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Healthcare
Advocacy
Effective awareness efforts emphasize educating healthcare policymakers about the prevalence of eating disorders, their increasing frequency, diversity, and expansion across all socioeconomic classes and ethnic populations, and their negative health effects. The Harris Center is involved in advocacy efforts at the national and state levels.
Eating Disorders Coalition
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Dr. Herzog Accepting EDC Award for Visionary Leadership, 2005
Photo: Eating Disorders Coalition |
Our Center is a founding member of the Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action (EDC). Through the EDC, we join forces with other professional and advocacy-based organizations to improve the lives of families and individuals suffering from eating disorders. Based in Washington D.C., the Coalition aims to raise national awareness of eating disorders and to promote federal support for improved access to care, parity and research. Now, eight years since its inception, the EDC has grown to 35 member-organizations and hosted two national policy conferences in Washington, D.C. Coalition President Kitty Westin commends Dr. Herzog's continuous mentorship and encouragement. "Without Dr. Herzog, the EDC would never have been born. He was the organization's president for its first five years. His knowledge about eating disorders and his tireless efforts to advocate for the cause are inspiring."
Congressional Briefings
One of the EDC's roles is to educate Congress members about the need for legislation on behalf of eating disorders. To this end, the EDC hosts frequent Congressional Briefings. Attended by legislators and their aides, each briefing consists of a series of presentations organized around a specific theme, such as "Eating Disorders: Fighting Stigma with Science" (February 27, 2008) or
"Researchers Respond! Effective Treatments for Eating Disorders" (April 26, 2006). Briefings offer personal accounts of recovery as well as facts and research about these illnesses.
Family & Friends Action Network
Founded in 2001, the Family & Friends Action Network is the internal advocacy arm of the Coalition. Individuals, families and friends who have been impacted by eating disorders assemble from across the country to promote legislation on behalf of these illnesses. Drawing on their personal experiences, these advocates play a vital role in educating policymakers on Capitol Hill about eating disorders. Members of the network include parents who have lost a child to an eating disorder, individuals in recovery and those with active eating disorders, as well as professionals working in the field of eating disorders.
Update: May, 2008
On April 9-10, 2008, the Coalition hosted a series of special events to launch the FREED Act (Federal Response for Elimination of Eating Disorders). This comprehensive legislation will establish Centers of Excellence to support programs in eating disorders research, treatment, education and prevention. Eighty individuals representing 18 states came together on Capitol Hill to lobby on behalf of eating disorders. After training with EDC Policy Director, Jeanine Cogan, Ph.D., these activists visited over 60 Congressional offices, sharing their personal perspectives and building momentum for the new legislation. Next, the citizen lobbyists--along with government officials, nonprofit groups, staff members from house and senate offices and media representatives--attended a Congressional Briefing that focused on the seriousness of eating disorders and elucidated why the FREED Act is essential to helping individuals with these illnesses.
Another EDC highlight of April 9-10 was a reception honoring Miss America 2008, Kirsten Haglund, who spoke to a large audience about her struggles with anorexia nervosa and about her decision to spend her year as Miss America helping young people appreciate themselves and their bodies.
Click to read about Miss America's participation in the Harris Center's March 11, 2008 Public Forum
"Redefining
Perfection: Beauty, Fashion and Body Image".
Looking Ahead
Watch our Calendar for announcements of other upcoming EDC events designed to raise awareness of eating disorders at the federal level. In addition, the Coalition will continue striving to increase federal funding for eating disorders research.
We encourage you to participate in Coalition activities. For more information, please visit the Coalition Web site.
Eating Disorders and Mental Health Parity in Massachusetts
Historically, Massachusetts, among other states, has provided far less insurance coverage for mental illnesses than for those illnesses deemed to be "physical." To address this discrepancy, the state legislature passed the
MHPL (Massachusetts Mental Health Parity Law)
in 2000, requiring insurance companies to treat severe mental illnesses on par with "physical" illnesses. In order to be covered under the MHPL, a mental illness must be deemed biologically-based.
Although eating disorders are biologically-based, they were excluded from the list of serious mental illnesses to receive full parity. As a result, insurers often deny payment for eating disorder services, leaving many patients without adequate treatment. Representative Kay Khan is trying to change this. For four years, the Harris Center has served as Rep. Khan's consultant as she has sponsored legislation to designate eating disorders biologically-based mental illnesses entitled to full coverage under the MHPL.
Click to view:
The Biological Basis of Anorexia Nervosa
The Biological Basis of Bulimia Nervosa
The Biological Basis of Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS)
October 31, 2007
Massachusetts State House Hearing on Eating Disorders :
Legislators, advocates and doctors joined together to raise awareness of eating disorders and to address the lack of adequate insurance coverage to treat these illnesses.
David B. Herzog, M.D., one of several speakers, summarized genetics investigations and neuroimaging studies to explain that anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are disorders of the brain. Referring to findings from the Harris Center's
longitudinal project and osteoporosis research, he underscored the seriousness of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, adding that bill H. 989 (sponsored by Rep. Kay Khan) is essential to helping patients get the comprehensive care they need.
Spring, 2008
Early in March, Rep. Kahn called us to report that H. 989 had taken a decisive step forward and that Dr. Herzog's October 31st testimony had been instrumental in making this happen. The remaining big hurdle in promoting H 989 is to move it favorably out of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. Click to learn WHAT YOU CAN DO (PDF, 32 KB) to help us support Rep. Kahn's legislation.
Stay Tuned
We will keep you posted on the progress of Rep. Khan's exciting legislation. And please feel free to e-mail us at harriscentermgh@partners.org with questions, comments or suggestions about our state or national advocacy programs.
This page was last updated on May 28, 2008.
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