MO HB1734

Health carriers offering health benefit plans in Missouri must provide coverage for diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders, including residential treatment when medically necessary, effective January 1, 2011.

Health carriers are prohibited from denying eligibility based on eating disorder status, denying medically necessary eating disorder treatment, penalizing providers for treatment, or providing incentives to limit care inconsistent with coverage requirements.

Coverage must include psychiatric and medical treatment such as nutrition counseling, physical therapy, dietician services, and medical and psychiatric monitoring, with deductibles and co-payments no greater than other health care services.

The Department of Mental Health, in collaboration with other state departments, shall provide eating disorder diagnosis and treatment services to uninsured or underinsured Missouri residents at specialty units and state-operated facilities with licensed eating disorder specialists.

A Missouri Eating Disorder Council shall be established within the Department of Mental Health to oversee education programs, identify service gaps, and support eating disorder research; state agencies shall develop healthcare professional and school-based education and awareness programs.