Newborn Infant is Rejected Health Insurance

03/29/2010

One provision in the recent healthcare reform bill preventing insurers from denying children with pre-existing conditions will not go into effect until six months after the bill’s recent passage.

This may be too late for one Texas infant, according to a recent report by ABC News. Houston Tracy was born with a rare disease preventing oxygen from properly entering his blood.

The infant’s parents appealed to one major health insurance provider, and were denied on March 24 - the day after the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed by President Barack Obama. A spokesperson for the insurer, which covers Houston’s two siblings, explained the situation via email.

"We share the public's concern for this child and for uninsured children across our state," the spokesperson wrote. "As you may know, federal privacy laws prohibit me from releasing any information about members or potential members of [the company]."

Houston could have been automatically covered by the company had his parents insured themselves through it, according to the report. Because they do not have insurance, Houston's parents must wait until the infant is 60 days old to purchase a policy.

The family has found assistance through the Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool, which provides coverage for those who are rejected because of medical conditions.

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