Our Mission: To Stop Insurance Discrimination Against Individuals Living with Eating Disorders
IFEDD was founded with the specific goal of improving access to nutrition services for individuals with eating disorders. By gathering eating disorder dietitians in a way that had never been done before, IFEDD has been able to demonstrate that illegal insurance discrimination against individuals with eating disorders is rampant throughout the US and not limited to any one company, location, provider or patient.
There seems to be no incentive for insurers to follow the law because there is no enforcement. We continue to work through multiple channels to help individuals get coverage and to encourage insurers to solve the problems internally before regulators and legislators get involved.
If you lead an insurance company and would like to know if you are part of the problem, please contact CARE@IFEDD.org.
If you are personally experiencing insurance discrimination and would like help, please see our Help with Insurance Denials page or email CARE@IFEDD.org.
To stay up to date on legislation and action alerts related to eating disorder care, join our mailing list.
To support our efforts, please use our donation form or contact us directly.
The documents below include more detailed information on the issues and our recommendations.
Documentation of Insurance Company Mishandling of Eating Disorder MNT Claims Presented to Federal Regulators of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity (MHPAEA) Proposed Rule Clarification July 2024
IFEDD’s Comment on the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity (MHPAEA) Proposed Rule Clarification Submitted October 2023
The text of the MHPAEA Clarification Rule, i.e. the full proposal of revised regulations, can be accessed here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/08/03/2023-15945/requirements-related-to-the-mental-health-parity-and-addiction-equity-act .
The Nutrition CARE Act
Nutrition Counseling Aiding Recovery for Eating Disorders Act of 2023, also known as The Nutrition CARE Act, would fix a gap in Medicare Part B coverage, which excludes individuals with eating disorders from receiving Medical Nutrition Therapy. Currently, Medicare doesn’t cover members for meetings with their dietitian. This also applies to individuals with Social Security Disability.
To learn more, view the Eating Disorder Coalition’s Nutrition CARE Act infographic.
The full text of The Nutrition CARE Act can be accessed here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/3010/text.
To be aware of action alerts related to The Nutrition CARE Act, join our mailing list.
The Eating Disorder Coalition’s Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill
Every year, IFEDD sends member delegates to The Eating Disorder Coalition’s Advocacy Day. Delegates meet with US Congressional staffers who directly influence legislation. In 2024, Advocacy Day once again returned to in-person meetings, and 11 IFEDD members from as far away as California and Alaska gathered in Washington, DC, to participate.