To: The New York State House, The New York State Senate, and Governor Andrew Cuomo
Eating Disorders Treatment In New York's Capital Region
The Albany, NY area has insufficient treatment for Eating Disorders. The state cut the budget for the few outpatient treatment facilities there were. The only inpatient program is at Four Winds and they only have an Eating Disorders "track". The treatment is minimal and most patients in the track, myself included, have found it to be less than helpful. More importantly, insurance companies make getting into treatment centers, out of the state, very difficult to get admitted to for 2 reasons. 1. They are outside the company's network and 2. They see Eating Disorders as a medical issue and not a mental health issue. Admission to inpatient and residential treatment is based on medical necessity, meaning a patient needs to be so medically compromised before they will pay for treatment. Eating Disorders are a mental illness that cause medical problems, often fatal. What I am proposing are local inpatient or residential treatment for Eating Disorders and that insurance companies recognize them as a mental illness and allow sufficient treatment.
Why is this important?
The miniscule amout of Eating Disorders treatment was recently cut from the state budget. It is true that there is outpatient, individual therapy, but higher levels of care are desperatly needed, especially since insurance companies, like CDPHP have little treatment facilities in their network.