HONG KONG CLAIM DENIAL RAISES ISSUE OF CONGENITAL DEFECTS

A Hong Kong woman who was denied cover by a health insurer on the grounds that her condition was a congenital defect at birth has taken the matter to Chartis Insurance Hong Kong, the ultimate underwriter of the policy, to decide whether the decision of the policy issuer was sound. Julie Baumgaertner was admitted to Matilda International Hospital in Hong Kong last May suffering from severe abdominal pains, and her insurer, GlobalHealth Asia, issued a letter of guarantee to the hospital stating that all costs, which eventually came to nearly HKD300,000 ($38,600), would be covered. However, in June GlobalHealth Asia stated that the infection in her intestines had been caused by a perforated Meckel's diverticulum, a small bulge in the small intestine that was present at birth. GlobalHealth Asia said that birth defects were not covered under the policy. Chartis is now evaluating the case, reports South China Morning Post. The issue is wide-ranging, in that Meckel's is found in about 2% of the population, and normally remains intact. Ms Baumgaertner's doctor said that "it was the infection, not the congenital abnormality, causing her obstruction. Or, if you want to use an analogy — being red-headed is congenital. Red-headed people are disposed to skin cancer. Would you deny the claim of a red-headed person who developed skin cancer?"