Treatment For Eating Disorders Covered Under Health Care Plan.

Plaintiffs suffer from eating disorders and are covered by defendant health care provider. Defendant declined to provide health care coverage to treat their eating disorders. Health and Safety Code section 1374.72 [the Parity Act] mandates that every health care service plan “provide coverage for the diagnosis and medically necessary treatment of severe mental illnesses . . . under the same terms and conditions applied to other medical conditions.” The trial court held the Parity Act does not specifically enumerate eating disorders, and ruled in favor of defendant. The appellate court reversed, stating: “We conclude the Legislature in crafting the Parity Act, which uses broad statutory language to mandate the provision of medically necessary services for mental health conditions, recognized that most mental health conditions have a physical basis.”  (Rea v. Blue Shield of California  (Cal. App. Second Dist., Div. 1; June 10, 2014) (As modified July 9, 2014)226 Cal.App.4th 1209, [172 Cal.Rptr.3d 823].)