Cynthia Fox

About the author: Cynthia Fox is a contributor to Life magazine.

Anorexia is a serious disease that kills more people than any other mental illness, yet insurance companies either offer minimal or no coverage for proper treatment. Some doctors spend hours each week arguing the necessity of their patient's cases with insurers that still deny coverage. While some eating disorder programs temporarily assume the financial burden for needy but uninsured patients, they cannot do so for long or will be faced with bankruptcy. As a result, many anorexics are either partially treated and released or do not receive care at all. Those who are partially treated generally end up worse than they were before. Anorexia, like any other life-threatening disease, needs to be sufficiently covered by insurance.

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