Terry Schiavo's Irony

Her life and death struggle with an eating disorder caused her heart attack, but Republicans won’t move on the bill that truly could have saved her.

By Jane Fleming, Executive Director of the Young Democrats of America and former Executive Director of the Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders

Why is it ironic that Terri will die of starvation? Because the reason she had a heart attack, which has resulted in her current 15-year life and death struggle, was her life and death struggle with an eating disorder.

The saddest part is that Terri is not alone—one in ten people who struggle with anorexia will die because of starvation, cardiac arrest or other complications—yet the Republican leadership continues to block legislation to ensure full and equitable access to mental health treatment.

If you watch TV or skim the papers, you would think the reason Terri has been on life support for over a decade is because of some rare genetic disorder that did not have a cure. When I tell people it is because of an eating disorder, they are shocked.

If Terri had received the right treatment and recovery plan years ago, she would be living a healthy life. Many people with eating disorders who get early and effective treatment fully recover within eight years—I did.

It was not because my insurance plan or a government-sponsored health program helped me or my family with the costs associated with treating my eating disorder—it was mostly out of pocket and cost my family over $50,000. Not a bill many families can afford, not to mention how hard it is to admit their loved one struggles with eating and everything that comes along with a mental illness.

It is ironic Terri will die of starvation—but you know, what is worse, Republicans who are disingenuously standing up for her life are the very ones who have blocked legislation that would have granted access to treatment of her eating disorder, not only to Terri but to millions of women and men who suffer from anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder.

Rep. Dennis Hastert, who is Speaker of the House and who decides which bills come to the floor for a vote, has blocked the bipartisan Wellstone-Domenici Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act year after year from coming to the floor for a vote. The bill even specifically mentions the treatment of eating disorders.

According to Hastert, passing this bill would cost the taxpayers and insurance companies too much money. The government and many independent studies have said otherwise. Untreated mental illness costs us much more. Financially, the damages are estimated at a tremendous $113 billion annually. But the psychic toll is far greater—as we can see looking at individuals like Terri who never received the right care.

But for Rep. Hastert and other Republican leaders, this is not about taxpayers and it’s not about Terri. It is about winning a political battle. But guess what? People who struggle with mental illness are not a political battle to win or lose—we are human beings who deserve the right and access to affordable and effective treatment.

I hope, as a person who has recovered from an eating disorder, that instead of fighting to reinsert a feeding tube, that we force Rep. Hastert and Sen. Frist to bring the Mental Health Parity Bill to the floor of the Senate and the House for a vote so millions of Terris can get the early access to the mental health treatment they need.

Recovery is possible, but it can’t be done by will or God’s love alone—early and effective medical and mental health treatment is necessary for a full recovery. Stop the irony, stop using Terri as a poster child for claims on morality, and start saving the lives of millions of people who need access to medical and mental health treatment to live their lives fully and with integrity.

Contact Jane Fleming at executivedirector@yda.org or 202-639-8585.

Take Action!

Read this statement from the National Eating Disorders Association and find out how you can help in the fight for mental health insurance parity.