Heavy infant in Grand Junction denied health insurance
Photo from the Denver Post
Alex weighed in at 8 1/4 pounds when he was born and on his diet of strictly breast milk now weighs 18 pounds which puts him in the 99th percentile. The insurance, who raised the Lange’s premiums 40% when Alex was born, will not longer cover Alex because they prefer he be in the 95th percentile or lower.
This type of incident is the exact reason we need single payer health insurance. Of course, the best we can hope for is a public option.
GRAND JUNCTION — Alex Lange is a chubby, dimpled, healthy and happy 4-month-old.
But in the cold, calculating numbered charts of insurance companies, he is fat. That’s why he is being turned down for health insurance. And that’s why he is a weighty symbol of a problem in the health care reform debate.
Insurance companies can turn down people with pre-existing conditions who aren’t covered in a group health care plan.
Alex’s pre-existing condition — “obesity” — makes him a financial risk. Health insurance reform measures are trying to do away with such denials that come from a process called “underwriting.”
“If health care reform occurs, underwriting will go away. We do it because everybody else in the industry does it,” said Dr. Doug Speedie, medical director at Rocky Mountain Health Plans, the company that turned down Alex.
via SOURCE.
October 13th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Uh…….. GRRR! When I saw this headline yesterday I did not see a photo. This is not an obese or morbidly obese looking child. He looks like a fat rolly healthy BIG baby . What the heck is wrong with people? That is not to say an obese baby should have been denied coverage. I am simply stating this child does not look FAT, simply a healthy little butterball. GEEZO !
Sage Reply:
October 13th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
I know I was rather pudgy from about 1 – 2 years of age and then after that I was so skinny my mom and the doc were worried about me. I’ve never been overweight as an adult.
Lots of babies are chunky until they start to crawl or walk.
Wizcon Reply:
October 13th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
@Sage, My babies ranged from 4lbs 11oz to 6lb 6oz. All came out with huge cheeks and were shortly within the 75 percentile in weight while staying short. Meanwhile, my friend had a huge son. He ended up at 6′9″ but when he was 4, he was the size of a 7 yr old, but acted 4.
This is good there are outlets and interest in the stupidity of the insurance industry plying their tactics to deny.
Sage Reply:
October 13th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
I weighed 5lbs 7 ozs at birth. Got chunky for awhile and then thinned out to the point of skinny. Babies come in all kinds of shapes and sizes.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:01 am
been chunky the whole time
that said, the company had every right to deny him, but are asswads for it
barga´s last blog ..Orly Taitz is sanctioned!!
barga Reply:
October 14th, 2009 at 10:01 am
@barga, forgot to click the subscribe button
barga´s last blog ..Orly Taitz is sanctioned!!