Mississippi
Eating disorder treatment in Mississippi
An estimated 262,899 Mississippians will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime. In-person options are limited, because no in-state specialty program above the outpatient level operates for the general public. For Mississippi residents, care ranges from outpatient services to virtual intensive outpatient programs. Any higher level of care means an out-of-state placement.(source)
- Statewide
- Licensed eating disorder treatment centers
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- Virtual treatment, available to residents statewide
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About eating disorder treatment in Mississippi
The few in-state options are in Hattiesburg. Hattiesburg Clinic provides outpatient eating disorder services, and Pine Grove Behavioral Health's Women's Center runs a co-occurring eating disorder track inside its women's addiction residential program; neither is a standalone specialty facility. The University of Mississippi William Magee Center in Oxford serves university students only. No city or region, including the Jackson metro, Gulf Coast, and Delta, has an in-person specialty partial hospitalization, residential, or inpatient program. For most families, this means using a virtual outpatient or intensive outpatient program, then traveling out of state if residential or inpatient care becomes necessary.
Paying for treatment in Mississippi
Most commercial plans in Mississippi cover eating disorder treatment as a mental health benefit, subject to your plan's deductible, copays, and prior-authorization rules for higher levels of care. In-network coverage depends on whether your plan contracts with the program considered. Residential and inpatient care typically involves an out-of-state placement.(source)
Mississippi Medicaid, delivered through MississippiCAN managed care, covers eating disorder treatment as a mental health benefit, with prior authorization and medical-necessity review for higher levels of care. Which programs accept Mississippi Medicaid for eating disorder care can vary, and the treatment program verifies your coverage when you call. Children may also qualify through the Children's Health Insurance Program, administered by the Mississippi Division of Medicaid.(source)
To start a benefits verification, call to be connected with a licensed eating disorder program.
See also: our insurance guides, how to verify your benefits, and how virtual eating disorder treatment works.
Common questions about eating disorder treatment in Mississippi
Where can I get residential eating disorder treatment in Mississippi?
No in-state residential or inpatient eating disorder specialty program currently operates for the general public. The closest in-state options are an outpatient pathway at Hattiesburg Clinic and a co-occurring eating disorder track within Pine Grove Behavioral Health's women's addiction residential program in Hattiesburg; neither is a standalone specialty facility. The University of Mississippi William Magee Center in Oxford serves university students only. Residents needing residential, PHP, or inpatient care travel out of state, and the treatment program verifies benefits and helps coordinate the placement.
Does Mississippi Medicaid cover eating disorder treatment?
Yes, within the broader behavioral health benefit. Specialty levels such as residential or partial hospitalization are reviewed for medical necessity, and which programs are covered can vary by plan. The treatment program verifies your specific benefits before you start care.
What about eating disorder treatment in Jackson, the Gulf Coast, or rural Mississippi?
No in-person eating disorder specialty residential, partial hospitalization, or intensive outpatient program currently operates anywhere in the state for the general public, including Jackson, the Gulf Coast, the Delta, and the Piney Woods. For families across Mississippi, virtual programs are the main way to receive outpatient and intensive outpatient care. When an in-person residential, PHP, or inpatient level of care is needed, that care is out of state.
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Eating disorders we cover
Compiled by the EDrehab editorial team. Last reviewed: see each cited source for the underlying publication date.