Infant American boy denied health care insurance for being chubby

October 13, 11:27 AMExtreme Weight Loss ExaminerMark Rubi

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"Uninsurable" baby Alex Lange and Mom

A 2 month old American  boy was denied health care insurance because his parents' insurance provider decided that since he was over the 95th percentile for size and weight for infants that he was "technically" obese and that their guidlelines for "pre-existing" conditions would not allow them to provide health insujrance for the baby. The story came to national attention this morning when it was reported on NBC's Today Show. The story was also published by the Denver Post newspaper.

Bernie and Kelli Lange in Colorado are the proud parents of a beautiful baby boy named Alex. According the medical standards, the Lange's have done everything right: the baby is happy, perfectly healthy, and is being breastfed, which is the healthiest and most nutritious way to feed an infant.

So why did Rocky Mountain Health Plans deny health insurance to a perfectly healthy baby? The answer is a bell curve nightmare coutesy of unfeeling, money-grubbing, bean counters who rely on "underwriting guidelines" and statistics instead of reality to make their decisions. They rationalize that any baby over the 95th percentile for weight is obese, even though baby Alex is also over the 95th percentile for height.

Baby Alex's parents are both lean and healthy. They wonder aloud (jokingly, of course) if the health care companies want them to put baby Alex on a diet  when he starts eating food other than breast milk.  In any case, they will not deny a breastfed baby  his food to meet insurance company guidelines.

Such public greed on the part of the insurance companies has sparked anger across the nation, just as the issue of health care reform is set to face a crucial vote today in Washington. The Today Show segment can be seen by clicking on the link. More and more, insurance companies are finding ways to define anything outside the fattest part of the bell curve as too high risk to cover. Today Show anchor Meredith Vieira introduced the story by saying that it would "shock and outrage" and she hit the nail right on the head.

Another outrage to this story is that the Centers for Disease Control states that breastfeeding is one of the best ways to fight future breast cancer for mothers. Baby Alex's mom Kelli is doing eveyrthing right for her baby, and her actions can also have health benefits for her as well. Many Americans are up in arms that during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, of all times, an American insurance company would deny health insurance to baby Alex because his mother is breastfeeding. Medical research shows that breastfed babies are chubbier and healthier.