February 27, 2007
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Height and Weight Requirement
Hi, this is the Dan’s wife. I’m updating for him today. A friend of mine was recently denied medical insurance. When she called the insurance company the customer service operator told her to drop 30 pounds. She was obviously devastated.
Is it discrimination to deny someone health insurance because of weight?
Comments (162)
uh first. wow. yess?
Ummm…yeah. I have to pay more in life insurance because I have some poundage. Phooey!
Hi, Dan’s wife! *Waves*
It’s just stupid, is what it is.
But, alas, that’s what the company does. They legally discriminate.
no. weight has a significant bearing on quality of life, and life-expectancy.
it’s LIFE insurance, isn’t it. it’s not designed to cover your ass if you can’t be bothered to take care of yourself.
you have the right to go with a different company, just as they have the right to choose whom they will cover and why or why not.
yes
Yes!
Hi Dan’s Wife.
Yes, I think that is wrong. Though weight is important and reflects a lot of medical conditions, some people really have a hard time with their weight. It’s not that they are over eating or don’t care about they look and how healthy they are. Maybe they are just naturally big people. You can’t make that decision over the phone. I feel very badly for your friend.
Weight is a health concern. You are allowed to be denied insurance on a number of health concerns.
nah
I’m 5’8, 285, I sure hope not.
HI!!!
they shouldnt be denied…but iunno…
yeah i guess it is, but the insurance dude should have worded it better. Something like, “People that are in relative healthy shape, pay less”, or something.
That’s what insurance companies do… they make an assessment of factors that are likely to cause them to pay out money and charge you accordingly- if you’re overweight, then evidently her company feels that makes her more likely to die.
Yep, it’s discrimination, nope, it’s not wrong.
That being said, I certainly wouldn’t want anything to do with a company that told me that.
umm does smoker have to pay more? answer is Yes
why? cuz they have more health issues.
so question is… do overweight people have more health issues? Yes
therefore, they must pay more.
simple
No. Health insurance companies are promoting a healthy lifestyle by denying claims. The word “hero” comes to mind.
no
not if it’s really bad
Nope… they are a business, and they are making logical business choices, overweight people have more health risks.
-Josh
no, if they’re reasonable about it.
I think so, definitely
A man could be 6’0 and 220 pounds and be quite muscular or he could have a lot of fat on him for instance, how can they tell how healthy you are just by weight?
Yes, yes it is..
“it’s LIFE insurance, isn’t it. it’s not designed to cover your ass if you can’t be bothered to take care of yourself.”
No, Dan’s wife specifically said it is MEDICAL insurance. They do not have a right to deny it to you because of your weight. Just like they don’t have the right to deny you any type of insurnace for femine organs because you are infertile. (yes I know someone who is refused insurance because of that reason.) They do it though and they get away with it. It’s a bunch of crap.
I really hate it when these weight topics come up because you always see someone who is thin saying over weight people never take care of themselves. Then come the whole “fat, lazy, cheeseburger eating” comments. Not everyone on the planet is blessed with the ability to be thin without spending 24/7 thinking about it. And we wonder why the youngest case of anorexia is now a 7 year old…
heck no, it’s a business.
of course not
no.
She has a choice: Quit giving that company business or lose the weight. That simple.
gah…what is this world coming to?
Well, weight has an effect on your life.
Unless it’s muscle.
But still, people have heart attacks because of high cholesterol.
So.. i think it isn’t discrimination.
The company just goes by facts and such..
And, it is their money.
the weight probably caused her health problems… who gets to pay for her choice to eat big macs and fries instead of carrots and celery?
“Yep, it’s discrimination, nope, it’s not wrong.”
How can you say that? If an insurance company were to deny a person insurance for being Black or Jewish because they are genetically predisposed to certain medical conditions would you call that “wrongful discrimination”? What if your entire family history shows breast cancer, but you are in your 40′s and have never developed the disease, yet they refused you treatment because your whole family history is smattered with it?
This company is telling this woman if she gets a sinus infection, a broken bone, or the flu they will not help her pay for her treatment! What do any of these afflicitions have to do with her weight? If they wanted to say “Sure we will do this, but until you are within your healthy weight range, we will not cover weight related illnesses” fine. However, they are denying her the right to BASIC treatment because of her weight. That ladies and gentlemen is crap.
Weight is inversely proportional to health
hmmm idk maybe…
Lol Dan’s wife awesome!!
I don’t think so at all. No more than for smoking or anything like that.
No it is not descrimination
Dan’s wife, hi!
That’s what they do, find reasons not to pay.
Duh.
Of course it’s discrimination.
So what that it’s “business”.
Doesn’t make it right.
What I think is discrimation is car insurance. . .making guys pay more then girls. . .
It’s not discrimination; it’s called assessment of risk.
Obese people = risky business for health insurers.
Oh, hey Dan’s wife. . .
no, when an insurance company picks up your policy they are saying that you won’t die for however many years. This lady was in danger of not living, so they don’t have to get into the gamble.
Absolutely no right.
Hi Dan’s wife! Good to see his better half here.
Perhaps the plan could cost more. If the person was really overweight. Or they could deny them completely. There are other companies out there who will take you.
I’d be offended, lol.
Never heard of that. However health insurance companies, like resturants, reserve the right to deny service to whomever they choose. While it may not sound ethical, it is a private business and therefore they can make those decision.
We are entitled to nothing.
Thanks for writing Mrs. Dan!
Ah the joys of corporate capitalism! You can choose to take your business elsewhere, but you are not necessarily given the options to choose from. Fans of choice seem to assume that magical insurance pixies are just waiting to fulfill everyone’s wishes if people were only smart enough to look for them. Those pixies aren’t real, just so you know.
Forgive me if I take my point a bit too far, but I’m reminded of segregation in America. If enough people say, “I refuse to help you because of _____” it doesn’t matter if you’re looking for other options or even Constitutionally guaranteed options. A wall has been placed in your path that you cannot easily overcome.
I don’t think it’s discrimination. If you want to insure that you will receive benefits from a medical insurance plan if you fall into bad health then you should not be in bad health to begin with. Same thing with smokers. What’s really too bad is that people feel bad if someone is overweight but have no problem telling a smoker to quit puffing.
i’m sure there is another health insurance company that will take her on with a higher premium.
just like auto insurance companies that deny accident prone customers…auto insurance companies can deny someone coverage. but there are other auto insurance companies that deal soley with high RISK customers…but they do have a higher premium.
wow.. we just talked about this in my women’s studies class today.
yes.. it is discrimination.
Is it discrimination to deny based on any other medical condition? Insurance is a business, not an entitlement.
Yes.
Hello Dan’s wife!
It should be.
Insurance is based heavily on actuarial tables [excuse me if I misspelled that]. If you are a 30 year-old woman driving a minivan in Kansas City and the average 30 year-old woman in Kansas City who drives a minivan has an incident every 10 months then your rates will be higher than if the incident rate was every 30 months.
The same system applies to this situation: If women of her age and weight are more prone to sickness and injuries than women of her age who weigh 30 lbs less then it is a good business model to deny coverage or increase premiums proportionately.
If you want to talk about whether this is discrimation or not then you can look at it this way: Insurance is just a way to transfer risk. For $200 a month you can transfer to an insurance company the risk of you being injured or sick and the cost to remedy or cure that. If you had a million dollars then you probably wouldn’t need any insurance because you can handle the risk yourself. If it’s discrimination that someone doesn’t want to take a risk on you based on proven facts and statistical evidence then you need to reevaluate what you define as “discrimation”. If you have an investment in one mutual fund over another then you are guilty of discriminating against the other mutual fund because you didn’t choose them. It’s the same thing.
To be denied because of thirty pounds is discrimination in my opinion. Higher premiums would make sense to me though I still don’t like it.
Hi Dan’s Wife!
It might sound wrong, but Health Insurance is a business, and they want you to stay alive. Seeing as weight has a significant affect on your health, then they’d consider you more of a risk than a profit.
’nuff said…
No. It’s just like how they make teenagers pay more for car insurance. It’s not that I’m a bad driver (my parents get in more car trouble a year than I do), but it’s the fact that I fit under a statistic. Too bad for me, and too bad for her.
yes, and anyways the BMI standard they have found isn’t a good way to tell if someone is healthy or not because it dosn’t take into account whether someone is carrying extra muscle or fat. Muscle weighs more than fat, so a lot of tone fit athletic types are considered overweight or even obese when they are actually healthier than some slim people.
It is all so variable and individual.
Absolutely not. Weight is a factor when it comes to health.
Body composition is a factor in health just as smoking and drinking are so no I do not think that it is discrimination. However, I do think that they should also take into consideration amount of physical activity and musle mass. It’s not easy to be healthy.. these companies are rewarding those that are.
Hi, Dan’s wife! I love your husband’s site.
I’d say yes, it’s definitely discrimination. I can’t believe the operator was so rude; I would’ve asked to talk to a supervisor and find out if this was the complete truth.
Sure it is. If she’s a fat ass, she’s more likely to cost the insurance company a lot of money because she’s a at a higher risk for heart disease and other fat-related issues.
It’s rare that health insurance companies flat out DENY insurance to people that are a high risk. Usually, they just charge them more. If she’s so huge that they DENIED her coverage, maybe she should be looking into dropping thirty pounds anyway.
Dear fat people,
Quit being so fat. It’s really not that hard. Stop eating McDonalds, walk on occasion, take the stairs instead of the elevator, get off the computer, leave your house. Just take care of yourself. I’m seriously sick of you all complaining about being fat when there are so many ways that you could fix your problem. Okay? So either get unfat or stop bitching.
Sincerely,
Jim
you know, with the weight of america, if i were in charge of an insurance company, i think i would have a wieght requirement aswell. not hieght, that you cannot control, but weight, im sorry, we do have some control over. no one flip at me for that. anyone see the la weightloss commercials, remember sweatin to the oldies? we can control our weight. a medical insurance provider would rather be providing someone who is healthy, not in danger of a heartattack every minute because of too much stress on the heart.
Derek
Dear fat people,
Quit being so fat. It’s really not that hard. Stop eating McDonalds, walk on occasion, take the stairs instead of the elevator, get off the computer, leave your house. Just take care of yourself. I’m seriously sick of you all complaining about being fat when there are so many ways that you could fix your problem. Okay? So either get unfat or stop bitching.
Sincerely,
Jim
Posted 2/27/2007 5:07 PM by the__apathy
Dear Naturally Skinny People,
Please post your entire consumed daily diet, your regular exercise program, and what you do to stay so naturally thin! Please help all of the fat people out here who do nothing all day but consume unhealthy things and roll around in wheelchairs and electric carts because fat people can’t walk anywhere!! Please lay down your wonderful advice on how to make a fat persons life as perfect as a skinny person! Please leave us this sagely advice ASAP so the fat community can stop offendign people who are skinny by there mere presence in the world!
Sincerely,
*Stuffing in a cheeseburger*
No, because weight can be the cause of some serious health conditions.
yeah it is proven with life expectancy and quality of life that weight does matter unfortunalty
It is insurance your gambling against the company that u will get hurt they are trying to get her to change her odds so they are less likely to have to pay. It could be seen as discriminating to deny service instead of just charging her more but it is a business they can deny customers it they want.
hmm… i don’t think it’s right to DENY her health insurance… but then I think it’s within their right to ask her to pay higher premiums than a thinner person… it’s the same thing when you’re charged a higher premium on car insurance when you’re involved in alot of accidents or higher premiums on life insurance when you’re a smoker.
More risk factors means you need to pay more for insurance… because you’ll probably make more claims than a person who doesn’t have those risk factors. especially when we live in a society where heart disease is the #1 killer in America, and weight can be linked with that
yes. unfortunately health insurance companies suck. if you do not already have it when you get pregnant, you’re screwed. even if you signed up the month before, there is a 6 mo – 3 year wait before maternity coverage begins.
If its based on BMI… and if the problem is extreme… I think it’d be alright…
Sure, I guess it’s a kind of discrimination (according to the dictionary, anyway)…but is discrimination wrong? I don’t think so.
I think it is…but then again…I also think it’s discrimination for an employer to do the same thing.
they should not be able to deny the insurance, but they should be able to charge more for it.
Weight is not a determining factor of health. If they are 5’2″ and weigh 250 pounds, then I feel the insurance company would be more justified. If they’re 6’6″ though?
Even then…it feels wrong to do that to someone. This person has been paying the company and now the company isn’t going to give shit back.
I guess that’s how capitalism is though. Gotta make a profit!
I could see higher rates or premiums because body weight does affect health issues, but I’m really surpised they outright denied her coverage.
I would hope so, but people say that it’s not because it’s a business. Isn’t that why it IS?
I don’t think they should deny someone, but it probably fair to charge premiums equal to ones health habits. I try very hard to take good care of myself so why shouldn’t my premiums be better than those that smoke or stay overweight?
Hell no. Who would suggest health insurance to a morbidally obese bum? I mean, seriously.
TO Momentkeeper (you, who leave comments on other people’s sites then hide behind friends lock): lighten up Frances…
yeah
someone wanted to know my dietary and exercise habits so here they are, I’ll try to be brief.
Sundays are my long run days, no less than 5 miles typically. Afterward I go to Chipotle and eat a whole burrito [because when you weigh 200 lbs you burn about 1,000 calories per hour running]. Before every run I eat an apple or some other type of fruit. If that is unavailable I eat almonds or a granola bar.
Mondays are recovery days from my long runs. These days are spent in the pool, typically doing 800 meters of swimming [mainly freestyle stroke, but some side crawl just for the heck of it]
Tuesdays are short, typically 30 minutes of running but I amp up the tempo. Maybe 8:30 or 9:00 mile pace.
Wednesdays are off because they are too busy [plus you need rest]
Thursdays are a medium length workout, 40-45 minutes of running. This is at a moderate pace [9:30 - 10:00 miles].
Fridays are a toss-up. Either cross training on the bike, another swim day, or more running.
Saturdays are either an off day or a resistance training day, to prepare for Sunday’s long run.
Every morning before I do anything I eat a bowl of Malt O Meal Honey Nut Scooters with milk. Sometimes I substitute Kashi GoLean Crunch [Honey Almond Flax], but that’s only if I’m feeling really fat. Throughout the day I eat yogurt, fruit, and two adequately proportioned meals. I rarely drink soda that isn’t diet. I’ve lost 17 lbs. since Jan 1. I believe it was Momentkeeper who wanted this information so I’m sorry if I wasted someone else’s time. This was not my intent.
I don’t know. I have depression and asthma, and was also denied medical insurance. The question is, can she lose the weight, or is it genetic? I can do nothing about my asthma and my depression. So, I believe that’s discrimination.
Me and my left wing kook friends won’t rest until we all get universal health care!
no, just raise the monthly insurance bills cause being overweight is a health concern
It’s discrimination and morally wrong, but it’s a logical business decision. I’d take my money elsewhere.
yes and no… insurance is kinda off – cause you are in it to make money, however, your business is also to work for those people who pay you, those who need health insurance. What sucks is that some businesses descriminate so that they will make money… its basically, they want clients who are less likely to be sick so they will be less likely to pay, making the company more and more money and paying peoples claims less and less. This is why i kinda wish we had national healthcare more and more, because of both healthcare, insuance, and people needing drugs and medications, not to mention major and life-saving surgeries that some insurance companies may or may not cover.
- Daniel (doubledb)
Yes.
Benying someone health insurance isn’t nice, BUT it is their company; they pick their clients.
IT DEPENDS.
i can see them denying insurance if someone is morbidly obese. not if they would be considered with a mere 30 pound loss. if you’re only 30 pounds overweight, it can’t be that dangerous.
Of course it is discrimination, but that doesn’t make it wrong. It’s their business and if they think someone is a health risk, they don’t have to insure that person, because that would be an unnecessary business risk and unlikely to pay dividends.
Yes, because a person could be 300 lbs of fat or 300 lbs of muscle. Selling insurance based on body fat makes more sense.
Yes.
Lol! Not at all.
Depends on the weight. I mean, I don’t mean to insult your friend in anyway but if a person is, let’s say an unhealthy weight, then they are more inclined to suffer greater health risks. It isn’t so ridiculous because it’s the same way that people with serious illnesses get turned away from health insurance because they don’t want to have to spend much. Health insurance has always been a shrewd business.
Maybe it’s all muscle…
What if it were illegal for health insurance companies to consider weight at all? In other words, what if two people who are identical in every aspect except weight would have to be offered the same insurance at the same price?
Such a system would actually be discrimination against people who make choices that put them in a healthy weight range. Why? Because the added cost of insuring obese people would have to be spread among all the policyholders, including the ones with healthy weights.
I hate to break the news to you, but obesity has a lot more to do with things we can control (choices and habits) than with things outside our control (like genetics). Just two months ago I was 55 pounds overweight, based on my height. Even though I had sensible eating habits, both my job and my hobbies were “sit at the desk” type things. Then I decided to start walking to school instead of driving, and I began taking a martial arts class. Even though I don’t weigh myself on a scale, I know I’m losing weight because just the other day I had to cut a new hole in my belt.
So, if we assume that weight is something we can control based on our choices, then why should the people who make healthier choices be forced to pay for the medical problems of people who make unhealthy choices? That’s like saying I should pay for a smoker’s lung cancer treatments, even though I don’t smoke.
Dan’s wife, I know what if feels like to live in denial of a weight problem. I lived like that for years. It was only after I admitted to myself that I had a problem that I began making progress toward fixing it. If your friend is not convinced that her weight is unhealthy, consider visiting a site like webmd dot com and looking up a “body mass index” chart. That’s how I found out I was 55 pounds overweight. The chart isn’t partial or judgmental; it’s just giving you the facts without being emotional about it.
And, please keep this in mind. I know that a lot of people in society are cruel to overweight people. I want to affirm that overweight people have feelings and we shouldn’t try to make them feel ashamed. That being said, obesity is a real problem and helping people escape from it is doing them a favor. I hope your friend will see this as a wake-up call and not as any kind of personal belittlement.
“Maybe it’s all muscle”. Please. How likely is that to be true? Do you really think that the overweight public is actually a bunch of strapping Arnold Schwarzeneggers?
Nice to meet you Mrs. Dan! Yes, it most certainly is discrimination!
absolutely. Why not deny diabetics insulin because they didn’t watch their sugar that well.
Why not deny AIDS patients meds because they were not careful enough and contracted HIV.
Why do we live in a world where we pay people tons of money to tell us what they will and will not pay for.
I got injured at work and my orthopedic doctor after many forms of treatment suggested surgery. The insurance company called and I told them he was putting in for it, that I didn’t really want it but if he thought it was necessary…She told me it didn’t matter because they would just deny it so it wasn’t going to happen anyhow. Why do they get to decide my health?
Ask that to Govenor Spit (on)zer.
No its one of the best of reasons.
People seem to think that insurance companies are in business to make them happy, sorry but they exist to make money. And you are no better than they are, you go to work only for the money as well.
Telling an insurance company to insure fat people, something that is guaranteed to lose them money. Is exactly the same as telling you that you need to do your job, and not get paid for it.
It’s a tough call, but overweight people have more health problems, so it does make sense. However, that being said, I’d hate to be the person told they’re too fat to be able to get insurence. Talk about a self-confidence destroyer.
Hi there Dan’s wife!
Yes it is. The insurance company doesn’t know jack schitt about the person they are demanding lose weight. It could be that for that person’s build, their weight is actually healthy for them. That is an evaluation only an UNBIASED doctor can make. Last time I checked, the insurance company is not a doctor, and it is sure as hell not unbiased. These companies better step lightly with these potentially discriminatory practices, or they’ll be creamed with litigation – and they’ll lose.
I think they did it because they think ppl. who are overwheight will most likely get more medical prblems, so by denying someone health insurace or coverage by how much they weigh, they are playing it a little too safe, what they are trying to do is to save $$$.
That’s what everyone wants to do when it comes down to it, right?
that’s so sad.
<3always,
Nary
Yes, the sort of discrimination that private companies must exercise in order to survive in the marketplace.
if she’s just 30lbs over weight.. then yes..
but if you’re like 300lbs over weight then no
The way I see it, a private company should be able to deny service to anyone for any reason.
Yes. Many obese people have health concerns related to obesity, like heart trouble or diabetes. But a lot of non-obese people have the same problems. I’m fat, and if I didn’t have health insurance, I couldn’t afford to pay for the medication I take for bipolar disorder and asthma (which was inherited, not caused by or a result of being fat). There are plenty of non-fat unhealthy people who use up more health insurance than I do. Charge me more money for health insurance if you must, just don’t take it away completely.
Madcap_Magician hit most of the high points. Mainly, 1) of course it is discriminating and 2) there is nothing wrong with it. If you’re a higher risk, why should you not get treated as such. People with bad credit pay more for loans because they are a higher risk. It’s not a personal attack (you’re fat! you’re irresponsible with money!); it’s a calculated business move.
I’m glad they do stuff like this. That way I get rewarded for being healthy.
On my honeymoon I had to pay $25/day extra for my rental car because I wasn’t 25, nearly doubling the total cost. In some ways it wasn’t fair because I’m a responsible driver (no tickets, no accidents). However, I was in a bracket that is a higher risk and I paid for it.
For those of you who think this is wrong, think about it a little more. No discrimating would mean EVERYONE pays the same for health insurance: a healthy, active 25 year old male with no known health issues and few, if any, family issues; a pregnant mother; an 80 year old cancer patient; a person with a jacked up genetic order who has to have surgeries more often than most people go to the hospital. It’d be ridiculous. Recognizing differences is not wrong. Discrimination is not necessarily a bad thing.
Not really, but pretty harsh. =[
OMG HEYYY DAN'S WIFE!!
=]
“no, just raise the monthly insurance bills cause being overweight is a health concern”
Yes, so are cancer, HIV, asthma, mental illness, and pregnancy. Let’s take health care from everyone with a health concern.
Idiot.
well…its a business. and they want you to keep healthy.
hi dans wife.
Everyone discriminates in one way or another.
If you say you don’t, you are a liar.
Yes. If they are concerned and can justify it with emperical data, then let them raise their rates under those circumstances.
No.
nope. they’re a liability. more likely to have cardiovascular disease.
where’s dan, dannit!
They probably see her as a severe health risk. I could be denied too, not because of weight, but because of a pre-existing condition.
Does she meet the state requirements to get insurance through the state? what about her job?
ins co deny coverage for all sorts of pre existing conditions- stinks but not discrimination
they discriminate against people that are underweight as well.
Weight = health issues. It might be unfair, but it is thier choice. There are other health conditions that that probably don’t isnure as well and no one would bat an eye.
They shouldn’t be denied, but they should have to pay more. Weight is a health concern, and it’s perfectly fine to be denied life insurance because of HEALTH concerns.
Although, 30 pounds really isn’t that much.
Insurance companies are crap anyway. We should have health care like Canada!
As a fat person, I do have medical insurance and am not charged more. And as far as fat people having more medical problems, happy to say that I’ve not had any reason to visit a doctor for the past 18 months. The last time I did was for strep throat. I’m SURE the virus sought me out cause I’m fat, and passed over all you uber-healthy skinny people.
I know plenty of people who “use” their insurance way more than, both fat and skinny people. But, they do have the right to charge more based on statisitics. Not all fat people are as lucky as me to never get sick.
I wouldn’t say so.
Hi, Dan’s Wife!
There is a correlation between weight and health, so I thnk they should at least be able to charge a person more for insurance. She is taking a risk with her health, and consequently, they would be taking a risk with her.
Having been born with several physical disabilities, I can relate to the whole insurance run-around. I’m pretty much uninsurable. It sucks not to be able to get insurance, but I totally understand the insurance company’s point of view.
that’s just weird.
its hugely idiotic! although goes with the higher fee for smokers deal, since with either more medical expenses can be expected. i however no longer believe in health care in this country. its all about money, not healing!
Like I said, to deny someone basic health insurance due to their weight is a bunch of crap. A broken arm is not from being fat. End of story.
no
Fat is the only prejudice that is agreeable by the majority. It makes me sick. Picking on the obese is not cool in any way, shape or form. Yes, even in xanga comments… it’s not cool. It’s not right.
I would love to know how many people who previously commented actually work in the health insurance industry. There’s a lot more to it than you might think. On to the technical crap…
Unfortunately for your friend… this is not discrimination.
If your friend was applying for IHC (Individual Health Coverage) through a private insurer and not through an employer, then it is considered risk assesment and they have the right to deny her based on her history and current factors pertaining to her health.
If the coverage is through an employer utilizing a commercial insurance carrier, the employer may have written specific clauses into their policy (IE: No coverage for treatments pertaining to infertility, obesity, sexual dysfunction etc) in order to keep their premiums down. If it is through a union or other self-funded carrier, they can pretty much set the rules due to ERISA.
Some companies will cover conditions that pose a financial burden… as long as you did not have more than a 63 day break in coverage or fulfill the guidelines of a pre-existing constion clause written into many policies.
There are a variety of other reasons and conditions that may have brought about the denial. At any rate, your friend has the right to request her denial IN WRITING from the company long with copies of the supporting documentation a to why she was denied coverage. She should request copies of the documents where it specifically states in the policy she applied for where her weight is a reason for denial. She may have to pay for copies of the materials, but it would be worth it if there was no supporting facts as to why she should not be covered.
If they are hesitant to supply her witht his data, she should find an attorney. Any time a company does not wish to put their policy in writing, they are generally hiding something.
PS: To the people who think pregnancy is a pre-existing condition… It is illegal for a commercial carrier to treat pregnancy as such. Again, if your policy is through an employer… they would have written in the clause. And if you were an employer, would you want to waste the time training someone who was just their for the benefits so pregnancy would be covered? And then you would have to find someone else? Or a temp?
As for having health care like Canada or the UK… no thank you. If I’d had to be put on a list for a retina specialist (as I would have if I lived in a country with socialized healthcare) I would have been blind. Thanks to private insurance, I was diagnosed by my opthamologist, seen by a specialist and had surgery that saved my sight inside a week.
it’s imoral.
So many people are saying that the companies had a right, which they do. But a lot of the people on this site are assuming just because you are overweight you are unhealthy. Some people will weigh what they weigh no matter how well they eat, how much they excersise and how well they take care of themselves. I am one of those people. I don’t have high blood pressure, high cholestoral, or any of the other conditions that SOME overweight people get. Weight shouldn’t be a factor. As long as you are healthy it shouldn’t matter what you weigh.
nope.
these people should get a diet.
fat bastards.
….and if anyone looks at my site, the gallstones were hereditary and had nothing to do with my weight. Just covering my bases.
i mean i think that it sucks, but thats their business… so i mean, i guess they do what they feel they have to
The overweight ones are the ones who need insurance! Actually, everyone does.
Yes. It won’t be long and they will be denying for any health conditions. Weight being the forefront, but I can think of plenty of diseases beginning with Kidney, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s, Diabetes, a family history of heart failure, a family history of cancer. Soon they won’t want to take anyone on.
Maybe they should move to Canada..
I think so, yes, unless the person has some type of glandular problem. If people are just fat on their own, then it’s their problem.
For those of you that sing the praises of Canadian healthcare.. have you lived there? It sucks.. it’s free, which is great, but is sucks! I think the free clinics here are better..
yeah, but insurance companies will find all manners of reasons to deny people coverage, they are in it for the money, not to help people, thats just something they get stuck doing from time to time, and they drag their heels doing it, and if they find a way out of it, they take it!
If they drop people who smoke or who have sex without protection,who drink,who abuse meds,who do not take their meds ,people who do not eat enough….then they can drop the fat-so’s too.
These are American insurance companies. Most of them care about the money, not the people. One company complained about paying for my aunt’s lung problems, and yet wouldn’t help her pay for the patch to quit smoking. Insurance companies just want to save as much money as possible.
absolutely. and it might be illegal > if she had been insured before and the coverage had only recently lapsed due to a life change like unemployment, she can get a certificate of insurance from her previous insurance company, and as long as they had not dropped her, the new insurance company cannot refuse to insure her.
i can understand persons paying more for insurance if they have health concerns, but to deny someone outright because they need the insurance, or don’t fit a company’s ‘criteria’ is blatant discrimination. if she only ‘had’ to lose 10 pounds, then it sounds like she was not morbidly obese or anything, so her health might not even have been compromised.
yup.. definitely..
Denying someone service because of some trait they have is by definition discriminatory. Insurance companies are businesses and are disinclined to insure individuals they might expect to take a loss on. We may very well decide that your friend has a right to health care, and then society as a whole will pick up the balance, but its wrong to place the burden on the insurance company.
my point is what made the insurance company commit to your friend in the first place if they had problems covering overweights?? and if they did commit, then they should have executed it.
Ask the lawyer.
Not a problem if IN YOUR ORIGINAL CONTRACT! I LIKE mine because they have a coach that is HELPING me reach these goals. I mean, lets get real. Over weight is a big (haha) problem! If I want health…loose weight! I hope to see grandchildren, and that may be a while.
For those people who say they’re overweight/obese and healthy now – think long-term. Fat does some really funky things that eventually affect almost every major system in your body. That has a long-term cumulative effect. Are you 20 now? 30? even 40? Yes, you’re probably in good health. If you don’t change your health habits and body weight though, do you think you’re still going to be healthy when you’re 50 or 60, when the fat’s had time to form plaques in your arteries and heart? When your cells finally give up and become insulin-insensitive? When your arteries harden and your blood pressure shoots up? When your joints get tired of carrying 50 extra pounds and develop arthritis? Even if you don’t see that eventuality, health insurers do.
I think it’s discrimination not to cover them at all – I can understand higher rates, but not complete denial. Not everyone can help their weight problems (ie, thyroid problems, etc).
It can descrimination/wise, depending on much.
Women who just had a baby could be cut off at a very inopportune time in life. People’s weight can go up and down at different times in their lives for different reasons.
Mine went up when I went through thyroid failure and it wasn’t diagnosed by a doctor who wasn’t listening. When I started to go into severe muscle spasms and exhibit other classic symptoms, then he listened. What if they had cut off my health insurance before I got diagnosed, basically because of the combination of thyroid failure (which causes weight gain despite eating less, when left untreated) and his failure to do a simple rather inexpensive blood panel?
Also, consider this. I used to work in pathology. Saw all kinds of things including the 41-year-old in seemingly perfect condition who basically dropped dead on the exercise bike — heart attack. He was in better shape than a lot of 25-year-olds, but there he was on the table. Obese people sometimes have lower cholesterol than skinny.
Reality is complex, which why I said, “depending on much.”
It’s a good idea to take off extra weight, yes, but I think the insurance companies are getting away with a lot on a massive scale while people are focused on the weight issue and, well…binary logic.
Yes. Totally.
Healthcare like Canada? No thanks.
Let’s wait 6 months to get an MRI done of our knees, shall we?
One of the largest reasons the U.S.’s healthcare system is the best in the world is because it’s a private enterprise. The more you tie government to it, the more of a bloated bureaucracy it becomes. Socialism ftl.
yes…yesssss……..and YESSS
deny yes.
i think larger people (i speak b/c i am large/well i think i am) have more health risks so it’s more of a financial risk for them to insure you if you are fat.
they aren’t healthy…so that leads to heart problems, circulation problems, organ problems just to be general.
it sucks to be insurance in the states b/c americans are fat….
yes i am an american and i include myself….
health insurance is a game of discrimination – but that keeps premiums semi reasonable. The extra weight does lead to more health issues, so they understand and are unwilling to take the increased risk. *shrug* Its a business not a charity.
The youngest known case of anorexia is NOT seven. That’s ridiculous. You can be born with it, and i have heard of MUCH younger than seven. It is a disease, not a choice. A baby can be anorexic. (About what Momentkeeper said.)
In answer to the question… it sounds like they are just making a normal buisness decision. It seems more risky to insure a fat person, just as it would be to insure a smoker, as someone else pointed out.
I think they can deny people insurance for being elderly or for chronic illness… but that’s still wrong.
definately
No it is not. Fatness can be a health issue. If being old is reason enough to charge you more, than being fat is enough to charge you more.
I personally think it should be a straight charge for everyone…that way the insurances cant assure that THEY are always getting the money.
My brother was dropped from his health insurance for being too tall for his weight.
So, in some cases: Yes.
It is because of 30 pounds. If she was 100 pounds or some ridiculous number, yeah, I could understand not giving her insurance because obese people have way more health problems.
omg yes that’s ridiculous! Some people can’t help that they are overweight or obese, but having a few extra pounds shouldn’t decide whether or not you are denied medical insurance. And it’s not LIFE insurance as most of you are trying to say. And I hate how people alwasy automatically think that people who are overweight don’t know how to take care of themselves. I think that’s incredibly flsdhduk, it’s ridiculous.