Wakeboarding Without Health Insurance??

First, please let me say I do not mean any disrespect nor anger anyone with this question. However, I have noticed a growing number of postings about injuries (both severe and not severe) where the individual doesn't have health insurance. I realize the prime age of wakeboarders seems to fall in the gap between parental coverage and employer's health coverage. But, I wonder, given the extreme ramifications of a costly injury, why would you gamble on wakeboarding, when a single severe injury could financially bankrupt you for years? There is health insurance available (albeit at high cost). I know several people who have been injured and ended up on 3 year payment plans to pay off the hospital and doctor bills. Folks here are buying expensive boats so they ought to also figure in the cost of health insurance also. I was wondering how many wakeboarders don't have some form of health insurance and if it concerns them at all. I know everyone that age feels indestructable, but there is also time for reality. Aside from the joys of wakeboarding and the denial that they will get injured, is there something else I am missing? I would suggest some kind of Wakeworld group policy, but given the injury probability of the sport, I doubt anyone would be willing to offer a specialized group rate for wakeboarders.

I completely agree with your comments. Health insurance is a must at any point in you life.

Aflac

I agree WakeShoe. You hate to say anything given the current circumstances, but hopefully someone will see this situation and realize the importance of insurance. Colby and/or his family is going to have to endure an enormous amount of financial burden, and that's the last thing you (or your parents) want to think about when you are fighting for your life.

Prayers and best wishes to Colby. Please, everyone make sure they have some type of coverage...you never know when you will need it.

when ever I switched jobs in the past and have chosen not to elect COBRA or have been without insurance, I don't wakebaord.

Sam - I hope you don't drive a car, stay in your house, etc.! I thought about the same thing as I'm in a job transition and with the high costs of insurance, but you just never know what is going to happen at any given time. Obviously, you can minimize risks as you mentioned.

Man, that is no joke. I'm lucky to have coasted right off the parent's insurance into an employers' when I was 22. It's been that and COBRA ever since.
Even though a lot of us never stop doing crazy shizz, the realization of your own mortality is very sobering. Weird how situations like Colby's stay on your mind. I'm sure being self employed at a young age is tough. It's easy to overlook the intangibles and cause/effect. Best wishes to him.

Move to Canada......

"I know several people who have been injured and ended up on 3 year payment plans to pay off the hospital and doctor bills"

That would be a best case scenario. Most people don't realize they can get coverage right out of college for about $50-80 a month. Granted your deductable is about $2500, not bad considering I had 2 friends rack up $30-40K doctor bills each riding dirt bikes this past winter. One wrong move on a bike, wakeboard, car or even walking can be that expensive. Get insured!

you don't have to move to canada
most people die of a heart attack or stroke( over 1,000,000 people a year
this is why insurance is so costly
this is also why the insurance company's screen their clients
if you are worried about getting injured behind the boat, get insurance for when you are injured on the boat, you probably have boating insurance, and there is medical coverage for a boating accident, usally $25,000 standard
tell your insurance agent you are water skiing behind your boat(he probably won't know what wakeboarding is) and you want to be covered for 1 million dollars, he will add a few dollars to your insurance premium and you can hit the wake as hard as you want!
my insurance agent said they have not had a skiing incident for 25 yrs., but im also covered from work and i still hit the wake like a pussy

You also have to think about the people around you that it affects as well. If it was only you that gets hurt when something goes wrong and you have no insurance, then you'd have to deal with it. However, when a situation like this comes up, it puts everyone close to you in a tough situation because they feel obligated to help financially or in some other way. If they are already in a tight financial situation (maybe they just paid their medical insurance bill), you might not get a lot of sympathy and that can hurt relationships (Relax Chris, I'm not talking about you! ).

Family members, especially parents, almost have to help out in a situation like this and it's really not fair to them. And it goes without saying that if somebody is relying on you physically or financially, then you're definitely screwing them over.

Just food for thought when you're considering the risk of no health insurance.

health insurance is a must!! 70% of the people in this country that are bankrupt are so because of medical bills! it's rediculous but it's something you have to have. a few years back i had to go a month without it and during that month i didn't skateboard or ride or do anything that might cause a trip to the ER!

Health insurance is a 100% must have in our lifestyle. I have an R6, 3 dirtbikes and my boat. Last year i broke my collerbone(dirtbike)for the 2nd time cost me 32 dollars. I don't know what i would have done without it. SOAP BOX WARNING.... sorry for all you left wingers out there but insurance/medical bills would be way less if not for frivolous lawsuits! ok im done

don't need to apologize to the left wingers- they support nat'l health care instead of big business

Having just suffered a major injury from the sport after nearly 9 years with out one at all. I am still willing to make the gamble. It comes down to money for me. I am self employed and I have looked at coverage but the cost is over $300 a month and I don't smoke. When you do simple math that would have been $32,400 over 9 years. Even without factoring in a huge deductable my current out of pocket is still cheaper. I am not arguing either side here just stating health insurance may not be cheaper.

I work for an Insurance Broker (health) and I would never go without SOME sort of health coverage. For Individual coverage you do have to be in pretty good health in order to obtain the coverage (and yes it CAN be expensive) but if you can get a policy TAKE IT! There are many policy options out there...

I don't think, in light of current circumstances, this thread or topic is disrespectful at all Wakeshoe.

gangstar - YOUR comments are. No need to pull that crap out right now.

When a person has access to reasonable health care through a job (like I do), it's easy to not understand why someone would not have it. My totally self employed business partner, however, knows first hand how expensive lousy coverage is. You pay a large monthly sum for out-of-pocket expenses that begin over the $2500 amount. That is atrocious. Even if you CAN afford to pay the monthly premium, you're still screwed if you end up in the hospital.

The other side to this topic is what you should think about as a boat owner. READ YOUR POLICY. PLEASE. Bodily injury (usually 20k-40k) ONLY covers those injured in OTHER boats, such as in a collision. It does NOT cover the people in YOUR boat. There is a separate listing for medical payments that does cover people and skiers in/behind your boat. Typically that is defaulted to a low amount - $1k-2k. I just called and upped mine to $10k. It added less than $100 to my annual premium and is well worth it. If a buddy does get hurt, insurance or no, I will be in a position to assist financially as well as be more comfortable in the event of a serious injury to either myself or another on my boat. $1000 coverage will not go very far if something does happen...

Pleasure boating is one thing, but this is technically an 'extreme sport'. Injury can and does happen and I am much more comfortable knowing that I would be in a position to support somebody like Colby and his family in the situation that he is currently in. After all, on my boat - I am responsible for the riders on it...

Be sure to check out the update on Colby. It isn't what we would like to hear, but he does have some response which is a good thing.

My dad had open heart surgery two years ago. Completely healthy, active and in good shape. Felt a little whack, went to the Dr and had emergency surgery that afternoon. Total hospital bill Approx. $285k. Insurance protected my entire family at that moment, not just the insured. The average 3 day stay in a hospital is $28k and a knee surgery and care costs $48k.

At 26 I have a policy that has a $3,000 deductible for major care. $100 Emergency room visits, $30 Dr Visits (incl. X-rays etc etc), even has dental & vision included and I only pay about $1,200 a year. Plus its a PPO so I go where I want & if I need a specialist I can go to one. It is so worth it!!! Protect yourself & family!!!

I'm also an agent

HSA, Health Savings Account, is what I have. The deductible is high, but they pay 100% after deductible. Plus I get a tax write-off as well.

For the record, Canada's health system is perceived to be better, but actually is NOT any longer better than the US's. So I would not move to Canada

Fro-Z, I don't think my comments are out of line at all. My thoughts and prayers are with Colby and this incident sheds light on how important it is that ALL are covered by health insurance. It is completely irresponsible that all American citizens aren't guaranteed health insurance given the rising costs of medical care, as donalrhill pointed out, brought about by often frivolous lawsuits. We deserve better from our politicians and tax dollars.

Scott
im with you
ive paid and paid and paid for years...and been fine.

i run without now and if something catastophic happens i would be not be able to work anyway and make money so would go bankrupt in a few months anyway and i would just include those medical bills in the bk and move on...with a chp 7 to drag my credit down for 10 years but oh well thats the world we live in...you takes you chances

A - Dub

Care to explain? I hurt myself on a regular basis, just walk in to a clinic get diagnosed, if the problem is serious I go see a specialist, sports physio sessions are only $15 - $30 for a hour, Chiropractor is $10, doctors are free, I pay $80 a month with no decductable ever.

All this is set up automatically through the gov, they let me know if I have to pay more (higher tax bracket, not living with parents etc..)

clearlakescott,
You must be very lucky, but I hope, for your family, you don't ever have a really severe injury that perhaps disables you for a period of time (or permanently). They will be the ones paying for your gambling without insurance. It only takes one severe injury with any amount of hospital stay and surgery to blow well past the $32K you mentioned. Notice the post about the heart attack and the bill for $285K.

bftskir,
Do you follow current events at all? The chp 7 and chp 11 regulations changed drastically about a year ago. You will not just walk away from your medical bills anymore filing bankruptcy. What you will do (or your family will do) is work out a multi-year payment plan. If you think paying for a boat for 5-10-15 years is bad, at least you have the boat. You'll have a similar situation for your medical payments with nothing to show for it.

I would urge both of you to rethink your positions.

Oh I should have mentioned earlier that I can go to the Dr, Emergency Room, Dentist & Ophthalmologist without paying my deductible. The deductible is only for something major like surgery or something catastrophic. The HSA is a good way to go for certain people.

Andy, you are playing with fire. With your favorite activity and the amount you do it, not a smart call. Its not worth losing your house & life over. Get the damn insurance!!! All it takes is one slip up and things will all apart. Think about how much the bankruptcy alone will cost you in the long run. Man & I thought you had it all figured out, my confidence has dropped just a smidge.

I get just the catastrophe coverage. It is about $500 a month for me & my wife. Health Insurance is the only insurance I believe in having some coverage regardless of your situation.

Question: Someone mentioned boat insurance. Is there any way that the driver's boat insurance might help out in Colby's situation?

It's a long shot, but worth a shot....

-S

Gene, I think you need to get some more quotes. I thought I was getting shafted on coverage, but I think you've got me beat!

i dont know how anybody sleeps at night without having health insurance. anything could happen at anytime. if i didnt have it through my company i wouldnt be able to afford it either but id sacrafice alot of free time in gettin a second, third whatever job to have it. just to go to the doctor to have someone look at an injury costs a few hundred bucks.
a few weeks ago i seen this dude at ski beach on the delta waisted and stubling around on a bum knee that was bigger than his head. i talked to someone that knew him and he said he hurt it the weekend prior and tried to go to the docs but they turned him away cuz he had no insurance.

living without ins. is crazier than riding without a vest to me

Well David point me in the right direction because I have trouble finding anything cheaper! We seem to be about the same age but much of your coverage varies by the area you live in right?

Swami - like I mentioned above, the standard when you sign a policy is only $1k-2k. I highly recommends that everyone look into increasing their medical payout. That nice looking bodily injury does nothing for riders on your boat.

I'm sure that will be looked into for Colby...

For what it is worth, a compound tib/fib fracture (3.5 day hospital stay, emergency surgery, titanium rod) on a scarecrow with DVT complication and pulmonary embolism scare runs in the neighborhood of 50-60k. And that was 2003 prices.

I was lucky that I was in school at the time and did not miss work. The bank does like its monthy mortgage check these days!

Would I ride without insurance? NO

Do I let friends without insurance ride behind my boat? NO

FWIW A few years ago (someone I know) had a severe knee injury and discovered (after going for the MRI) that his year-old policy excluded his left side - he ended up paying cash for the entire injury (although - negotiated a discount). Expensive anyway - Ugly situation. We then found out that the state of FLorida has a group policy for anyone with a business (self-employed), no exclusions, much lower rate. It was unfortnate he didn't know this a year sooner. Bottom line - if you are self-employed, check out this option in your state.

My brother was in a bad accident a few years back. Driving but none the less his total hospital stay cost him about 1.8 million. He was luckily covered and did not have to pay a dime but...on the other side he can not do any extreme sports, and I would not want him towing me either cause his reaction time has dimineshed drastically.

He was being stupid but I thought I would share the costs.

When i was switching from my parents' coverage to my own on my first job, i was withought health insurance from Jan 1st - March 1st. I received the forms for COBRA, but you have a 60 or 90 day period to sign up for it. So i figured I would see if I got injured during that 2 month period. If i did, then I'd sign up and it would work retroactively. If not, then I went without it.

I ended up being fine, and its not really a gamble. Just something that paid off. But going without is dumb. Maybe with dental insurance when you're younger if you have to fully pay your own.

i think sometimes you can get just an emergency type policy, and i wonder if that is more affordable than an overall health insurance coverage. i also wonder if you were to take out an umbrella policy if that would somehow cover emergency health care. just thoughts.

If you're not going to get health insurance at least (if you're employed) look into getting disability insurance.
Catastrophic insurance isn't worth the cost if you have young children....vaccinations,colds, earaches....much easier if you have health insurance.
AFLAC only works if you have an existing health insurance policy.
After working with a former Canadian Surgeon (now working in the US)... Canadian Healthcare IS NOT FREE. It is funded by the big taxes those citizens pay.
If there is ever a break in insurance coverage, may companies will hit you with a pre-existing clause - which usually run for about 5 yrs on the exclusion clause.
Unfortunately many companies are denying coverage for alot of preexisting injuries that are no longer problems or cured.

I think i'm covered pretty well these days. Livin in canada i get that "not so free" healthcare, but whatever that doesn't cover my insurance through my job covers it. When you look at it they cover just about anything you could think of. On top of that i've got health and life insurance on my mortgage so if anything happens to me or my fiance the house is paid off along with our line of credit. On top of that when we had our mastercraft we had a $1 million dollar umbrella coverage that covered ANYTHING we were doing and were injured doing. Even covered non family members riding behind the boat. Unfortunately they no longer offer that umbrella coverage. I couldn't even think of doing anything "extreme" without being covered.

Great thread

I have been to a doctor about four times in my life. I've always been healthy. I hadn't had any bad wrecks on a wakeboard. When my parents' insurance ended I opted not to go through the school and went without insurance. Less than a month later I put a wakeboard through my upper lip on a really nasty fall. It gave me a second mouth. All I could think about was how stupid I was.

Through the grace of God my Dad, a dentist, stitched me up and when I showed a plastic surgeon he said he couldn't have done a better job. I was lucky and I went right out and bought health insurance. That was six years ago and I've been to the health center twice since then. (both non-wakeboard related).

It's really expensive but I'm glad I'm insured.

Clearlakescott,
If you take solace from bftskir, you may want to re-think his agreeing with you about not having insurance - take a look at his "concussion" thread:

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/1/466107.html?1182524767

wow.....glad i live in canada (seems pretty good here a-dub).....don't know exactly how much we pay through our taxes.....but that stuff you guys talk about never crosses anyones mind up here.

Related to this subject.

I had an individual blow out his knee while riding behind my boat a couple of years ago. When he told "his" insurance company how it happened, they refused to pay the claim. My insurance company told me that in almost any case, when someone get's injured on or behind my boat my insurance is on the hook. Also, if it happened again within a three year period, they would consider canceling my policy. From that point on, I have been very specific with people who ride behind my boat. You get hurt you didn't do it on my boat. It still makes me nervous when someone I don't know comes out with us.

does anyone know an insurance guy/girl that specializes in self employed?

I represent Aflac and there is an accident policy we sell for as low as 40 bucks a month. You don't need health insurance to purchase this plan either. They pay based on the services you receive for the accident. CIE Allen would have gotten about 3500 for his knee injury, but don't tell him I said that... Gary would have got about 2800 for his ACL injury. So for some security and peace of mind I recommend everyone has it. The cool thing is Aflac pays you cash, not the Dr or hospital. You can check your employer to see if you get it at work, it's a reduced premium amount, and if not you can find agent in your state that can enroll you in the plan. I can only sell insurance in Cali. Email me if you need more info.

.......

Didn't read the thread but the topic seemed funny to me...

Stupid is the answer!