When I was a moto/bicycle courier in sf I had “kaiser courage”. I paid half my employer paid the other half. When I worked at the door factory I had a nice little no cost to me health plan. Now I got nothing. No job and no health care. Well maybe my knee pads that I do wear and my helmet that I should wear. Whatever skateboarding almost everyday in the oregon summer time weather feels great.
Next time you break something imagine this….walk or crawl into the hospital. Present your medical card (mine cost $108 a month for a family of 4 and me and the misses both work. It drops considerably when your income drops. Nothing if you don’t work) Anyway, get an xray, get a cast or surgery(hopefully not) and be on your way. Thats it.
Mind I got a bill for the ambulance last time I got smashed up. No charge for the hospital treatment. 2 xrays, overnight in the hospital and 4 consults with a doc , no charge other than my monthly.
I will feel so bad for you all if the lobby groups in the U.S. shut down your opportunity to get some kind of reform. The U.S. system is so backwards its crazy. I can’t believe how risky it is to skate down there when you consider that a bad crash could put you in the poor house and then be out of work because of the injury. Do you have some kind of government sponsored medical unemployment coverage?
Yeah, my last little foray into the medical/insurance/industrial complex cost me about $13K. My bookie, er insurance company (SRC an Aetna company, through a temp agency I was working with) only covered $1000. That was for transport and getting checked over. No treatment at all.
warehouse, it’s almost always on my mind when I’m skating unfamiliar terrain..especially when speed is involved.
A friend I skate with did a “rib plant” on a banktop curb a few months back…no insurance.
He’s pretty sure he broke at least one rib because it hurt to breathe for a few weeks after that… but he just couldn’t afford to go get checked out.
7 comments
Chad Balcom
“Keep the goverments hands off of my medicare!”
Carroll13
Amen!
miguel
When I was a moto/bicycle courier in sf I had “kaiser courage”. I paid half my employer paid the other half. When I worked at the door factory I had a nice little no cost to me health plan. Now I got nothing. No job and no health care. Well maybe my knee pads that I do wear and my helmet that I should wear. Whatever skateboarding almost everyday in the oregon summer time weather feels great.
warehouse
Next time you break something imagine this….walk or crawl into the hospital. Present your medical card (mine cost $108 a month for a family of 4 and me and the misses both work. It drops considerably when your income drops. Nothing if you don’t work) Anyway, get an xray, get a cast or surgery(hopefully not) and be on your way. Thats it.
Mind I got a bill for the ambulance last time I got smashed up. No charge for the hospital treatment. 2 xrays, overnight in the hospital and 4 consults with a doc , no charge other than my monthly.
I will feel so bad for you all if the lobby groups in the U.S. shut down your opportunity to get some kind of reform. The U.S. system is so backwards its crazy. I can’t believe how risky it is to skate down there when you consider that a bad crash could put you in the poor house and then be out of work because of the injury. Do you have some kind of government sponsored medical unemployment coverage?
Good luck!
conahan
Yeah, my last little foray into the medical/insurance/industrial complex cost me about $13K. My bookie, er insurance company (SRC an Aetna company, through a temp agency I was working with) only covered $1000. That was for transport and getting checked over. No treatment at all.
Carroll13
warehouse, it’s almost always on my mind when I’m skating unfamiliar terrain..especially when speed is involved.
A friend I skate with did a “rib plant” on a banktop curb a few months back…no insurance.
He’s pretty sure he broke at least one rib because it hurt to breathe for a few weeks after that… but he just couldn’t afford to go get checked out.
gene
MC, Nice commentary. It’s a perverse situation, no doubt…