how do US professional runners (like at least sub 2:16 marathoner types) get health insurance?

4 pages of BS for the healthcare of 25 guys max?

2:12:00 - 2:16 isn't professional these days, fast armatures. Would you guys be so supportive of tri guys or cyclists? I think not.

another banned poster wrote:

Pre-existing condition doesn't mean you are sick or have been sick. My ex-girlfriend was denied (by Kaiser) because she has breast implants. A coworker says she was denied because she had had laser eye surgery.

This is what this thread is really about.

i;m not a right winger.....im a left winger...these polls support the idea that lots of americans think a single payer system is preferable

I think you worded it in a very unfortunate way. Government-mandated and single-payer are not synonymous with government-provided healthcare. The majority of the majority who support Obama's healthcare reform want doctors, hospitals and even insurance to stay in the private sector. They just want regulation that favors the insured, not the insurers.

True, the compromise that's coming in 2014 will hopefully help.

This is going to make some right wingers and jealous people angry because i dont have to work, but My hope is that ill be able to purchase an individual plan without getting denied for preexisting conditions that covers doctors and PT visits for running injuries and stress fractures, and not have to pay 400-500 bucks out of pocket to see a specialist MD just once for only 5minutes, or have to pay 2000-4000 dollars out of pocket to get a recommended MRI (it's not like I couldve just waited the typical 6-8weeks for my pelvic stress fx to heal, those take a lot longer to heal than that!), or have to pay 7000-10000 and more for a knee scope surgery. My parents and I make pretty decent money, but even they can't really help me pay for these costs.

Some questions and suggestions to you, Mr. Ha Ha Yo:

1. Were you eligible for Cobra when you left your job? That would have helped you stay on a group health plan.

2. What do you consider a reasonable yearly cost for a health care plan?

3. Did you look into catastrophic coverage?

4. Why did you need to see a doctor for running injuries? Just to run or was it impairing your daily functioning away from your hobby?

5 The MRI for your pelvic stress fracture--you say you couldn't have waited for it to heal, what did the MRI do to help it heal faster?

It's pretty funny to read this thread and see people arguing about whether they should be able to get an MRI, when on the other hand my grandmother has had her hip replaced three times and undergone extensive physical therapy with everything paid for by medicare. Socialism is only OK for the old, I guess.

genetic_dysfunction wrote:

Many of us in the US do not think this is an acceptable system at all. There is strong, if not majority, support for a full coverage government run health care system. We have the worst of all possible worlds; we get all the bureaucracy created by the insurance companies, and with terrible overall coverage.

we do suck in many regards.

G_D

Even people who don't want government-run health care agree that our current system needs to be fixed. No one thinks this is an acceptable system.

a wrote:

I'm glad to hear that there are some reasonable options out there, but don't kid yourselves, our Canadian system covers virtually everything that runners require, including some chiro and some physio.

Most runners I know seem to have no problem getting in to see doctors.

On the economic side, our system has been objectively proven to deliver service on a lower per capita basis than the US.

You may disagree with Obama on other points, but some form of universal health care is in the best interests of Americans, as Romney said himself in his former life.

Canada isn't the US. Implementing a system in the US will have issues you don't see in Canada. (And maybe it will still be the best system, but you can't assume that just because it works in Canada).

But every runner I know also has no problem getting in to see a doctor in the US.

Yeah, I don't feel like paying withdrawal penalties on my tax deferred investments

cut the cord wrote:

You have over $100K in the bank and your parents "had to" help you pay for your MRI? You're quite the leach, aren't you?

Blowing.Rock Master wrote:

I'm 49 with 2 preexisting conditions and I'm paying about $2,000 a year. It would be even cheaper for someone in their 20s. They might have to go without cable, high speed internet, and a cell phone, but they should be able to afford the premiums.

And yes, the insurance covers the things an elite athlete needs.

BRM,

About eight years ago, I had a friend who spent $900 per month for health care coverage/insurance on his wife and toddler. I don't know how much money he was making, but I would guess that those health care costs represented at least 25% off his monthly earnings, if not more. And he was not covered, as he and his family couldn't afford the additional costs.

How does that compare with your situation?

I live in NY, am in my 40s and am not lying. It's actually very easy to get health insurance in NY if you are self-employed. I also have had 3 different insurers over the past 3 years and one even picked up most of the tab on an ortho surgery. Did they deny me at first? Yes. Did I fight them on it? Did they wind up spending over $20K on it? Yes. You guys should stop your whining and do a little work figuring out how to navigate the insurance industry. It's not that hard.

Regarding the Canada fanboy, yes, everyone is covered but everything also is rationed. One of my friends used to be an elite triathlete in Canada and had to wait 6 months to get a basic MRI. If I need an MRI, I can get it max within a day or 2. You get what you pay for. I am more than willing to pay for health insurance so, when i need to access the health system, I am not shoved to the back of a line full of freeloaders not paying a dime.

buffet rule not wrote:

One of my friends used to be an elite triathlete in Canada and had to wait 6 months to get a basic MRI.

Could he not have had the MRI done sooner via private insurance in Canada?

Haha yo (super serial) wrote:

Yeah, I don't feel like paying withdrawal penalties on my tax deferred investments

No one feels like spending their own money. Most of us do it because we're grown men/women and also don't feel like begging a third party for assistance. Seriously, man. Grow up and take care of yourself.

County Health Worker wrote:

2014 is just around the corner. By federal law every state must have a public medical insurance exchange which is an open market for health insurance like NASDAQ or Tokyo stock exchanges. Prices are expected to drop like a rock. We expect some large HMOs and PPOs to go bankrupt as recent college graduates start up innovative new Health Insurance firms.

can you elaborate more on this? Maybe some sources? This sounds great.

Jeff Wigand wrote:

buffet rule not wrote:

One of my friends used to be an elite triathlete in Canada and had to wait 6 months to get a basic MRI.

Could he not have had the MRI done sooner via private insurance in Canada?

It wasn't an insurance issue -- it was a supply issue. The line was that long to access whatever MRI machine she was allowed to use. When everything is controlled by the government, there's no real incentive for MRI operators to run them around the clock, like they do in USA, and there's no real incentive for other potential MRI operators to set up additional ones. That's what you get when you have socialized medicine. I'd rather pay every month and not be treated like cattle.

buffet rule not wrote:

It wasn't an insurance issue -- it was a supply issue. The line was that long to access whatever MRI machine she was allowed to use. When everything is controlled by the government, there's no real incentive for MRI operators to run them around the clock, like they do in USA, and there's no real incentive for other potential MRI operators to set up additional ones. That's what you get when you have socialized medicine. I'd rather pay every month and not be treated like cattle.

I should have clarified: an MRI in a private clinic/possible. Why was that not an option?

+1

cut the cord wrote:

Haha yo (super serial) wrote:

Yeah, I don't feel like paying withdrawal penalties on my tax deferred investments

No one feels like spending their own money. Most of us do it because we're grown men/women and also don't feel like begging a third party for assistance. Seriously, man. Grow up and take care of yourself.

Jeff Wigand wrote:

buffet rule not wrote:

It wasn't an insurance issue -- it was a supply issue. The line was that long to access whatever MRI machine she was allowed to use. When everything is controlled by the government, there's no real incentive for MRI operators to run them around the clock, like they do in USA, and there's no real incentive for other potential MRI operators to set up additional ones. That's what you get when you have socialized medicine. I'd rather pay every month and not be treated like cattle.

I should have clarified: an MRI in a private clinic/possible. Why was that not an option?

Maybe it was. I don't know. Are there a lot of private clinics in Canada with MRI machines? I can't imagine that there is a huge market in Canada where people come out of pocket $2K for MRIs.