stoneycase 0 #1 February 24, 2004 Hello All, Thought I would share a funny story that happened today at my office. Little background: I work at a small business in California with lots of young single guys, some fresh out of college. I pretty much fit into all those categories myself. So HR has been in the market for a new supplemental insurance carrier. HR & Finance go into a meeting today and one of the questions asked by the prospective carrier is open ended, "Tell me about the staff, and the staff's activities". My buddy is the HR Manager, here was his reply: "Well we have a lot of young single guys on staff. Some drive sports cars and some have motorcycles as primary means of transportation. There are surfers, snowboarders, kayakers, hikers, basketball players, etc." "Oh and we have one guy, he likes to to skydive - you know, jump from planes." I'm told that the look on the Carrier's face was priceless. The Carrier's response went something like this. "Well we could cover just about all of those activities except for one. If your employee wants to jump from a perfectly good plane on his own time then so be it, but we're not going to insure any part of that." The meeting ended shortly thereafter. Apparently my HR buddy has been getting a lot of this and he just now decided to tell me. This is the 5th unsuccessful interview. hahah oh well. I consider my insurance to be two things: My brain, and two handles - one red and one silver. Blues, JamesDoes whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkySlut 0 #2 February 24, 2004 good story...nice Tshirt too... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites stoneycase 0 #3 February 24, 2004 Thanks! You can't go wrong when you show up to work in a Poison T-Shirt.Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites happythoughts 0 #4 February 24, 2004 I've been told that some life insurance policies had two exclusions, skydiving and being a private pilot. I've never had a medical carrier reject me. Of course, it makes them really, really nervous... I love the look when you say "Yeah, every weekend." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites stoneycase 0 #5 February 24, 2004 I bet. I would have given anything to see the faces of everyone in the meeting. According to HR, the woman who lead the meeting on behalf of the carrier took a decent sized breath before spitting out her response...Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites pccoder 0 #6 February 24, 2004 That totally pisses me off. As if skydiving is any more dangerous than driving a motorcycle. Or a car for that matter. A buddy of mine did a research paper in college and statistically it was something like 1 in every 40,000 drivers will die from a car crash; while 1 in every 140,000 skydivers will die from skydiving. I may not be right on accurate with those numbers; however the point to be made was that its so less dangerous than alot of the things we do as regular people every day. But there still is this stigma and prejudice against us. Really ticks me off. Oh yea, anyone playing basketball these days?? Try driving the lane on any pickup basketball game and tell that's less dangerous than skydiving. PcCoder.net Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites kelel01 1 #7 February 25, 2004 When you say supplemental insurance, are you talking life, disability, or medical? It shouldn't make any difference for group medical (until the first year's experience comes back, if any). It should DEFINITELY be an outright exclusion on a group life policy, and disability coverage could go either way. My company's group STD and LTD don't exclude skydiving as a covered cause. As far as life insurance goes, you just need to get your own whole life policy with skydiving as a covered cause. It'll cost more, but at least it'll cover you while participating in your riskiest activity. Oh, and the numbers you mentioned , pccoder, were off. It's about 1 in every 110,000 skydives, not skydivers. BIG difference. Much riskier than driving. Kelly Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites SkySlut 0 #8 February 25, 2004 you know what struck me odd??? I was watching Ozzy's first interview since he nearly died on a 4 wheeler and they said that 370 something people die a year in the US on a 4 wheeler. Thought that it was interesting. Personally, I dont like to drive my car faster than I can fly my canopy. Yeah, it sounds weird...you should see the look on my In-Laws faces when I say that. They dont know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites SkySlut 0 #9 February 25, 2004 yeah, I got the chance to hang out and drink some beers and eat Hershey Kisses with them while they were on tour in Hershey Pennsylvania...weird combo... Cinderella was also there...things were fun right up until Jeff Labar hijacked the tourbus and started playing crash up derby in the parking lot...but that is a whole different thread...I digress. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites pccoder 0 #10 February 25, 2004 You are right, but I was right too. I just checked again, it was one in every 40,000 drives, not drivers. Yes, driving is still more dangerous statistically than skydiving. PcCoder.net Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Jimbo 0 #11 February 25, 2004 QuoteYes, driving is still more dangerous statistically than skydiving. Do yourself a favor and search the forums for "skydiving safe statistic". There's a lot to read. - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites slug 1 #12 February 25, 2004 Funny StorySounds like your buddy from HR likes to go to meetings with insurance carriers just for the entertainment value. Does the insurance carrier provide a copy of their standard policy prior to their sales pitch? A company with a bunch of young single guy's sounds like a high risk group even without one employee as a jumper. Party On! R.I.P. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites stoneycase 0 #13 February 25, 2004 The supplemental insurance was Medical. I had to consult HR again (yes he's here at 5:30pm and so am I) for the answer and what he told me is that most insurance carriers will ask these types of "open ended" questions to try and determine what "they are getting into". Since I'm only 23, I try not to think about life insurance ;) Maybe when I'm 33. Maybe not.Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites stoneycase 0 #14 February 25, 2004 I think you're half right. I'm pretty sure that after the 2nd or 3rd meeting he realized that talking about the activities of the staff wasn't helping his situation. But he is a wiseass so I'm also assuming he did it for shock value :) I'm guessing he'll stop doing that now, considering that 5 carriers have either A) turned us down B) quoted high or C) not returned his calls. This group would be high risk in a McDonalds ballroom. My .02...Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites stoneycase 0 #15 February 25, 2004 I definitely see your point. There certainly is a lot to read about on the subject (here and elsewhere). I believe that people create a risk factor based primarily on their own individual perceptions and experiences. For example, there is no way in hell I'm driving the lane in a pickup basketball game in Oakland, Calif. However, you might find me hanging upside down, out of the door, of a Cessna 206 at 12K ft. on any given Saturday/Sunday. Again, just my .02.Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites pccoder 0 #16 February 25, 2004 I want to respond to my original post in this thread. My point was that skydiving's danger's are way over exagerated in the non-skydiving world compared to other activities. Who gives a flying shit if my EXACT specific example was not dead on accurate. You have to be so perfect in these forums with you information or everyone and their sister wants to let you know how wrong you are. Jeez. PLEASE, sometime try to convince me now that motorcycle racing is less dangerous. Come on now, I am sure someone has some remark to make about that one. My goodness, let's not get all caught up in the details all the time. Edited... PcCoder.net Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Tailgate 0 #17 February 25, 2004 When I started skydiving I called my carrier from work ( BCBS) and their response was " As long as you can get to the hospital, we'lll cover the expenses". Of course they were stifiling a chuckle when they said this. _________________________________________________ Let me live in my house by the side of the road and be a friend to man- Sam Walter Foss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mr2mk1g 10 #18 February 25, 2004 I now have this great image of a battered and bleeding skydiver clutching one of his own limbs and dragging a destroyed canopy, shrugging off all help as he desperatly trys to take the last few steps into the ER on his own shouting "I gotta get to the hospital on my own!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites pccoder 0 #19 February 25, 2004 ha ha ha ha PcCoder.net Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites crwmike 0 #20 February 25, 2004 Your HR guy needs to learn to STFU. QuoteHello All, Thought I would share a funny story that happened today at my office. Little background: I work at a small business in California with lots of young single guys, some fresh out of college. I pretty much fit into all those categories myself. So HR has been in the market for a new supplemental insurance carrier. HR & Finance go into a meeting today and one of the questions asked by the prospective carrier is open ended, "Tell me about the staff, and the staff's activities". My buddy is the HR Manager, here was his reply: "Well we have a lot of young single guys on staff. Some drive sports cars and some have motorcycles as primary means of transportation. There are surfers, snowboarders, kayakers, hikers, basketball players, etc." "Oh and we have one guy, he likes to to skydive - you know, jump from planes." I'm told that the look on the Carrier's face was priceless. The Carrier's response went something like this. "Well we could cover just about all of those activities except for one. If your employee wants to jump from a perfectly good plane on his own time then so be it, but we're not going to insure any part of that." The meeting ended shortly thereafter. Apparently my HR buddy has been getting a lot of this and he just now decided to tell me. This is the 5th unsuccessful interview. hahah oh well. I consider my insurance to be two things: My brain, and two handles - one red and one silver. Blues, James Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites pullhigh 0 #21 February 25, 2004 I've never had a health insurance carrier question it, but so long as it isn't obvious, I wouldn't mention how I broke my leg if it ever came up... Accidental Death and Dismemberment, and supplemental policies like those, always ecluded a litst of hobbies from what I've seen, including skydiving, motor vehicle racing, etc... Life Insurance, I have had trouble getting. I have two policies right now, both of which cover my skydiving, and both of which I pay a rider for skydiving. Being a married man, father of two, and a medium sized business owner, I have to carry life insurance. It's expensive, but the peace of mind is worth it. Being worth more to my wife dead than alive is a whole nother issue though. I try to keep her away from my rigger. Ganja Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites pccoder 0 #22 February 25, 2004 ha ha ha ha (keeping your wife away from your rigger) too funny. I try to keep my EX wife from even knowing, she'd love to get me bumped off and get the other half that she didn't get in the divorce. PcCoder.net Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites newsstand 0 #23 February 25, 2004 Quote... Who gives a flying shit if my EXACT specific example was not dead on accurate. ... PLEASE, sometime try to convince me now that motorcycle racing is less dangerous. Credibility is in the details. I don't know if motorcycle racing is more or less dangerous than skydiving but the insurance companies do. They don't base their rates on exagertions. They base them on statistical facts. Believe me they want your money and they don't want to pay any out so if the odds are in favor of paying out they will either jack up the rates or deny coverage. "Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at evening." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jalisco 0 #24 February 25, 2004 QuoteI don't know if motorcycle racing is more or less dangerous than skydiving but the insurance companies do. Well...maybe not exactly. I think the actuaries try to assess monetary risk, rather than danger levels. Part of that assessment includes a consideration of uncertainty. The less infomation is available, the higher the risk is considered to be, particularly when the actuary is looking at an activity that seems to them, prima facie, to entail some danger. It could be that there's just lots more data on motorcycle racing -- more people doing it, more people telling their insurance companies they're doing it, more insurance policy applications asking about it, more people asking to be covered for it, etc. Compounding the uncertainty problem is the actuary's familiarity with the activity. Some insurance companies figure it out better than others. This is not suprising, since wer'e talking about a fairly small community. How many active skydivers are there? It may be that some companies have bigger fish to fry -- i.e. the cost of the research and implementation isn't judged to be worth the potential gains, given the size of the market. I started skydiving after procuring my current life insurance policy. At some point, I decided to tell them I was skydiving, and that I wanted my policy to cover me for that. They asked some suprisingly pertinent questions (e.g. what license level I had, how many jumps I had, how often I jumped) and then said, "fine, you're covered" -- no premium increase or anything. Somebody there had done their homework. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites PhreeZone 20 #25 February 25, 2004 Here is a stat for you... 1 in 10000 active jumpers in the US will die this year. Does 1 in 10000 active motorcycle racers die every year?Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. 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stoneycase 0 #3 February 24, 2004 Thanks! You can't go wrong when you show up to work in a Poison T-Shirt.Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #4 February 24, 2004 I've been told that some life insurance policies had two exclusions, skydiving and being a private pilot. I've never had a medical carrier reject me. Of course, it makes them really, really nervous... I love the look when you say "Yeah, every weekend." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stoneycase 0 #5 February 24, 2004 I bet. I would have given anything to see the faces of everyone in the meeting. According to HR, the woman who lead the meeting on behalf of the carrier took a decent sized breath before spitting out her response...Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pccoder 0 #6 February 24, 2004 That totally pisses me off. As if skydiving is any more dangerous than driving a motorcycle. Or a car for that matter. A buddy of mine did a research paper in college and statistically it was something like 1 in every 40,000 drivers will die from a car crash; while 1 in every 140,000 skydivers will die from skydiving. I may not be right on accurate with those numbers; however the point to be made was that its so less dangerous than alot of the things we do as regular people every day. But there still is this stigma and prejudice against us. Really ticks me off. Oh yea, anyone playing basketball these days?? Try driving the lane on any pickup basketball game and tell that's less dangerous than skydiving. PcCoder.net Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelel01 1 #7 February 25, 2004 When you say supplemental insurance, are you talking life, disability, or medical? It shouldn't make any difference for group medical (until the first year's experience comes back, if any). It should DEFINITELY be an outright exclusion on a group life policy, and disability coverage could go either way. My company's group STD and LTD don't exclude skydiving as a covered cause. As far as life insurance goes, you just need to get your own whole life policy with skydiving as a covered cause. It'll cost more, but at least it'll cover you while participating in your riskiest activity. Oh, and the numbers you mentioned , pccoder, were off. It's about 1 in every 110,000 skydives, not skydivers. BIG difference. Much riskier than driving. Kelly Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkySlut 0 #8 February 25, 2004 you know what struck me odd??? I was watching Ozzy's first interview since he nearly died on a 4 wheeler and they said that 370 something people die a year in the US on a 4 wheeler. Thought that it was interesting. Personally, I dont like to drive my car faster than I can fly my canopy. Yeah, it sounds weird...you should see the look on my In-Laws faces when I say that. They dont know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites SkySlut 0 #9 February 25, 2004 yeah, I got the chance to hang out and drink some beers and eat Hershey Kisses with them while they were on tour in Hershey Pennsylvania...weird combo... Cinderella was also there...things were fun right up until Jeff Labar hijacked the tourbus and started playing crash up derby in the parking lot...but that is a whole different thread...I digress. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites pccoder 0 #10 February 25, 2004 You are right, but I was right too. I just checked again, it was one in every 40,000 drives, not drivers. Yes, driving is still more dangerous statistically than skydiving. PcCoder.net Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Jimbo 0 #11 February 25, 2004 QuoteYes, driving is still more dangerous statistically than skydiving. Do yourself a favor and search the forums for "skydiving safe statistic". There's a lot to read. - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites slug 1 #12 February 25, 2004 Funny StorySounds like your buddy from HR likes to go to meetings with insurance carriers just for the entertainment value. Does the insurance carrier provide a copy of their standard policy prior to their sales pitch? A company with a bunch of young single guy's sounds like a high risk group even without one employee as a jumper. Party On! R.I.P. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites stoneycase 0 #13 February 25, 2004 The supplemental insurance was Medical. I had to consult HR again (yes he's here at 5:30pm and so am I) for the answer and what he told me is that most insurance carriers will ask these types of "open ended" questions to try and determine what "they are getting into". Since I'm only 23, I try not to think about life insurance ;) Maybe when I'm 33. Maybe not.Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites stoneycase 0 #14 February 25, 2004 I think you're half right. I'm pretty sure that after the 2nd or 3rd meeting he realized that talking about the activities of the staff wasn't helping his situation. But he is a wiseass so I'm also assuming he did it for shock value :) I'm guessing he'll stop doing that now, considering that 5 carriers have either A) turned us down B) quoted high or C) not returned his calls. This group would be high risk in a McDonalds ballroom. My .02...Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites stoneycase 0 #15 February 25, 2004 I definitely see your point. There certainly is a lot to read about on the subject (here and elsewhere). I believe that people create a risk factor based primarily on their own individual perceptions and experiences. For example, there is no way in hell I'm driving the lane in a pickup basketball game in Oakland, Calif. However, you might find me hanging upside down, out of the door, of a Cessna 206 at 12K ft. on any given Saturday/Sunday. Again, just my .02.Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites pccoder 0 #16 February 25, 2004 I want to respond to my original post in this thread. My point was that skydiving's danger's are way over exagerated in the non-skydiving world compared to other activities. Who gives a flying shit if my EXACT specific example was not dead on accurate. You have to be so perfect in these forums with you information or everyone and their sister wants to let you know how wrong you are. Jeez. PLEASE, sometime try to convince me now that motorcycle racing is less dangerous. Come on now, I am sure someone has some remark to make about that one. My goodness, let's not get all caught up in the details all the time. Edited... PcCoder.net Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Tailgate 0 #17 February 25, 2004 When I started skydiving I called my carrier from work ( BCBS) and their response was " As long as you can get to the hospital, we'lll cover the expenses". Of course they were stifiling a chuckle when they said this. _________________________________________________ Let me live in my house by the side of the road and be a friend to man- Sam Walter Foss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mr2mk1g 10 #18 February 25, 2004 I now have this great image of a battered and bleeding skydiver clutching one of his own limbs and dragging a destroyed canopy, shrugging off all help as he desperatly trys to take the last few steps into the ER on his own shouting "I gotta get to the hospital on my own!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites pccoder 0 #19 February 25, 2004 ha ha ha ha PcCoder.net Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites crwmike 0 #20 February 25, 2004 Your HR guy needs to learn to STFU. QuoteHello All, Thought I would share a funny story that happened today at my office. Little background: I work at a small business in California with lots of young single guys, some fresh out of college. I pretty much fit into all those categories myself. So HR has been in the market for a new supplemental insurance carrier. HR & Finance go into a meeting today and one of the questions asked by the prospective carrier is open ended, "Tell me about the staff, and the staff's activities". My buddy is the HR Manager, here was his reply: "Well we have a lot of young single guys on staff. Some drive sports cars and some have motorcycles as primary means of transportation. There are surfers, snowboarders, kayakers, hikers, basketball players, etc." "Oh and we have one guy, he likes to to skydive - you know, jump from planes." I'm told that the look on the Carrier's face was priceless. The Carrier's response went something like this. "Well we could cover just about all of those activities except for one. If your employee wants to jump from a perfectly good plane on his own time then so be it, but we're not going to insure any part of that." The meeting ended shortly thereafter. Apparently my HR buddy has been getting a lot of this and he just now decided to tell me. This is the 5th unsuccessful interview. hahah oh well. I consider my insurance to be two things: My brain, and two handles - one red and one silver. Blues, James Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites pullhigh 0 #21 February 25, 2004 I've never had a health insurance carrier question it, but so long as it isn't obvious, I wouldn't mention how I broke my leg if it ever came up... Accidental Death and Dismemberment, and supplemental policies like those, always ecluded a litst of hobbies from what I've seen, including skydiving, motor vehicle racing, etc... Life Insurance, I have had trouble getting. I have two policies right now, both of which cover my skydiving, and both of which I pay a rider for skydiving. Being a married man, father of two, and a medium sized business owner, I have to carry life insurance. It's expensive, but the peace of mind is worth it. Being worth more to my wife dead than alive is a whole nother issue though. I try to keep her away from my rigger. Ganja Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites pccoder 0 #22 February 25, 2004 ha ha ha ha (keeping your wife away from your rigger) too funny. I try to keep my EX wife from even knowing, she'd love to get me bumped off and get the other half that she didn't get in the divorce. PcCoder.net Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites newsstand 0 #23 February 25, 2004 Quote... Who gives a flying shit if my EXACT specific example was not dead on accurate. ... PLEASE, sometime try to convince me now that motorcycle racing is less dangerous. Credibility is in the details. I don't know if motorcycle racing is more or less dangerous than skydiving but the insurance companies do. They don't base their rates on exagertions. They base them on statistical facts. Believe me they want your money and they don't want to pay any out so if the odds are in favor of paying out they will either jack up the rates or deny coverage. "Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at evening." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jalisco 0 #24 February 25, 2004 QuoteI don't know if motorcycle racing is more or less dangerous than skydiving but the insurance companies do. Well...maybe not exactly. I think the actuaries try to assess monetary risk, rather than danger levels. Part of that assessment includes a consideration of uncertainty. The less infomation is available, the higher the risk is considered to be, particularly when the actuary is looking at an activity that seems to them, prima facie, to entail some danger. It could be that there's just lots more data on motorcycle racing -- more people doing it, more people telling their insurance companies they're doing it, more insurance policy applications asking about it, more people asking to be covered for it, etc. Compounding the uncertainty problem is the actuary's familiarity with the activity. Some insurance companies figure it out better than others. This is not suprising, since wer'e talking about a fairly small community. How many active skydivers are there? It may be that some companies have bigger fish to fry -- i.e. the cost of the research and implementation isn't judged to be worth the potential gains, given the size of the market. I started skydiving after procuring my current life insurance policy. At some point, I decided to tell them I was skydiving, and that I wanted my policy to cover me for that. They asked some suprisingly pertinent questions (e.g. what license level I had, how many jumps I had, how often I jumped) and then said, "fine, you're covered" -- no premium increase or anything. Somebody there had done their homework. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites PhreeZone 20 #25 February 25, 2004 Here is a stat for you... 1 in 10000 active jumpers in the US will die this year. Does 1 in 10000 active motorcycle racers die every year?Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. 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SkySlut 0 #9 February 25, 2004 yeah, I got the chance to hang out and drink some beers and eat Hershey Kisses with them while they were on tour in Hershey Pennsylvania...weird combo... Cinderella was also there...things were fun right up until Jeff Labar hijacked the tourbus and started playing crash up derby in the parking lot...but that is a whole different thread...I digress. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pccoder 0 #10 February 25, 2004 You are right, but I was right too. I just checked again, it was one in every 40,000 drives, not drivers. Yes, driving is still more dangerous statistically than skydiving. PcCoder.net Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbo 0 #11 February 25, 2004 QuoteYes, driving is still more dangerous statistically than skydiving. Do yourself a favor and search the forums for "skydiving safe statistic". There's a lot to read. - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slug 1 #12 February 25, 2004 Funny StorySounds like your buddy from HR likes to go to meetings with insurance carriers just for the entertainment value. Does the insurance carrier provide a copy of their standard policy prior to their sales pitch? A company with a bunch of young single guy's sounds like a high risk group even without one employee as a jumper. Party On! R.I.P. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stoneycase 0 #13 February 25, 2004 The supplemental insurance was Medical. I had to consult HR again (yes he's here at 5:30pm and so am I) for the answer and what he told me is that most insurance carriers will ask these types of "open ended" questions to try and determine what "they are getting into". Since I'm only 23, I try not to think about life insurance ;) Maybe when I'm 33. Maybe not.Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stoneycase 0 #14 February 25, 2004 I think you're half right. I'm pretty sure that after the 2nd or 3rd meeting he realized that talking about the activities of the staff wasn't helping his situation. But he is a wiseass so I'm also assuming he did it for shock value :) I'm guessing he'll stop doing that now, considering that 5 carriers have either A) turned us down B) quoted high or C) not returned his calls. This group would be high risk in a McDonalds ballroom. My .02...Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stoneycase 0 #15 February 25, 2004 I definitely see your point. There certainly is a lot to read about on the subject (here and elsewhere). I believe that people create a risk factor based primarily on their own individual perceptions and experiences. For example, there is no way in hell I'm driving the lane in a pickup basketball game in Oakland, Calif. However, you might find me hanging upside down, out of the door, of a Cessna 206 at 12K ft. on any given Saturday/Sunday. Again, just my .02.Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pccoder 0 #16 February 25, 2004 I want to respond to my original post in this thread. My point was that skydiving's danger's are way over exagerated in the non-skydiving world compared to other activities. Who gives a flying shit if my EXACT specific example was not dead on accurate. You have to be so perfect in these forums with you information or everyone and their sister wants to let you know how wrong you are. Jeez. PLEASE, sometime try to convince me now that motorcycle racing is less dangerous. Come on now, I am sure someone has some remark to make about that one. My goodness, let's not get all caught up in the details all the time. Edited... PcCoder.net Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tailgate 0 #17 February 25, 2004 When I started skydiving I called my carrier from work ( BCBS) and their response was " As long as you can get to the hospital, we'lll cover the expenses". Of course they were stifiling a chuckle when they said this. _________________________________________________ Let me live in my house by the side of the road and be a friend to man- Sam Walter Foss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr2mk1g 10 #18 February 25, 2004 I now have this great image of a battered and bleeding skydiver clutching one of his own limbs and dragging a destroyed canopy, shrugging off all help as he desperatly trys to take the last few steps into the ER on his own shouting "I gotta get to the hospital on my own!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pccoder 0 #19 February 25, 2004 ha ha ha ha PcCoder.net Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crwmike 0 #20 February 25, 2004 Your HR guy needs to learn to STFU. QuoteHello All, Thought I would share a funny story that happened today at my office. Little background: I work at a small business in California with lots of young single guys, some fresh out of college. I pretty much fit into all those categories myself. So HR has been in the market for a new supplemental insurance carrier. HR & Finance go into a meeting today and one of the questions asked by the prospective carrier is open ended, "Tell me about the staff, and the staff's activities". My buddy is the HR Manager, here was his reply: "Well we have a lot of young single guys on staff. Some drive sports cars and some have motorcycles as primary means of transportation. There are surfers, snowboarders, kayakers, hikers, basketball players, etc." "Oh and we have one guy, he likes to to skydive - you know, jump from planes." I'm told that the look on the Carrier's face was priceless. The Carrier's response went something like this. "Well we could cover just about all of those activities except for one. If your employee wants to jump from a perfectly good plane on his own time then so be it, but we're not going to insure any part of that." The meeting ended shortly thereafter. Apparently my HR buddy has been getting a lot of this and he just now decided to tell me. This is the 5th unsuccessful interview. hahah oh well. I consider my insurance to be two things: My brain, and two handles - one red and one silver. Blues, James Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pullhigh 0 #21 February 25, 2004 I've never had a health insurance carrier question it, but so long as it isn't obvious, I wouldn't mention how I broke my leg if it ever came up... Accidental Death and Dismemberment, and supplemental policies like those, always ecluded a litst of hobbies from what I've seen, including skydiving, motor vehicle racing, etc... Life Insurance, I have had trouble getting. I have two policies right now, both of which cover my skydiving, and both of which I pay a rider for skydiving. Being a married man, father of two, and a medium sized business owner, I have to carry life insurance. It's expensive, but the peace of mind is worth it. Being worth more to my wife dead than alive is a whole nother issue though. I try to keep her away from my rigger. Ganja Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pccoder 0 #22 February 25, 2004 ha ha ha ha (keeping your wife away from your rigger) too funny. I try to keep my EX wife from even knowing, she'd love to get me bumped off and get the other half that she didn't get in the divorce. PcCoder.net Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
newsstand 0 #23 February 25, 2004 Quote... Who gives a flying shit if my EXACT specific example was not dead on accurate. ... PLEASE, sometime try to convince me now that motorcycle racing is less dangerous. Credibility is in the details. I don't know if motorcycle racing is more or less dangerous than skydiving but the insurance companies do. They don't base their rates on exagertions. They base them on statistical facts. Believe me they want your money and they don't want to pay any out so if the odds are in favor of paying out they will either jack up the rates or deny coverage. "Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at evening." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jalisco 0 #24 February 25, 2004 QuoteI don't know if motorcycle racing is more or less dangerous than skydiving but the insurance companies do. Well...maybe not exactly. I think the actuaries try to assess monetary risk, rather than danger levels. Part of that assessment includes a consideration of uncertainty. The less infomation is available, the higher the risk is considered to be, particularly when the actuary is looking at an activity that seems to them, prima facie, to entail some danger. It could be that there's just lots more data on motorcycle racing -- more people doing it, more people telling their insurance companies they're doing it, more insurance policy applications asking about it, more people asking to be covered for it, etc. Compounding the uncertainty problem is the actuary's familiarity with the activity. Some insurance companies figure it out better than others. This is not suprising, since wer'e talking about a fairly small community. How many active skydivers are there? It may be that some companies have bigger fish to fry -- i.e. the cost of the research and implementation isn't judged to be worth the potential gains, given the size of the market. I started skydiving after procuring my current life insurance policy. At some point, I decided to tell them I was skydiving, and that I wanted my policy to cover me for that. They asked some suprisingly pertinent questions (e.g. what license level I had, how many jumps I had, how often I jumped) and then said, "fine, you're covered" -- no premium increase or anything. Somebody there had done their homework. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #25 February 25, 2004 Here is a stat for you... 1 in 10000 active jumpers in the US will die this year. Does 1 in 10000 active motorcycle racers die every year?Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
