Cigna Eating Disorder Coverage

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In today’s society, people of all ages and nationalities are preoccupied with weight and body image. As a result, many resort to eating and exercising unhealthily, which can potentially lead to a deadly eating disorder. A report released by the Eating Disorders Coalition shows that over 14 million Americans struggle with an eating disorder, and only 10 percent of those who are suffering from an eating disorder receive proper treatment.

According to DSM-IV, individuals who struggle with an eating disorder may suffer from the following symptoms:

• Severely limiting food intake
• Binging and purging regularly
• Chewing and spitting food out without swallowing
• Excessive exercising to lose weight

Patients who wish to receive treatment often have a hard time finding full insurance coverage for eating disorder treatments, especially when the treatment includes medical care, nutritional therapy and mental health services. Cigna offers a wide range of insurance options that you can tailor to suit your eating disorder treatment needs. From the desire to control one’s life to low self-esteem issues, many factors contribute to eating disorders.

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), eating disorders can be identified by severe disturbances in your eating behaviors. Common types include:

• Anorexia nervosa. Individuals suffering from anorexia experience an excessive amount of weight loss due to self-starvation. Patients over-exercise or restrict foods, or they overeat and self-induce vomiting.
• Bulimia nervosa. Individuals enter cycles of binge eating that are followed by purges of self-induced vomiting, over-exercising and using laxatives.
• Bing eating disorder. Patients participate in periods of continuous, impulsive or uncontrolled eating, which is followed by sporadic diets and fasts.
• Other eating disorders. Patients suffer from a combination of the symptoms of bulimia, anorexia and binge eating.

If you or a loved one is suffering from an eating disorder, please call us today at . We are available 24/7 to help you find the best private rehab facility using Cigna for eating disorder treatment.

Does Cigna Cover Eating Disorders Rehab Programs?

Cigna covers a range of eating disorder rehab programs through a licensed healthcare professional. Licensed healthcare professionals provide the necessary counseling and treatment to address unhealthy eating behaviors and any underlying conditions that contribute to the eating disorder. If necessary, professionals may prescribe antidepressant medication in conjunction with the treatment program, which is covered under certain insurance policies.

Intensive outpatient residential care, partial hospitalization or inpatient care may be required if the psychological and physical problems become severe enough, threatening the life of the patient. Most professionals recommend a combination of treatment programs to effectively overcome an eating disorder.

Cigna covers behavioral services for various mental health conditions. Your behavioral mental health professional will discuss eating disorder treatment options with you, and Cigna’s care management staff will help you assess the recommended treatment in order to determine what benefits are available under your policy.

Inpatient Treatment Length Cigna Will Cover (28-30, 60, 90+ Day)

Patients who need constant medical monitoring because of the severity of their eating disorder may need to enter an inpatient treatment care program. Cigna’s insurance policies can cover the acute stabilization of medical complications due to the eating disorder, including cardiac status, vital signs, metabolic status and lab values. Coverage for inpatient acute care can last up to 14 days depending on the severity of the symptoms.

Inpatient residential care is intended for those who are in need of constant behavioral care but do not require a secure environment with frequent medical or psychiatric interventions. Primary treatment is offered through individual, group or family therapy in a supportive living environment. Cigna authorizes coverage for appropriate clinical care that meets the policy’s medical necessity criteria. If you want help finding help in treating eating disorder that is covered by Cigna, please call us today at . We’re available 24/7 to help you.

Cigna Coverage for Eating Disorders With Dual Diagnosis

Dual diagnoses have become a growing problem across the nation. According to Mental Health America (MHA), approximately 29 percent of all people diagnosed with a mental illness also suffer from drug or alcohol abuse. A dual diagnosis occurs when a patient is suffering from two separate, interrelated diagnoses, such as an eating disorder, psychiatric, mental health or drug abuse diagnosis. Patients suffering from these illnesses experience symptoms that interfere with their ability to function and relate to others.

Mental and emotional problems that are common in dual diagnoses include:

• Depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Anxiety disorders
• Psychiatric disorders

Research shows that individuals struggling with a dual diagnosis can fully recover as long as they receive integrated dual disorder treatment for both conditions, which requires a combined treatment plan through the same mental health care professional. Effective treatment programs help patients develop the hope, skills, knowledge and support needed to manage the conditions and reduce the risk of additional problems developing.

Depending on the Cigna policy, patients suffering from a dual diagnosis that can be filed as a “medical necessity” can obtain coverage to enroll in an approved facility that provides integrated treatment. If you are unsure whether or not your insurance policy covers integrated treatment, please call us at . Our care management staff will review the recommended coverage and policy to determine if your treatment is covered.

Specialty Eating Disorder Treatments Using Cigna

Cigna may provide coverage for specialty eating disorder treatments depending on the insurance policy. Cigna’s Eating Disorder Specialty Care Management Team assists those who are affected by an eating disorder, addressing daily complex concerns. Managing any eating disorder can be a challenging feat, and finding the right mental health professional is vital to overcoming an eating disorder. Individuals may need the assistance of many health care professionals, including doctors, nutritionists and mental health professionals, to ensure a fully recovery.

Individuals who wish to enroll in an eating disorder treatment facility will be assigned to a care manager through Cigna. The care manager assists the patient through the process by addressing any diagnosis- and treatment-related questions and by providing consistent case management.

How to Cover What Insurance Doesn’t Pay For

Cigna does not cover nutritional counseling or internal medicine physician services, but patients can check to see if their medical plan will cover the extra expenses. If individuals are unable to obtain further coverage, they may qualify for assistance through a nonprofit organization, such as the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) or Eating Disorders Anonymous (EDA). Patients can also speak with the facility beforehand and ask about payment plans. Many centers offer specialized treatment financing to help prospective patients afford care, providing them with affordable payment options.

Verify Insurance Coverage and Find the Best Treatment Programs

Before enrolling in any eating disorder program, individuals should first call their Cigna representative and verify their insurance coverage. Plan coverage only applies to medically necessary services that are needed to evaluate and stabilize eating disorders. In order to verify the insurance coverage, individuals can call the number on the back of their insurance card and request a list of qualifying in-network health care professionals who specialize in eating disorders.

Individuals need to make sure the services are covered and need precertification. Most policies require preauthorization for intensive behavioral programs and hospital care, including residential, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs. Some services do not require preauthorization, such as in-network physician visits for medication management. Cigna helps patients find and enroll in the best eating disorder program by:

• Providing local resource and offer referrals
• Searching for health care professionals within the network
• Researching different treatment options
• Making the most out of the behavioral coverage plan
• Integrating care between medical and behavioral coverage

Eating disorders can be deadly if they are not taken care of right away, affecting not only the patient but also the family. If you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, call us today at . Remember, it’s not too late to live a healthy, active lifestyle.