Example of Why Health Care Needs to Change

Meet Aislin Bates, a healthy two-year-old that is a bit tad small for her age, introduced to the world on Wednesday morning’s “The Today Show” on NBC. She weighs 22 pounds, which puts her in the one-third percentile for kids her age, and based on that one fact, United HealthCare denied her medical coverage. She just doesn’t meet height and weight standards.

Looking at the case as one of a PR nightmare, the insurance company is back-pedaling with statements such as “it’s an industry standard,” and “the CDC itself releases these standard guidelines.” Still, United HealthCare will not include Aislin in the family’s health insurance policy.

Dr. Nancy Snyderman said it best when she said, “This is just so bogus. A pre-existing condition for a child this age is birth, let’s be real..... This is why things have to change."