Aislin Bates: Colorado Toddler Denied Health Insurance For Being Underweight

The parents of a two-year-old girl in Colorado are unable to obtain health insurance for their daughter because the insurer, United Healthcare Golden Rule, claims she is too small. In a letter sent to the family of the child, Aislin Bates, United Healthcare Golden Rule writes, "we are unable to provide coverage for Aislin because her height and weight do not meet our company standards." According to a Colorado news station, Aislin weighed six pounds, six ounces at birth, and now weighs 22 pounds.

When Robert Bates, the girl's father, left his former job to start his own business, he was forced to seek out his own health insurance, and enrolled his family in an insurance plan with United Healthcare Golden Rule. "It took me by surprise," Bates told ABC 7 in Denver. "I didn't think that her size was that abnormal and that it was something that you'd consider to be unhealthy." As ABC 7 reports:

A spokeswoman for United Healthcare Golden Rule said 89 percent of the people who apply for insurance get it. Ellen Laden, the company's public relations director, told the station that most insurers have their own propriety height and weight guidelines.

"Ours are based on several medical sources, including the Centers for Disease Control, and are well within industry standards," she said.

Laden said she couldn't talk about specific cases like the Bates'.

Robert Bates, however, isn't satisfied. "What we want to see is that insurance companies have legitimate reasons for denying coverage," he said.

Recently, another child in Colorado, Alex Lange, was also denied coverage, but for "preexisting obesity" instead of being underweight. In that instance, the insurer, Rocky Mountain Health Plans, reversed their policy after the parents of the 17-pound infant gained media exposure. After the reversal, Rocky Mountain Health Plans attributed the boy's rejection for health coverage to a "flaw in our underwriting system."

The Bates family is hoping for a similar change in policy. In the meantime, Aislin Bates remains uninsured.

Comments

[BunnyX]

This is just more distraction. The health insurance companies are not the real problem. The profits from medical care and services and pharmaceuticals are TEN TIMES the profits of the insurance companies, which are actually not that big. As long as health care provider and big pharma get immunity from profiteering while blowhards who prefer an easy target go after the insurance companies, the problem is not going to get solved. The problem is COSTS, people, not insurance companies.

Don't believe me? Of course you don't, it's not what you WANT to believe. But still, I'm right. Check out the facts here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091025/ap_on_go_co/us_fact_check_health_insurance

[kareemachan]

I think a lot of people - and businesses and politicians - just don't get it that the internet has sped up the dissemination of news to a remarkable degree. Before, people might hear about this in Colorado, but it probably wouldn't make it to a wider audience any time soon. Now something like this happens, and bingo! We're all commenting on it. It makes it that much harder to hide these kinds of practices, which I say is a good thing.

[AverageCanadianGuy]

I respect a lot about America but if I was an American I would consider it a national disgrace that this headline would be in the news ..........

A 2 yr old girl denied health care because she is to small ..Good God


A Canadian point of view

[PWM]

Same here. I am a Canadian living in the US and have experienced healthcare on both sides of the border. Here in the US, one faces preexisting clauses, copays, and other bills. I see less of my paycheck when health insurance is deducted than I saw in Canada.

The US needs to move into the modern world of Universal Health Care.

[AverageCanadianGuy]

I am also a Canadian and I have had spinal surgery and dozens of smaller procedures through my life as I am 58 ... It cost me NOTHING...(somewhat higher taxes for all) ...

You Americans are being told a pack of lies by the anti public healthcare lobby

Well over 80% of Canadians like our public health care system ( Longs waits yes ...but so What !)

If any political party in Canada was to touch the system it would be to their demise and they know it

[PWM]

There are long waits in the US too. One needs approval from some clerk in a call center to get treatment, and these people get bonuses to turn you down, then there is the all mighty preexisting which simply denies you any care.

[ER RN]

I happened upon the phone number to the CEOs secretary, and although the company wishes all inquiries be placed to their public relations office, I think that this would be much more direct. The CEO is named Richard A. Collins and here is his phone number:

(317) 715 - 7918

They will try to transfer you so please insist that this is a message for the CEO.

Call early and call often.

[WilliamL]

I saw a clip with this mother-seems the mother has enabled the child to eat what and when she wants-"wants her to eat something other than chocolate."

Don't give her chocolate mom?

When people, children included get hungry enough, they will eat what they need.

[Talmageb]

She should have known that there were weight requirements. It's not my job as a taxpayer to bail out every mother of a scrawny child who gets dropped from the healthcare rolls. How can government intervention fix anything. The government has never properly cared for any aspect of it's citizens needs. We need to eliminate government. And taxes. Let the market decide who lives and dies. The market knows everything and always works for the greatest good. Rugged Individualism, personal responsibility, the invisible hand will fix all of our problems. The market is magical and always fair. We need to privatize police and firefighters and highways and libraries and schools and the military and water works and the coast guard...ad nauseum. These right wing talking points brought to you by bat sh-t crazy trolls and tea baggers across the country. It kind of reminds me of someone who beats their kid and when the kid grows up and becomes a vicious criminal their response is we didn't beat him hard enough. We tried reagonomics, laissez faire economics, deregulation, open markets, and hardcore Republican ideologies for thirty years and they are an abject failure. Why in the face of all evidence do people still troll around making these disproven and fallacious talking points? It is frustrating and kind of ignorant. thanks

[JustFrogs]

You are so fanned! Here's my theory - we are witnessing the evolution of the human species: an evolution of intellect whichi separates those who can think logically and critically and those who cannot.

[WilliamL]

What about the evolution of those who are physically bigger and stronger and able to dominate others who may think they are smarter and more critically logical but are unable to do a push up or land a punch?

Does your critical logic follow on the same lines?

The survivalist might want to critique their mantras as it could involve into something they are unable to retaliate against and be consumed by their own mantra.

[AmericanDreamWarrior]

You'd think that with all the bad press inscos are getting these days that they'd suspend this bad behaviour but they don't which shows their smug arrogance.

Congress can not listen to the overwhelming majority that demands true health insurance reform but we can then put forth to not listen to them when they want our votes or OUR tax dollars to pay for THEIR healthcare. Make them utilize the same system that their constituents do and watch how quickly HCR happens.

[AHIP KMA]

I'm with you, which is why they can KMA. This arrogance will be their downfall.

[RemoveTheGreedyOnes]

this has to end and our politicians better put an end to it. we will vote them out if they don't!

[Good Reason News]

whether or not the health system in this country improves, the debate over it has permanently cast the monsters in the health insurance industry in this negative light.

Congress may not save us, but coverage and outrage and bad press can and, if it's kept up, will.

[DEXTERMORGAN]

Proper Healthcare Reform is a sine qua non type thing.

[bobok]

Looks to me like a child trapped in a flying balloon. Why is the media not covering the news?

[KUVVY]

I was denied coverage not because I weighed too much or to little but because I lacked the financial resources to meet the monthly fee. Too fat ,too skinny, too poor,too sick, too preexisting,too old,

[ER RN]

well that only means that your wallet was too thin. although unlike the colorado health care industry, no wallet has ever been turned down for being too fat.

[PWM]

We live in a nightmare land of healthcare - thanks to neocons who feel that the role of government is to ensure the top 1% get more and more.

[KriTiKiT]

its called eugenics

privet sector eugenics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics

[DEXTERMORGAN]

cryogenics my solution to their artificial selection. If imperfection make it to the future I'll slice and dice them.

http://www.alcor.org/

[KriTiKiT]

my solution,

single payer, and treason prosecutions

[RightsGuy]

Our fight for equal access to healthcare for all is about democracy, human rights, civil rights, and basic human decency. WE MUST JOIN TOGETHER TO FIGHT FOR OUR CIVIL RIGHTS AND BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. Health care is a basic human right.

The health insurance companies will do anything to maintain their profits, so they bribe Congress. We, the people, need to vote OUT OF OFFICE all those in Congress who go along with this corruption.

BLUE CROSS OF CALIFORNIA, A SUBSIDIARY OF WELLPOINT, ENCOURAGED EMPLOYEES THROUGH PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS TO CANCEL THE HEALTH INSURANCE POLICIES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH EXPENSIVE ILLNESSES.

One Blue Cross employee earned a perfect score of "5" for "exceptional performance" on an evaluation that noted the employee's role in dropping thousands of policyholders and avoiding nearly $10 million worth of medical care.

Blue Cross of California and two other insurers saved more than $300 million in medical claims by canceling more than 20,000 sick policyholders over a five-year period.

Read more here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/20/AR2009072003363_Comments.html