Question
What is the name of your state? Maryland
My sister applied for Blue Cross/Blue Shield and was denied health insurance because she is overweight. Is this legal? Her BMI is 36.4 but should be 35.1 according to their chart.
Answer
What is the name of your state? Maryland
My sister applied for Blue Cross/Blue Shield and was denied health insurance because she is overweight. Is this legal? Her BMI is 36.4 but should be 35.1 according to their chart.
My response:
This has nothing to do with law. Find another insurance company
IAAL
Answer
My response:
This has nothing to do with law. Find another insurance company.
IAAL
Are you sure about that? I heard the Ninth Circuit would soon be addressing obesity discrimination.
Answer
Are you sure about that? I heard the Ninth Circuit would soon be addressing obesity discrimination.
My response:
In the workplace, not when it comes to insurance companies.
IAAL
Answer
My response:
In the workplace, not when it comes to insurance companies.
IAAL
Yeah, those insurance folks can discriminate for smoking, drinking, basically everything that makes life worth living...it stinks!!
Answer
What is the name of your state? Maryland
My sister applied for Blue Cross/Blue Shield and was denied health insurance because she is overweight. Is this legal? Her BMI is 36.4 but should be 35.1 according to their chart.
Yes, it is legal to deny health ins. based on height & weight.
Answer
Yes, it is legal to deny health ins. based on height & weight.
Thank you for answering my question.
Answer
Thank you for answering my question.
Just because you get the answer you want doesn't mean it is correct.
For example, life insurance companies give physicals and can deny or base the rate upon the results, even if the person is otherwise in good health.
Your sister is not just a little overweight, she is extreemly obese. Is she trying to get health insurance in order to get GBS or some other form of treatment, then it is understandable why she might be excluded based on BMI. Persons with high BMI are at higher risk for other health risks such as hypertension and diabetes. Some people are healthier with a high BMI or it is not unexpected. If your sister is large boned and physically active she could have a high BMI that is not reflective of her true condition, if so then there are other measurements. If she has recently had a child, then she might have a higher BMI. Many plans require 6 months of monitored diet and exercise before weight treatment.
RangeWomenMen Underweight Less than 19.1 Less than 20.7 Ideal weight 19.1 to 25.8 20.7 to 26.4 Marginally overweight 25.8 to 27.3 26.4 to 27.8 Overweight 27.3 to 32.2 27.8 to 31.1 Very overweight or obese 32.3 to 44.8 31.1 to 45.4 Extremely obese More than 44.8 More than 45.4 (Source: Understanding Nutrition by Whitney and Rolfes)
In June, 1998, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases issued controversial new guidelines for clinicians to identify overweight people. These guidelines use the same ranges of numbers for men and women, and place many more people in the "overweight" category than previous estimates.
Underweight Less than 18.5 Normal 18.5 to 24.9 Overweight 25.0 to 29.9 Obese: class I 30.0 to 34.9 class II 35 to 39.9 Extremely obese More than 40.0 (Source: NIH Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, June 1998)
Answer
Thank you for your response. I didn't say that the answer I said was correct or incorrect. I was just thanking Betty for answering my question instead of being rude and crude like the other poster. She's getting health insurance because she can no longer be covered under my mother's. She has sever allergies and needs the insurance to help cover doctor/hospital visits as well as her medication.
I think that they should change their charts. They aren't measured correctly for the different ethnic groups that are in this society. My sister has a friend that is the same height and weight has her but her BMI is lower. This girl is of a different ethnic background as my sister. Ok that's enough of my little vent.
Thanks again for answering my question.
Just because you get the answer you want doesn't mean it is correct.
For example, life insurance companies give physicals and can deny or base the rate upon the results, even if the person is otherwise in good health.
Your sister is not just a little overweight, she is extreemly obese. Is she trying to get health insurance in order to get GBS or some other form of treatment, then it is understandable why she might be excluded based on BMI. Persons with high BMI are at higher risk for other health risks such as hypertension and diabetes. Some people are healthier with a high BMI or it is not unexpected. If your sister is large boned and physically active she could have a high BMI that is not reflective of her true condition, if so then there are other measurements. If she has recently had a child, then she might have a higher BMI. Many plans require 6 months of monitored diet and exercise before weight treatment.
RangeWomenMen Underweight Less than 19.1 Less than 20.7 Ideal weight 19.1 to 25.8 20.7 to 26.4 Marginally overweight 25.8 to 27.3 26.4 to 27.8 Overweight 27.3 to 32.2 27.8 to 31.1 Very overweight or obese 32.3 to 44.8 31.1 to 45.4 Extremely obese More than 44.8 More than 45.4 (Source: Understanding Nutrition by Whitney and Rolfes)
In June, 1998, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases issued controversial new guidelines for clinicians to identify overweight people. These guidelines use the same ranges of numbers for men and women, and place many more people in the "overweight" category than previous estimates.
Underweight Less than 18.5 Normal 18.5 to 24.9 Overweight 25.0 to 29.9 Obese: class I 30.0 to 34.9 class II 35 to 39.9 Extremely obese More than 40.0 (Source: NIH Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, June 1998)
Answer
Thank you for your response. I didn't say that the answer I said was correct or incorrect. I was just thanking Betty for answering my question instead of being rude and crude like the other poster. She's getting health insurance because she can no longer be covered under my mother's. She has sever allergies and needs the insurance to help cover doctor/hospital visits as well as her medication.
I think that they should change their charts. They aren't measured correctly for the different ethnic groups that are in this society. My sister has a friend that is the same height and weight has her but her BMI is lower. This girl is of a different ethnic background as my sister. Ok that's enough of my little vent.
Thanks again for answering my question.
Don't be so quick to think that she will get that health insurance or can afford it with her knee injury you know, the one you were asking malpractice questions about after you answered this one.
This isn't a place where playing the race ticket will work either.
Answer
BMI is strictly based on height and weight. So those with the same height and weight will have the exact same BMI.
Answer
Just because you get the answer you want doesn't mean it is correct.
For example, life insurance companies give physicals and can deny or base the rate upon the results, even if the person is otherwise in good health.
Your sister is not just a little overweight, she is extreemly obese. Is she trying to get health insurance in order to get GBS or some other form of treatment, then it is understandable why she might be excluded based on BMI. Persons with high BMI are at higher risk for other health risks such as hypertension and diabetes. Some people are healthier with a high BMI or it is not unexpected. If your sister is large boned and physically active she could have a high BMI that is not reflective of her true condition, if so then there are other measurements. If she has recently had a child, then she might have a higher BMI. Many plans require 6 months of monitored diet and exercise before weight treatment.
RangeWomenMen Underweight Less than 19.1 Less than 20.7 Ideal weight 19.1 to 25.8 20.7 to 26.4 Marginally overweight 25.8 to 27.3 26.4 to 27.8 Overweight 27.3 to 32.2 27.8 to 31.1 Very overweight or obese 32.3 to 44.8 31.1 to 45.4 Extremely obese More than 44.8 More than 45.4 (Source: Understanding Nutrition by Whitney and Rolfes)
In June, 1998, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases issued controversial new guidelines for clinicians to identify overweight people. These guidelines use the same ranges of numbers for men and women, and place many more people in the "overweight" category than previous estimates.
Underweight Less than 18.5 Normal 18.5 to 24.9 Overweight 25.0 to 29.9 Obese: class I 30.0 to 34.9 class II 35 to 39.9 Extremely obese More than 40.0 (Source: NIH Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, June 1998)
Are you saying my answer was not correct - because it is -- you can legally deny health ins. (& life ins.) based on height & weight. I underwrote ins. applications & we did it all the time. (Declined due to ht & wt) The exact wording we used was declined due to height & weight. The person knows they are overweight & in some cases extremely underweight.
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I agree with you - what is with him!!
Umm, I posted that to MIM
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Quotes are all messed up!
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As far as and insurance company not giving your sister a policy based on her BMI _ I hate to break it to you but, being obese is no different then smoking cigarettes. Obesity sets a person up for all sorts of health problems _ joint degeneration, high cholesterol, heart disease and many other expensive health troubles. It is sad that people can be discriminated on no matter what the reason but, unfortunately insurance companies are trying to make money and they will turn down an applicant for any reason they can find.