Denied health insurance for being too fat...
LATeagno
Posts: 620 Member
I am self employed and my husband is a doctoral student, so we have to pay for our own insurance. We're currently on his school policy, which is costing us almost $800 a month. We wanted something that cost less, so we went shopping and applied for a plan through United Health.
My husband and I are both obese. He is 6'1 and weighs about 310, I am 5'10 and weigh 264. I'm obviously working toward losing weight (hence that i'm here, and I started off weighing 337). Neither of us have any health conditions (high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.) related to obesity. We're both relatively active.
Today I got the paperwork from the policy. It was probably 200 pages long. I was extremely confused because I didn't see my name on any of the papers until I got about 25 pages in. It was mentioned on a rider: a rider than excluded me from the policy because the insurance company, who makes BILLIONS OF DOLLARS in profit every freaking YEAR, decided I was too fat to cover.
What really irritated me was the little chart they included. For a 5'10 man, the cutoff for denial was 282 lbs. For a woman, it was 245.
I am sitting here in tears. I see the doctor extremely rarely. Because of my weight, which I have worked EXTREMELY HARD to control, I was denied-- while my husband was included.
What ticked me off even more was that this was clearly a FAMILY POLICY. Instead of saying "hey, do you still want this?" they hid my exclusion in the middle of the packet and made no mention of it otherwise until the very end where (and even then, it still just had my daughter and hubby as included insureds).
I am absolutely livid right now. Livid and mortified.
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My husband and I are both obese. He is 6'1 and weighs about 310, I am 5'10 and weigh 264. I'm obviously working toward losing weight (hence that i'm here, and I started off weighing 337). Neither of us have any health conditions (high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.) related to obesity. We're both relatively active.
Today I got the paperwork from the policy. It was probably 200 pages long. I was extremely confused because I didn't see my name on any of the papers until I got about 25 pages in. It was mentioned on a rider: a rider than excluded me from the policy because the insurance company, who makes BILLIONS OF DOLLARS in profit every freaking YEAR, decided I was too fat to cover.
What really irritated me was the little chart they included. For a 5'10 man, the cutoff for denial was 282 lbs. For a woman, it was 245.
I am sitting here in tears. I see the doctor extremely rarely. Because of my weight, which I have worked EXTREMELY HARD to control, I was denied-- while my husband was included.
What ticked me off even more was that this was clearly a FAMILY POLICY. Instead of saying "hey, do you still want this?" they hid my exclusion in the middle of the packet and made no mention of it otherwise until the very end where (and even then, it still just had my daughter and hubby as included insureds).
I am absolutely livid right now. Livid and mortified.
***STAFF NOTE ****
Dear Posters,
I wanted to offer a brief explanation for the locking of this thread.
The forum guidelines include this item:
16. No Political Topics in the Main Forums
Political content is not allowed on the Main Forums. This includes images. Please form or join a Group if you would like to engage in political debate on MyFitnessPal. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups
If you would like to review the forum guidelines, please visit the following link:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/welcome/guidelines
At our discretion, this locked thread may be deleted entirely in the near future.
With respect,
Scott
MyFitnessPal Staff
0
Replies
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I am self employed and my husband is a doctoral student, so we have to pay for our own insurance. We're currently on his school policy, which is costing us almost $800 a month. We wanted something that cost less, so we went shopping and applied for a plan through United Health.
My husband and I are both obese. He is 6'1 and weighs about 310, I am 5'10 and weigh 264. I'm obviously working toward losing weight (hence that i'm here, and I started off weighing 337). Neither of us have any health conditions (high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.) related to obesity. We're both relatively active.
Today I got the paperwork from the policy. It was probably 200 pages long. I was extremely confused because I didn't see my name on any of the papers until I got about 25 pages in. It was mentioned on a rider: a rider than excluded me from the policy because the insurance company, who makes 700 BILLION DOLLARS in profit every freaking YEAR, decided I was too fat to cover.
What really irritated me was the little chart they included. For a 5'10 man, the cutoff for denial was 282 lbs. For a woman, it was 245.
I am sitting here in tears. I see the doctor extremely rarely. Because of my weight, which I have worked EXTREMELY HARD to control, I was denied-- while my husband was included.
What ticked me off even more was that this was clearly a FAMILY POLICY. Instead of saying "hey, do you still want this?" they hid my exclusion in the middle of the packet and made no mention of it otherwise until the very end where (and even then, it still just had my daughter and hubby as included insureds).
I am absolutely livid right now. Livid and mortified.
Where do you see UNH made 700 billion last year or even close to that amount, their revenue wasn't even 700B0 -
Welcome to health care in the U.S.! Remind me again why people are opposed to overhauling the entire health care system...0
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I understand how you feel. I am 5'4" and currently 271 pounds...down from 292. My husband took a job that he could not pass up, but that does not have a group health insurance plan, so we went shopping too. All I can get, it seems, is discount programs...not actual insurance...until I get down to 230 pounds. I have no other conditions...no diabetes, no high blood pressure, no anything. I am even doing C25K and TurboFire!
If anyone knows of a health insurance company that will look at more than just that stupid scale, please let us know! This is simply ridiculous. Smokers with other chronic conditions can get coverage, but not me???? What the F!0 -
[/quote]
Where do you see UNH made 700 billion last year or even close to that amount, their revenue wasn't even 700B
[/quote]
Sorry, I meant "like 700 billion" in an exaggeration. I shouldn't have said that. A crap ton would have been a better exaggeration. LOL.
The irony here? I used to work for UHG.0 -
If you were the only two obese people in the united states, your complaint about being denied would make more sense.0
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It sucks but at the end of the day it's a private company. If they feel that it's not profitable to insure certain people then its their right to decline coverage. You can be rejected for car and home insurance in various scenarios as well. It's a business, that's all. Find a different company and move on.0
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I understand how you feel. I am 5'4" and currently 271 pounds...down from 292. My husband took a job that he could not pass up, but that does not have a group health insurance plan, so we went shopping too. All I can get, it seems, is discount programs...not actual insurance...until I get down to 230 pounds. I have no other conditions...no diabetes, no high blood pressure, no anything. I am even doing C25K and TurboFire!
If anyone knows of a health insurance company that will look at more than just that stupid scale, please let us know! This is simply ridiculous. Smokers with other chronic conditions can get coverage, but not me???? What the F!
I totally understand. Luckily, we do have the option of continuing insurance through his school, but it costs an arm and a leg. I can see them charging MORE for overweight people, but denying altogether when they have abcolutely no other health conditions? Absolutely insane. Not to mention, none of the plans cover anything to help us lose weight. What a back-a$$ward society we live in.0 -
I am self employed and my husband is a doctoral student, so we have to pay for our own insurance. We're currently on his school policy, which is costing us almost $800 a month. We wanted something that cost less, so we went shopping and applied for a plan through United Health.
My husband and I are both obese. He is 6'1 and weighs about 310, I am 5'10 and weigh 264. I'm obviously working toward losing weight (hence that i'm here, and I started off weighing 337). Neither of us have any health conditions (high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.) related to obesity. We're both relatively active.
Today I got the paperwork from the policy. It was probably 200 pages long. I was extremely confused because I didn't see my name on any of the papers until I got about 25 pages in. It was mentioned on a rider: a rider than excluded me from the policy because the insurance company, who makes BILLIONS OF DOLLARS in profit every freaking YEAR, decided I was too fat to cover.
What really irritated me was the little chart they included. For a 5'10 man, the cutoff for denial was 282 lbs. For a woman, it was 245.
I am sitting here in tears. I see the doctor extremely rarely. Because of my weight, which I have worked EXTREMELY HARD to control, I was denied-- while my husband was included.
What ticked me off even more was that this was clearly a FAMILY POLICY. Instead of saying "hey, do you still want this?" they hid my exclusion in the middle of the packet and made no mention of it otherwise until the very end where (and even then, it still just had my daughter and hubby as included insureds).
I am absolutely livid right now. Livid and mortified.
The good news is, they're on borrowed time to be able to exclude people like this. And good for you for being on MFP and working toward getting to a better weight.0 -
These companies are out to make money. Healthcare Insurance is not a social service yet.
Obese people eat up more costs due to all the health issues they bring upon themselves.
Once the government takes over, that will ruin healthcare for the healthy while all the resources are drained away to pay for those who do not take care of themselves. It will actually be worse.
Everybody expects other people to pay their way.
Few just want to carry their own weight and take ownership of their life as well as their health.0 -
Move up to Canada...I have room...we will take care of you. :flowerforyou:0
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Oh man, I understand this far too well. Two and half years ago when I started my current job I applied for private health insurance. At 265 lbs and 5'6" I was denied by two different providers...including the one that was supposed to have a higher acceptance weight. I've been insured through a state program for uninsurable people since then and pay about $300 a month for a policy with a $5,000 deductible that does not include ANYTHING. I have to pay all costs out of pocket - even doc visits - until I reach the $5,000 deductible. I wish this were something that was addressed as part of the health care reform... I understand your frustrating and shame. I'm so sorry. However, I am SO proud of you for the progress you've made.0
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Because individuals who don't take care of themselves should not expect others to pay their way.Welcome to health care in the U.S.! Remind me again why people are opposed to overhauling the entire health care system...
You want to live free and get fat?
You may also live with the consequences.
Just don't make it my problem.0 -
United Health is an a**hole company anyway....they bought out the insurance company I used to work for gave us terrible benefits and then laid off half of the company.....I wouldn't want their unsurance if they paid me to take it (their coverage for their employees was terrible too).....I hope you find something better...BCBS maybe?0
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So, did they weigh you or did you just put your weight on the form?0
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These companies are out to make money. Healthcare Insurance is not a social service yet.
Obese people eat up more costs due to all the health issues they bring upon themselves.
Once the government takes over, that will ruin healthcare for the healthy while all the resources are drained away to pay for those who do not take care of themselves. It will actually be worse.
Everybody expects other people to pay their way.
Few just want to carry their own weight and take ownership of their life as well as their health.
My mom is 5'4 and 145 lbs. and has high blood pressure, high cholesterol and is a smoker. She has no problems obtaining insurance. I have been overweight my entire life. I do not, and even have not, eaten McDonald's every day. I've never smoked a day in my life. I walk all the time. I have great blood pressure, great blood sugar, normal cholesterol levels and no health problems. Oh-- and I'm losing weight. Another "ding" in my record for them was the fact that i checked "yes" when they asked if I'd lost more than 30 pounds in the past 12 months.
Yeah. All of us fatties just want a free ride and a bag of Ring Dings. That's totally it.0 -
^^^^^Move up to Canada...I have room...we will take care of you. :flowerforyou:
THIS
Anybody not happy in America should move to Canada.
Great advice!0 -
So, did they weigh you or did you just put your weight on the form?
I was honest and put my correct weight on a form. Clearly I should have lied.0 -
You've made some pretty amazing progress so far - and now you're only 20 pounds away from their cutoff, so good for you!
I can imagine it's horrifying being denied health insurance (I am from Australia, where we have a two-tiered system of medicare (socilaised care) for everyone and private 'top-up' insurance that is voluntary, but no insurance company can refuse to take you on, irrespective of your risk profile).
However, there are several things you can do to help yourself out. 1 - keep losing weight! You're kicking *ss at it so far, so keep going. 2. Vote for whichever party offers the closest thing to universal health care at every chance you have., 3. Look for a different policy. 4. Move to a country where the basic right to affordable health care isn't controversial.
Health insurance companies in the US are for-profit. They can choose to extend their services to whomever best fits their risk-return equation. If you don't like it (it certainly appalls me), vote for universal health care!0 -
Welcome to health care in the U.S.! Remind me again why people are opposed to overhauling the entire health care system...
People are opposed to Obamacare because for the VAST majority of people in the US the healthcare system is great. We need to fix it for the people it doesn't work for, but not take away what works very well for the majority of people. People are not opposed to fixing what's broken. FOCUS on the ~20% or so that it doesn't work for.0 -
I wasn't refused, but I applied for life insurance. Because I didn't fit in thier stupid height/weight chart my premium doubled. I told them to keep thier stupid insurance if they were going by the same out dated height/weight charts used by the military. According to the charts for my height I should weigh under 190# and my ideal weight is 170#. Totally unrealistic! The charts do not take into consideration build or bone structure. Now before anyone gives me flak on this, look at my pic where i am standing next to my car. I am abou 205# in that pic and was considered overweight. I may be near sighted, but i see no fat on me there!
Off my soap box now.... 0 -
It's the nature of insurance companies to maintain profitability... they have departments to help them make these decisions and avoid losses which outweigh profitability.
While not wanting to discuss Obamacare, the nature of it is that if everyone paid for it then costs should go down because more people are contributing into a pot which less are taking out of. The other piece to this is obviously torte reform and lowering costs, but that's a whole other thread.
As someone mentioned, private company and they have the right to make those decisions.0 -
Bobbie Clerici said:
"Because individuals who don't take care of themselves should not expect others to pay their way.
You want to live free and get fat?
You may also live with the consequences.
Just don't make it my problem. "
Whoa - who peed in your wheaties this morning.
She's here. She's doing the right thing. From your profile you were one of those 'fatties' at one time too. I'd think you'd be more understanding.0 -
It's a business. A simple actuarial model. They need to keep costs under control to keep their customers. If they accepted anyone, premiums would skyrocket and they'd likely be out of business.0
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If you were the only two obese people in the united states, your complaint about being denied would make more sense.
It's a routine denial reason. I was unable to get private health insurance for years because of it.
With employer-based plans, it's usually easier to get in because there's a larger percentage of healthier people in the risk pool, since most employers really encourage their employees to sign up and most end up doing so. With only a small percentage being obese, the insurance company is happy to take on the increased health risks of that small percentage because they are making income off the higher percentage at lower risk. In a way, the low-risk people are subsidizing the higher-risk people in a pool like that. And that's OK, because anyone can get sick, and being already in a risk pool means the resources are there to help you get better.
But for private insurance, it's a mess. You are a risk pool of one, or one family, so there are few healthy people to "absorb" risk into larger actuarial tables, and most people who seek private insurance are higher-risk, so the insurance companies can't afford to take on a high-probability loss. There's nothing out there that keeps healthy people in the system, so there's a very high percentage of people at high risk who want insurance.
But why he would qualify and she would not.... that's a mystery. I suspect the primary accountholder was him, so they set the rates based on his health and then excluded her because they didn't want the risk for both of them, or it would have increased the premium too much, or something. I don't claim (or want) to understand what goes on in insurance underwriters' heads.0 -
Because individuals who don't take care of themselves should not expect others to pay their way.Welcome to health care in the U.S.! Remind me again why people are opposed to overhauling the entire health care system...
You want to live free and get fat?
You may also live with the consequences.
Just don't make it my problem.
While this might be true for those who are obese and are not trying to lose weight, I think that Insurance Companies should take into account an obese person who is actively trying to lose weight. Someone who has made that decision to do right for their body and health.
Does anyone know what happens to those who are denied health insurance but are required to have it by the law?0 -
^^^^^Move up to Canada...I have room...we will take care of you. :flowerforyou:
THIS
Anybody not happy in America should move to Canada.
Great advice!
PS: When all the uninsured fatties, who were more than happy to pay several hundred dollars a month for insurance, end up going to the E.R. for their obviously unavoidable according to you heart attacks and then don't pay the bills, you're going to end up absorbing the cost anyway. Just saying.0 -
I'm going to get flamed here but....
A. It's a private company, they can choose what they want and how they do business.
B. The thresholds they have set make sense, at the thresholds they set if you look, surgery even minor ones would be a VERY VERY risky surgery. They have to think about the off chance that you need surgery where you have a greater risk of an accident and thus a greater risk of a lawsuit.
C. Everyone wants public health care and insurance reform I'm all form, what I'm not all for is doing away with options which has a good chance of stunting growth in the research and private sector.
D. You are losing weight, so you know that you have health risks or you wouldn't be doing it. Why are you livid at a company who knows you have the same issues and risks that you already know you have.
E. If you are large for a medical reason you can apply for review, if you have legit health reasons and cause they will often time go ahead and accept even over weight limit. Ex. Thyroid, medicine weight gain, and etc.
It's nothing against you, just from a business standpoint it's just that, business. You are making a change you aren't far from it, sounds like sooner than later you could pick your insurance!0 -
Thanks for the fat attacks here people. I am sure the OP would agree that we are trying to take care of ourselves and do the right thing by getting insurance instead of just not paying the bills when they come and then filing bankruptcy so that everyone else can pay for our shortfall. That is what causes the health care prices to go up. And I would be willing to pay a higher premium due to my weight, but that is not an option. And yes, the insurance agent will come to your door and weigh you...and if your weight isn't close to what you disclosed, you will be denied.0
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Please don't use this experience to give yourself a victim mentality and an "oh poor me" attitude.
You are currently too fat for them to cover. You made yourself that way. Good news though, YOU have the power to fix this situation! Congratulations on the weight you've lost and good luck on finishing your journey.
ETA: Asking people to take responsibility for their own life choices is not a "fat attack". Own your life.0 -
If you were the only two obese people in the united states, your complaint about being denied would make more sense.
It's a routine denial reason. I was unable to get private health insurance for years because of it.
With employer-based plans, it's usually easier to get in because there's a larger percentage of healthier people in the risk pool, since most employers really encourage their employees to sign up and most end up doing so. With only a small percentage being obese, the insurance company is happy to take on the increased health risks of that small percentage because they are making income off the higher percentage at lower risk. In a way, the low-risk people are subsidizing the higher-risk people in a pool like that. And that's OK, because anyone can get sick, and being already in a risk pool means the resources are there to help you get better.
But for private insurance, it's a mess. You are a risk pool of one, or one family, so there are few healthy people to "absorb" risk into larger actuarial tables, and most people who seek private insurance are higher-risk, so the insurance companies can't afford to take on a high-probability loss. There's nothing out there that keeps healthy people in the system, so there's a very high percentage of people at high risk who want insurance.
But why he would qualify and she would not.... that's a mystery. I suspect the primary accountholder was him, so they set the rates based on his health and then excluded her because they didn't want the risk for both of them, or it would have increased the premium too much, or something. I don't claim (or want) to understand what goes on in insurance underwriters' heads.
He was the primary. Definitely could be right.0
This discussion has been closed.
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