Springfield mother says insurer denials, exorbitant billing forced out-of-state residential care and $220,000 in out‑of‑pocket costs

Summary

A Springfield mother told the House Health and Mental Health Committee that lack of in‑state treatment options and insurer denials forced her to place her daughter out of state and spend roughly $220,000; an insurance agent presented a claim summary showing millions in billed charges and large potential balance-billing exposure.

Emily Emery of Ozark told the Missouri House Committee on Health and Mental Health that she and her husband were forced to place their daughter in an out-of-state residential therapeutic program after local options and insurer support proved unavailable.

"We dropped her off on May 18, 2023," Emery said. "From May of 2023 to January of 2024, Anthem denied every single claim, leaving us to pay $100,000 out of pocket." She later testified that the family has spent about $220,000 altogether in the past 18 months.

Emery said her daughter, initially diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder and later with autism, attempted suicide on March 28, 2023, and that the family's efforts to find consistent, specialized therapy in the Springfield area failed because in-network clinicians were booked months out and out-of-network care was costly. Faced with an urgent safety crisis, the family chose residential treatment; Emery said some…

Springfield mother says insurer denials, exorbitant billing forced out-of-state residential care and $220,000 in out‑of‑pocket costs

Summary

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