Health Ins Application Denied

[rapunzl44]

What is the name of your state? Maryland
I applied for individual HMO with BCBS and was denied. The denial letter I just received stated my current conditions, pregnant, weight 206.

The weight limit stated in the denial letter for my age & height is 171. Can I be denied coverage just because of weight?

What do I do?

*Also* a semi-reliable person told me that if I am pregnant and currently insured that I cannot be denied - that they can increase my premium or deductible requirement, but they cannot deny me...is that true?

I am trapped in a sticky situation stuck on my estranged husband's COBRA which he could cancel at any time and leave me out in the cold without me even knowing...

Needing advice soon - thanks for your time!

-KS
rapunzl44

 

[tigger22472]

Is the child you are pregnant with his? Are you in the process of divorce? If the answer to these questions are yes then when you go to court you prevent him from taking you off his insurance until after the child is born.

 

[cbg]

Your semi-reliable person may be confusing group health insurance with individual. If you are applying for group health insurance through your employer you cannot be denied regardless, unless you are what is known as a "late enrollee" (i.e. you do not apply when you first become eligible but wait until that initial eligibility window has passed) and even then you can re-apply at the next open enrollment period and you will be accepted.

Individual insurance is different and you can be denied on any factor that the carrier feels makes you a bad risk. Unless your state has something specific, I don't know of any law that says they are required to accept you if you are pregnant. (Again, in group health insurance plans that would be true; it is also true that for group health insurance plans pregnancy cannot be considered a pre-existing condition. But the laws for employer sponsored group insurance do not apply to individual plans.)