Houston has health insurance.

The news, announced on a Web site set up for the Crowley baby, ended his family's week-long fight after the newborn was denied health insurance because he needed surgery to repair a heart defect — what the insurance company called a pre-existing condition.

Doug and Kim Tracy's battle with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas garnered national attention, coming on the heels of historic health care legislation, signed by President Barack Obama a week ago, which will require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions.

The Star-Telegram reported on the Tracys' problem on Friday. That evening, Darren Rodgers, president of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, personally contacted the family. Initially he offered to see whether coverage through the Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool could be back-dated to the baby's birth, Tracy said.

But when that was not possible, he offered to work with Cook Children's Medical Center to pay for Houston's medical care.

On Monday, a letter outlining the offer was sent by courier to the Tracy home. Blue Cross Blue Shield agreed to pay the baby's medical expenses from his birth on March 15 through March 26, when coverage through the risk pool took effect. Houston's surgery took place on March 19.

To read the complete article, visit www.star-telegram.com.