolled in (outpatient) programs that lasted more than six months.
Most plans offered to California state employees also added language this year clarifying that residential treatment was not covered.
