Newswise — Reston, VA, July 8, 2016 – Potential improvement in mental health issues ranging from eating disorders to suicide has become more hopeful and more possible than it was just days ago. The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the historic Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2015 (HR 2646) – a bill that signifies forward movement in mental health.
The Eating Disorder Coalition (EDC) has been tireless in helping this bill to move through Congress. EDC summarizes the Act as “a comprehensive mental health bill that aims to combat suicide in our schools and communities, increase the mental health workforce, strengthen enforcement of the mental health parity law, invest in early intervention, integrate health and mental health care, and strengthen the community crisis response system, among other things.”
Of special importance to The Academy for Eating Disorders, the bill includes provisions from the Anna Westin Act, which recognizes eating disorders as a public health issue in the United States. The bill will strengthen and clarify the current mental health parity law as it relates to eating disorders, enforce reimbursement for eating disorders by insurers, provide education and training for professionals in school and health settings, and provide information and resources for public education and early intervention and prevention.
According to research published in the Academy for Eating Disorder’s International Journal of Eating Disorders , individuals with eating disorders are at increased risk of death compared to the general population.
“Too many lives have been lost – too many patients and their families have suffered already because of inadequate insurance coverage or failure to recognize the importance of this disease,” said the Executive Director of the Academy for Eating Disorders, Elissa Myers. The Academy for Eating Disorders applauds both the advocates and the Eating Disorder Coalition who have been pursuing this legislation for several years, and the House of Representatives for their overwhelmingly supportive vote—422 to 2. We also send a special salute to Kitty Westin, mother of Anna Westin, who has tirelessly worked to help make sure others are spared the unnecessary loss of a loved one.
The Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) is an international professional association committed to the leadership in eating disorders research, education, treatment, and prevention. The goal of the AED is to provide global access to knowledge, research, and best treatment practice for eating disorders. For additional information, please contact Elissa Myers at 703-626-9087and visit the AED website at www.aedweb.org.
RSS