Klobuchar Leads Bipartisan Group of Senators in Urging Swift Implementation of Historic Eating Disorder Provisions in 21st Century Cures Act

Press Release

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar led a bipartisan group of senators in urging swift implementation of the historic eating disorder provisions from the Anna Westin Act that Klobuchar successfully included in the 21st Century CURES Act that was signed into law last December. The Anna Westin Act provisions increase training and education on eating disorders and ensure parity for insurance coverage of residential treatment of eating disorders. In a letter, the senators called on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price to prioritize timely and effective implementation of these provisions to ensure that people suffering from the deadliest mental illness have access to quality, affordable, and adequate treatment, and that health professionals have the training to identify the eating disorders early.

"Taking swift action to implement these provisions is critical to ensuring meaningful access to treatment for men and women with an eating disorder. Studies show that when an eating disorder reaches a severe stage and necessary life-saving levels of treatment (such as residential treatment, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programs) is prematurely discontinued or not provided, relapse is often inevitable. For the severe and complex illness of eating disorders, relapse leads to increased and costly emergency room admissions and a need for more intensive treatment, resulting in an exorbitant cost to our economy and American families," the senators wrote. "It is for these reasons that we strongly urge you to initiate this rulemaking process for these eating disorders provisions, with the goal of saving lives and cutting costs for families across the nation."

In addition to Klobuchar, the letter was also signed by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Al Franken (D-MN), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Coons (D-DE), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).

The Anna Westin Act was named in honor of Anna Westin of Chaska, Minnesota, who was diagnosed with anorexia when she was 16-years-old. After completing her sophomore year at the University of Oregon, Anna's health was deteriorating quickly -- facing liver malfunction and dangerously low body temperatures and blood pressure. Despite the urgency of her condition, her family was informed that they had to wait until their insurance company "certified' Anna's treatment, ultimately delaying and limiting the treatment Anna received. After struggling with the disease for five years, Anna died at the age of 21.

Klobuchar has been a long-standing leader in ensuring that all Americans have access to the mental health services they need. She was a cosponsor of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act that was signed into law in October 2008. The law requires health insurance companies to provide equal coverage of both mental and physical health issues. Klobuchar pushed hard for final regulations for this law, which were issued in December 2013.

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