Colorado girl deemed “too thin,” denied health insurance

After a 4-month-old boy was recently denied health insurance coverage for being considered overweight, a 2-year-old Erie, Colorado girl has now been denied coverage because she doesn’t weigh enough.

Aislin Bates weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces at birth. She now tips the scale at 22 pounds, said Aislin’s mother Rachel Bates. “She’s perfectly healthy, yet she has become a statistic; there’s no reason for her to be a statistic as a non-insured person.”

The insurer, UnitedHealthcare’s Golden Rule, sent the family a letter, which says in part, “We are unable to provide coverage for Aislin because her height and weight do not meet our company standards.”

“It took me by surprise,” said Rob Bates. “I didn’t think that her size was that abnormal and that it was something that you’d consider to be unhealthy.”

A spokeswoman for UnitedHealthcare’s Golden Rule said 89 percent of the people who apply for insurance get it. Ellen Laden, the company’s public relations director, said that most insurers have their own proprietary 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, who said she couldn’t talk specifically about the Bates’ case, added that, “When evaluating height and weight, we typically utilize other factors as well in making a decision, such as medical records that show evidence of treatment or any underlying medical conditions.”