jumping without insurance

[thrillstalker 0]

i am about to be 23 at the end of the month and i am losing health insurance. my dad's company has always covered me, but stops at age 23.

obama's new health care bill (i would rather just not have insurance), lets me remain on my parents insurance until i am 26.

it doesnt go into effect until janurary 1st so i will not have insurance from october through december.

what are your thoughts on this, should i not jump through this time??? i really cant see myself taking a 3 month break from jumping.

"Never grow a wishbone, where your backbone ought to be."

[catfishhunter 2]

You need to check the insurance as it might not even matter. My insurance doesn't cover extreme sports and specifically excludes skydiving injuries. Why why everyone knows to cut my rig and jump suit off and toss me in the road. unlessmim dead the. It's all good as my life insurance covers me if I bounce

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

[flyboy6554 3]

do some research, you might be able to buy some low cost health ins that would cover you for a catastrophic accident.....wouldn't cover measly little doc visits but just the big bad stuff; could give you some piece of mind, and you wouldn't have to rely on the kindness of strangers to help you if something bad happened......my two cents

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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i am about to be 23 at the end of the month and i am losing health insurance. my dad's company has always covered me, but stops at age 23.

obama's new health care bill (i would rather just not have insurance), lets me remain on my parents insurance until i am 26.

it doesnt go into effect until janurary 1st so i will not have insurance from october through december.

what are your thoughts on this, should i not jump through this time??? i really cant see myself taking a 3 month break from jumping.

If you have no pre-existing conditions and can't afford insurance then you can't afford skydiving.

High deductible plans for young people are generally under $100 a month.

Broken legs often run $40,000 without too many complications and $100K+ with some. You can't afford that if you can't cover insurance premiums.

While emergency rooms are required to treat you, the laws allow them to collect on your bills and don't require them to provide the follow up care that will get you functional and doing sports.

So just skipping the insurance and doing dine and dash isn't a very viable solution.

[doughboyshred 0]

lots of good points made already.

If you can't afford health insurance then how can you afford skydiving?

OTOH, I have heard if you are injured skydiving there is a very real possibility that your insurance provider will try not to pay out. I have pretty good coverage that covers most everything except for doctor visits and minor stuff. It's only 140 dollars a month, but I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to get out of paying an injury from skydiving, although I haven't found anything in the plan specifically excluding it, and it wasn't on the questionnaire.
I am a lot older than you, so I would guess your insurance would probably be around 100 a month.
www.ehealthinsurance.com is the best place to go to get what you need.

[andyvaughn 0]

I agree with the all of the above - if you can't afford insurance, you can't afford skydiving. You may very well be able to qualify for a state sponsered plan, like Medi Cal in California, to cover an accident, but that's a whole nother discussion on personal responsiblity and not counting on the generosity of your fellow tax payers...and if an accident did happen, you better believe you don't want Medical - or free clinics, doing your follow up care.
Just for the record, I'm an RN, and have worked around the insurance industry for a long time. You'd have to look long and hard for health insurance policy that will exclude injuries that happened while skydiving. However, you may get denied on underwriting BECAUSE you skydive, much like obtaining life insurance is damn near impossible if you skydive/scuba dive.

[maxwell88 0]

I love the NHS

[peregrinerose 0]

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I agree with the all of the above - if you can't afford insurance, you can't afford skydiving. You may very well be able to qualify for a state sponsered plan, like Medi Cal in California, to cover an accident, but that's a whole nother discussion on personal responsiblity and not counting on the generosity of your fellow tax payers...and if an accident did happen, you better believe you don't want Medical - or free clinics, doing your follow up care.
Just for the record, I'm an RN, and have worked around the insurance industry for a long time. You'd have to look long and hard for health insurance policy that will exclude injuries that happened while skydiving. However, you may get denied on underwriting BECAUSE you skydive, much like obtaining life insurance is damn near impossible if you skydive/scuba dive.

I had no issue at all getting life insurance as a skydiver. However when I was forced to get a 3 month temp health insurance plan while my husband switched jobs/benefits, the plan very clearly stated that they would not cover skydiving related injuries. Apparently somewhere in the big health care database in the sky, it's there that we jump. We didn't volunteer the information. As a result, the exclusion was very clear in the policy.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[Gators1240 9]

If you are that worried about health insurance you could always sign up for the military. 100% coverage for free and a 400k life insurance policy

[Hvance 0]

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If you are that worried about health insurance you could always sign up for the military. 100% coverage for free and a 400k life insurance policy

You've sold me. So do I just check in every month or so or what's the process?...

I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

[skydiverkeith 1]

Just jump without it. Who gives a shit. I suppose you might as well not drive either so you can't have a car accident. And don't drink alcohol either because it lowers your inhibitions and you might do something stupid and get hurt.

Blue skies,
Keith Medlock

[Ron 10]

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Just jump without it. Who gives a shit.

He will if he breaks a leg and gets a 40k bill.

WE will if he does not pay it and WE have to pay higher costs to cover his share.

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I suppose you might as well not drive either so you can't have a car accident.

1. Driving is safer than skydiving.
2. Skydiving is a HOBBY that can be avoided completely.
3. Driving without car INSURANCE is also a bad idea.

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And don't drink alcohol either because it lowers your inhibitions and you might do something stupid and get hurt.

Lots of people would have been better off if they had followed this advice.

To the OP... If you can afford to jump, you can afford insurance. If you can't afford the insurance, you can't afford to jump.

You have to have priorities and too many people put immediate gratification over common sense.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

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Just jump without it. Who gives a shit. I suppose you might as well not drive either so you can't have a car accident. And don't drink alcohol either because it lowers your inhibitions and you might do something stupid and get hurt.

It isn't the question of getting hurt or not. That's a risk each of take every time we go out the door.

It's the question of getting hurt and running up bills that could easily run well into the six figures with no means to pay for them.

Which is the medical equivalent of the "Dine and Dash". Or begging for the money to pay for it from friends and family.
Either of which would mean the rest of us pay for it.

High deductible catastrophic coverage isn't that expensive.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[skydiverkeith 1]

My point is, the decision is whether or not to get insurance. Skydiving has nothing to do with it.

And not driving is safer than driving...

And skydiving is not just a hobby for some of us...

Don't argue semantics with me. I'll lose every time!

Blue skies,
Keith Medlock

[Ron 10]

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My point is, the decision is whether or not to get insurance. Skydiving has nothing to do with it.

It should. You have "X" number of dollars per mth. There are wants and there are needs. You take care of the needs FIRST, then the wants.

If you can't afford insurance to protect you, then you can't afford to play.

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And skydiving is not just a hobby for some of us...

Unless you are a full time Tandem I (you have less than 500 jumps) or AFF I (not listed in your profile)..... It is not your job... Then by definition it IS A HOBBY.

I jump at your home DZ and have not seen you on staff....

You may REALLY love it and feel you can't live without it.... But you could.

Skydiving is a WANT, not a NEED. You are confusing the two.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[skybytch 273]

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I love the NHS

No you don't. You hate it. Just like all Canadians hate their universal medical care. That's what all my conservative friends here in the US tell me and there's no way that they aren't right.

To the OP - If you're going to jump while you aren't covered, at least get an accident protection plan. You don't want to start your adult life with huge medical bills and/or a crappy credit rating dragging you down.

[aussiechick 0]

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I love the NHS

No you don't. You hate it. Just like all Canadians hate their universal medical care. That's what all my conservative friends here in the US tell me and there's no way that they aren't right.

Public health care rocks. You guys need to sort your shit out.

[skydiverkeith 1]

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It should. You have "X" number of dollars per mth. There are wants and there are needs. You take care of the needs FIRST, then the wants.

Its not that simple. You're making a blanket statement. Just because it works that way for you, and is your opinion, philosophy, or whatever, doesn't make that true for everyone.

For myself, taking care of a certain amount of "wants" IS a "need" I have to have food, water, and shelter. But recreation is also essential to my health and happiness.

If I have to choose between health/happiness or the remote possibility or Debt accrual, the former takes priority. Life is too short.

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If you can't afford insurance to protect you, then you can't afford to play.

I do my best to protect myself. I've been without insurance for over a year now and have always found a way to afford my jumps. It's just a matter of your priorities.

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Unless you are a full time Tandem I (you have less than 500 jumps) or AFF I (not listed in your profile)..... It is not your job... Then by definition it IS A HOBBY.

That's literally true. However, I wasn't speaking in a literal sense.

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I jump at your home DZ and have not seen you on staff....

Yep, and I've made several jumps with you.

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You may REALLY love it and feel you can't live without it.... But you could.

Of course, but we're talking quality of life here. Before I happened upon skydiving, I was bouncing from thing to thing looking for something to fill the hole inside me and never really being happy.

Skydiving changed that for me and gave me a reason to go to work and live. I'm sure I'm not the only one who came about skydiving this way, whether they will admit it or not.

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Skydiving is a WANT, not a NEED. You are confusing the two.

As I said, having a certain amount of "wants" IS a "need".

Blue skies,
Keith Medlock

[skymama 37]

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i really cant see myself taking a 3 month break from jumping.

In the whole scheme of things, that's really not that long. Just decide for yourself if the risk of having huge medical bills is worth the risk for you. And trust me, you never know when you're going to have a horrible accident; just ask DSE to tell you about his skydiving accident and costs involved.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[zen_mtn_climber 0]

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I love the NHS

No you don't. You hate it. Just like all Canadians hate their universal medical care. That's what all my conservative friends here in the US tell me and there's no way that they aren't right.

Excellent!

"Whatever the future holds down the road, being true to yourself is something you won't ever regret doing. " - airtwardo

[wmw999 2,439]

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i really cant see myself taking a 3 month break from jumping.

If you lived in some parts of the country, you'd be taking that 3 month break simply because of weather. Jumping without insurance is irresponsible (really). No, you probably won't need it. But if you do, people will think less of you, because you'll be costing all of us more money.

All those high medical prices at the hospital are in part a reflection of the people who get care and don't pay. The money has to come from somewhere -- it's not like the hospital and doctors print it.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Ron 10]

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Its not that simple.

It is the very definition of a want and a need.

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That's literally true. However, I wasn't speaking in a literal sense.

You are confusing wants and needs. And as long as you only hurt yourself, it is your right, IMO. BUT, if you get hurt and refuse to pay your medical bills and the added costs get put on the rest of the population.... Well, you are now stepping on MY toes for your selfish reasons.

If you get hurt and your family and friends have to pay your expenses... Then you are hurting THEM for your selfish pursuits.

And the world is FULL of people that only think in the short term and do not consider the impact their actions have latter on for them and on others. The world would be a much better place if these people were more responsible for themselves, IMO.

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Of course, but we're talking quality of life here. Before I happened upon skydiving, I was bouncing from thing to thing looking for something to fill the hole inside me and never really being happy.

OK, but that does not make it a NEED. Just a high priority want.

I once thought that skydiving was it all... I practically lived to jump, jumped EVERY weekend, drove an old car, didn't eat out, saved every penny to pay for jumps..... But that did not change it from a want to a need.

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As I said, having a certain amount of "wants" IS a "need".

You can FEEL that way, but it does not change the very definition of the words no matter how much you like it.

Skydiving is a HOBBY (unless you make a living doing it). No matter how much you love it, it is still a want.

Putting a want over a need is your right (as long as you only hurt yourself, IMO)... But please don't attempt to change the very definitions just to justify your opinion.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[skydiverkeith 1]

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Putting a want over a need is your right (as long as you only hurt yourself, IMO)... But please don't attempt to change the very definitions just to justify your opinion.

Definitions are not static. They change with context. And even if you don't believe that, skydiving, as I described it in my previous post is a need by definition, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/need

Blue skies,
Keith Medlock

[Ron 10]

Good grief... I'm out.

Enjoy putting your wants over your physical and financial well being.

I just hope you don't get hurt and if you do I hope you pay the bills YOURSELF instead of expecting others to pay them for you.

But since you claim to not be able to afford insurance (yet manage to pay 24 dollars a jump for entertainment) I am willing to bet that you will not be able to pay them and will instead default on them and make society pay for your mistakes.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[skydiverkeith 1]

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But since you claim to not be able to afford insurance (yet manage to pay 24 dollars a jump for entertainment) I am willing to bet that you will not be able to pay them and will instead default on them and make society pay for your mistakes.

Errr....
I never claimed I couldn't afford insurance. Quite the opposite. And yes, I pay ALL of my own medical, dental, and vision bills out of pocket. I began my career in the medical field and know how bad it is, and don't advocate or condone ANYONE seeking medical care and not taking care of the bill.

And before I hear any BS from someone else, yes, I could afford the bill for a catastrophic injury were that to ever happen (within reason, I don't have $1000000 dollars.)

Blue skies,
Keith Medlock