Mental Health Group Wants Appeals Court to Undo Coverage Denial

An industry group advocating for people with mental illnesses urged a federal appeals court to force a health insurer to cover nearly $100,000 in medical bills for a college student who spent four months at an out-of-network residential treatment facility.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness wants the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to overturn a district court decision agreeing with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care’s denial of coverage for the student’s stay at an $800-per-day facility in Massachusetts. The decision will “erect further barriers to necessary care for a population of individuals who already have difficulty accessing ...