Skydiving injuries and medical insurance

[niolosoiale 0]

Hard opening results in spinal injury, needs medical attention. How keen are insurance companies about this?

Anyone experienced complications with this scenario?


EDIT:
The silence in this thread is stunning. 55 views and not one reply

[darkwing 5]

I don't understand what you are asking. I am also not stricken by the "stunning" silence. Of course insurance companies in general aren't "keen" on paying out for anything, although they do so. Certainly people have been injured (and killed) by hard openings.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[kelpdiver 2]

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The silence in this thread is stunning. 55 views and not one reply

Do you want 55 uninformed opinions? Your question also didn't give enough detail for anyone to give a very good answer.

apparently some insurance policies, in some states, can exclude by activity. Company plans can do so, or used to, unti the AMA (motorcycling association) drove a bill in DC to ban such practices. However, I'm not sure it survived the rule making process.

non standard treatment can also be excluded. Few medical plans cover hyperbaric chambers, a key treatment for scuba injuries. I don't think this sort of problem would apply to injuries from a hard opening.

[C.SpenceFLY 0]

I was injured skydiving.The insurance company paid.If I had to go again I would probably tell them I fell off a ladder.


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[niolosoiale 0]

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The silence in this thread is stunning. 55 views and not one reply

Do you want 55 uninformed opinions? Your question also didn't give enough detail for anyone to give a very good answer.

apparently some insurance policies, in some states, can exclude by activity. Company plans can do so, or used to, unti the AMA (motorcycling association) drove a bill in DC to ban such practices. However, I'm not sure it survived the rule making process.

non standard treatment can also be excluded. Few medical plans cover hyperbaric chambers, a key treatment for scuba injuries. I don't think this sort of problem would apply to injuries from a hard opening.

I was just throwing out a random scenario. Rough landing resulting in broken bones and such.

I just wondered if there was ever an incident where someone's insurance didn't pay because the injury occurred while skydiving.

[Lindsey 0]

Is it important that you disclose that this injury was from a hard opening skydiving???? I think I'd leave that detail out.

linz

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[tetra316 0]

Depends on the insurance companies policies. I specifically asked mine and they stated they will pay for anything skydiving related as long as I was doing it for personal reasons. If you're skydiving for compensation (getting paid), that's where a lot of companies draw the line.

[Lindsey 0]

There are some things I don't want in my medical record. Skydiving injuries are among those.

linz

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[tetra316 0]

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There are some things I don't want in my medical record. Skydiving injuries are among those.

linz

Why? For future insurability reasons?

[Lindsey 0]

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There are some things I don't want in my medical record. Skydiving injuries are among those.

linz

Why? For future insurability reasons?

Yes. Not that those "high-risk" activities will necessarily cause you problems in the future, but I think it's reasonable to think that they might.

If information like that is not necessary for your medical treatment, then there's no need to throw it out there, imho.

linz

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[niolosoiale 0]

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Yes. Not that those "high-risk" activities will necessarily cause you problems in the future, but I think it's reasonable to think that they might.

If information like that is not necessary for your medical treatment, then there's no need to throw it out there, imho.

linz

So I guess another good question would be...

Say you sustain a spinal injury that essentially requires immediate hospitilization. What steps would YOU take to make the issue of skydiving not come up?

[airtwardo 7]

So I guess another good question would be...

Say you sustain a spinal injury that essentially requires immediate hospitalization. What steps would YOU take to make the issue of skydiving not come up?

***

I broke my back in a high speed motorcycle accident...when asked I said 'Alien Abduction'

It just a box they have to fill out.

I figured it was none of their business...mainly because some 'other' laws were also being broken when it happened.

I never heard another word about it.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[ChangoLanzao 0]

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I was injured skydiving.The insurance company paid.If I had to go again I would probably tell them I fell off a ladder.


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Just curious ... did they give you a hard time when they knew it was skydiving-related?

[NWFlyer 2]

I got my injuries paid for by my insurance company (concussion on landing). The claim was reviewed, but primarily because they wanted to see if there was possibly a third party liable (in accident situations, health insurance companies usually check to see if it could be paid by someone else -worker's comp, auto, homeowners, etc.). No problems with getting it paid and I don't anticipate problems in the future if I need to use it again.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Samurai136 0]

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Yes. Not that those "high-risk" activities will necessarily cause you problems in the future, but I think it's reasonable to think that they might.

If information like that is not necessary for your medical treatment, then there's no need to throw it out there, imho.

linz

So I guess another good question would be...

Say you sustain a spinal injury that essentially requires immediate hospitilization. What steps would YOU take to make the issue of skydiving not come up?

Don't wear skydiving t-shirts....

once upon a time, a friend was injured in a bike accident and was life flighted to the hospital. apparently the doctors did not believe the story because the friend was wearing a skydiving t-shirt.

"Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian
Ken

[rasmack 0]

As one of my instructors once put it:

"If you can afford to skydive, you can afford to have insurance."

Make sure you're covered before going up.

HF #682, Team Dirty Sanchez #227
“I simply hate, detest, loathe, despise, and abhor redundancy.”
- Not quite Oscar Wilde...

[NWFlyer 2]

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I figured it was none of their business.

Well, yes, and no. I think it *could* be very critical that the people treating you know the mechanism of injury; other times it might be less critical.

General response:
In my mind, the critical factor here is to understand your policy *before* you have to use it, and to have the best insurance you have access to (if you or your spouse is has insurance available through work, that's *generally* going to be better insurance than individual policies). But if you don't have it through work, get it through an individual policy. Just get it.

[Dumpster 0]

I busted my left ankle on a botched landing, tib/fib fracture requiring a plate and 8 screws, total bill was about 20 grand, I paid maybe 500 bucks, but lost $$ due to being out of work for a few months while I healed. Really screwed up my vacation plans for the following year, as I had to use up most of my days before short-term disablilty kicked in.

Fortunately, I keep a few thousand saved up, and my employer has killer medical bennies. No questions asked, and I did nothing to hide the facts. I had to fill out one of those accident form for possible third-party coverage, and I made sure I mentioned the DZ is in no way responsible for what happened. Again, no questions. Our company is self-insured and EVERYONE knows I jump, and all I heard was a bunch of good-natured ribbing.

My advice, no insurance, no jumps. And always keep a few grand in the bank for emergencies. (No, a new canopy is not an emegency!!)

Easy Does It

[CSpenceFLY 1]

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I was injured skydiving.The insurance company paid.If I had to go again I would probably tell them I fell off a ladder.


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Just curious ... did they give you a hard time when they knew it was skydiving-related?

They did not give us any trouble but it was not a large claim either.


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[BETO74 0]

I'll let you know in a couple weeks I had a hard landing due to a low turn sunday end up in the hospital, twice, long story so far I paid $23 meds and $200 I don't know for what I was on heavy meds when I did that, my insurance supposed to pick up the tab, let's see.

http://web.mac.com/ac057a/iWeb/AC057A/H0M3.html

[CSpenceFLY 1]

How bad are you injured?


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[BETO74 0]

Really bruised leg, all my internal organs suffer a great deal but there is nothing life threatening or major internal injuries (good news) hair line fracture in my 8 rib does not hurt just all my inside, I was very lucky to abort that swoop when I did but then again put myself in that position, the impact had me passing out without reason 3 times after I came out the hospital, I had to go back to do catscan of my brain and internal organs just to make sure. I let you know about the insurance part.

http://web.mac.com/ac057a/iWeb/AC057A/H0M3.html

[CSpenceFLY 1]

Sounds like you came out in pretty good shape.At least there were no bones sticking out.


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[twnsnd 1]

Most insurance applications will ask specifically about skydiving. Your answer must be honest as of the day you signed. If you were to answer no, but took up skydiving the next day and could prove that you had never jumped before, you would still be covered. However, if you answer dishonestly and it can be proven, you may be on your own with the expenses. If skydiving is not asked about or mentioned as an exclusion in the application, you would be covered. I have never been turned down for skydiving. You would more likely be turned down for riding a motorcycle.

-We are the Swoophaters. We have travelled back in time to hate on your swoops.-

[airtwardo 7]

However, if you answer dishonestly and it can be proven, you may be on your own with the expenses.

***

Depending on the state that's true.

Some states...if you 'omit' or answer untruthfully as you put it, you will not be covered for 12 calendar months from the signing.

But if after a year if they don't 'find out'...


That was actually a 'test' question for an exam I took once to get a license to sell ins.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~