In a story worthy of Charles Dickens, the parents of 4-month-old Alex Lange
were told that their otherwise happy, healthy baby is simply too fat to qualify
for health insurance. Here, Akbar Risuddin, a four-day-old baby boy, weighing
8.7-kilograms (19.2-pounds) sleeps at a hospital in Kisaran, North Sumatra,
Indonesia. AP Photo: Andi Anshari
**Update starts below**
When Bernie and Kelli Lange welcomed their second son, Alex into the world recently, they had no idea that their son would quickly become the latest poster child in the battle for health care and health insurance reform.
In a story worthy of Charles Dickens, the parents of 4-month-old Alex Lange were told that their otherwise happy, healthy baby is simply too fat to qualify for health insurance.
Statistically, Alex falls into the 99th percentile for height and weight for babies his age. Insurers generally won't insure babies who fall within the 95th percentile, no matter how healthy they may be otherwise.
That's right, in the cold, calculating world of insurance underwriting, chubby, dimpled little Alex is fat. Because he is fat, 4-month old Alex is being denied health insurance because of his 'pre-existing' condition called 'obesity.'
That's right, the insurance industry is down to denying health insurance for babies they deem 'too fat.' That's because such babies, they say, are simply 'too risky' to insure. Now, lest you think Alex has been raised on a diet of Coca-cola and milkshakes, the fact is that he was fed exclusively on breast milk. Interestingly, his older brother, Vincent, was a colicky baby who had trouble gaining weight. So, it's not like Alex comes from Fat City.
Insurance companies regularly reject people with pre-existing conditions who aren't covered in a group health care plan. This is one of the kinds of insurance denials that health insurance reform efforts are trying to do away with.
Alex's parents are understandably shocked, but trying to take it in stride. "I could understand if we could control what he's eating. But he's 4 months old. He's breast-feeding. We can't put him on the Atkins diet or on a treadmill," joked his frustrated father, Bernie Lange, a part-time news anchor at KKCO-TV in Grand Junction. "There is just something absurd about denying an infant."
But, joke though they may, the Langes will apparently need to put their 4-month old Alex on a diet if they expect to qualify for health insurance. Either that, or they have to pray for health insurance reform that will end such practices.
"If health care reform occurs, underwriting will go away. We do it because everybody else in the industry does it," says Dr. Doug Speedie, medical director at Rocky Mountain Health Plans, the company that turned down Alex.
UPDATE: Rocky Mountain Health Plans has now said it will cover Alex Lange, a baby they previously refused to give health insurance because of his weight.
"A recent situation in which we denied coverage to a heavy, yet healthy, infant brought to our attention a flaw in our underwriting system for approving infants," says Steve ErkenBrack, president and CEO, Rocky Mountain Health Plans."Because we are a small company dedicated to the people of Colorado, we are pleased to be in a position to act quickly. We have changed our policy, corrected our underwriting guidelines and are working to notify the parents of the infant who we earlier denied."
For more info: Denver Post
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Comments
Dr. Speedie - As my mother said "If all the other kids jumped off a cliff, you would too?"
personal e-mails for Rocky Mountain Health Plans - - - - - Flood them!!!!
steve.erkenbrack@rmhp.org - CEO & PRESIDENT --skegj@aol.com -his personal e-mail account
jhopkins@rmhp.org
recruiter@rmhp.org
david.herr@rmhp.org
colleen.moss@rmhp.org
medicare@rmhp.org
SOLO_Sales_Team@rmhp.org
pmohler@rmhp.org
jferguson@rmhp.org
customer_service@rmhp.org
bmartin@rmhp.org
adina.crigger@rmhp.org
cmcdaniel@rmhp.org
winhealthcustomer_service@rmhp.org
jean.juskie@rmhp.org
snolan@rmhp.org
tiffany.dawe@rmhp.org
svanhale@rmhp.org
dhall@rmhp.org
lcaselli@rmhp.org
svanhale@rmhp.org
jtroyer@RMHP.ORG
Randall@RMHP.org
lori_stephenson@rmhp.org
dherr@rmhp.org
roger.walt@rmhp.org
twright@rmhp.org
nyenter@rmhp.org
lromero@rmhp.org
erica.spencer@rmhp.org
jan.rohr@rmhp.org
bev.martin@rmhp.org
ed.frederick@rmhp.org
jcampbell@rmhp.org
jferguso@rmhp.org
carrie.hessel@rmhp.org
pclark@rmhp.org
Kayla.arnesen@rmhp.org
tswans
before judging...please note: Rocky Mountain Health Plans --- is a not for profit organization.
Oh wow, denying a baby coverage for being fat- Wow. Wow. Wow.
Sorry, I don't care whether the insurance company is not for profit or if they are, who or what in this world gives any insurance company the right to deny a 4 MONTH OLD coverage based on weight!!!!! Absurd, yet not one bit surprising.
If the baby is 99th percentile for height AND weight, why are they "obese"? Sounds well proportioned to me.
How did the baby get so fat in the place? What do the parents look like?
Tough ****. Fat baby? THAT fat?? Slim that kid down. Who the hell do you think you are? Childhood obesity is an epidemic. Wake up fat asses!!!
Kathryn,
Before we go hating on fat people, let's remember a few points. Skinny mom. Breast milk only. Here, here's a quote:
Now, lest you think Alex has been raised on a diet of Coca-cola and milkshakes, the fact is that he was fed exclusively on breast milk. Interestingly, his older brother, Vincent, was a colicky baby who had trouble gaining weight. So, it's not like Alex comes from Fat City.
Maybe it's just how god made little Alex!
Clearly the mother is likely on a high fat diet. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is the culprit. Wonder why 3/4 of all Americans get cancer or heart disease? I don't.
The insurance company does the same thing with adults with cholesterol. High cholesterol, no insurance. And, that is the way it ought to be. If you don't want to take care of your body, you should have to pay for all your own health care!
Frankly, if lawyers and insurance companies got their hands out of the health care industry, health care would be affordable for everyone.
If people found themselves RESPONSIBLE for taking care of their own health and covering their own medical costs, they might watch what they put in their mouth. But naaa, no need to be responsible, most are covered by insurance. Get rid of lawyers - medical people are human - they make mistakes and should NOT be expected to be mistake free. Get rid of the Insurance companies - make people responsible for their own medical care.
Great article! Both my kids were breast fed exclusively. With my first, I ate a low-fat, vegetarian diet and was very skinny. But my son Keegan was a fat, fat baby and in the 95th percentile. A real chubby-bubby. Today, he's an elite athlete (basketball) and outside of infancy, never had an issue with weight. Thank goodness our health insurance was never cut off! With my second, I ate healthy, but also ate meat and dairy. I wasn't skinny anymore, but I also wasn't fat. My daughter Moira, on the other hand, was skinny and in the bottom 20th percentile. Pencil-thin skinny. So skinny that the doctors suggested she go on formula. But she also was active and alert, so I thanked them for their "expert" opinion and kept breast feeding. Today, she's eight and has always been skinny - she's just built that way. Both my kids have been active, intelligent and early developers. One just carries more of my family genes, and the other, more of her father's family genes. Go figure.
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