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Soliciting donations for medical expenses and financial burdens incurred from skydiving injuries ?

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What are the communities feelings on this ? I personally have no problem with a family or persons setting up a fund with a bank to be managed by someone responsible to defray medical expenses. Especially for those with extensive injuries that will probably result in a permanent disability.

On the other hand, I do have a problem with people asking for donations to help with financial obligations, day to day expenses, and incidentals like room decor ?!?. WTF ? Really ?

People say, "Oh, they're going to lose their house, car, boat, RV, or whatever. And their credit is going to be ruined. Everybody should pitch in and help them". My personal answer is tough shit, they shouldn't have been skydiving
"No cookies for you"- GFD
"I don't think I like the sound of that" ~ MB65
Don't be a "Racer Hater"

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I think it depends on the situation~

If I know the person personally and they are having a rough go I'll toss 100 bucks in the kitty, If it's a friend of a fiend of a friend I'm usually not so inclined.

I remember at one of the 1st Freak Brother conventions a young woman hammered in and they were passing the hat...the thing is, she was jumping 7 months pregnant, had no husband/boyfriend/job/insurance and was partying REAL hard with the big boys late into the night before her incident.

She no doubt really needed some financial help but I just couldn't donate, felt like enabling stupidity...all I could say was WTF were you thinking?










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

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that's one of the aspects of skydiving (or any activity where severe injury can occur) too many people do not consider the possible negative impacts or or costs of this sport.


If you are not prepared to take FULL responsibility for yourself and your actions in this sport i believe you should not be doing it.
You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

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I answered yes. Not saying everyone should donate or anything though. Just that someone can ask.

For me to donate would depend on the circumstances. Pregnant bimbo described above, probably not. A friend that gets blindsided by somebody else, probably.


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Rap is to music what etch-a-sketch is to art.

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Depends. If it is a bullet proof swooper liven the dream who decides to not carry insurance because any injuries will be covered by the hospital since no one can be turned away. Said jumper botches a swoop. No money from me.

Now if it is a friend who maybe is underinsured and through no fault of their own has a major accident and will have long term costs. Yep, I'll be chipping in to the kitty.

When I broke my leg, my out of pocket expense was $5K for a $30K bill and was off work for 2 months. For a working skydiver, that time with no income and medical bills can be devistating. Yes, they should know the risks, but sometimes the preplanned safety net just isn't big enough. That's when friends come in to help carry some of the load.
50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

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Oh I know all to well how devastating it can be. I'm still paying off 25K in medical bills. And actually had to trade/sell off gear and other possesions to support myself during the healing process.
"No cookies for you"- GFD
"I don't think I like the sound of that" ~ MB65
Don't be a "Racer Hater"

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Yes, they should know the risks, but sometimes the preplanned safety net just isn't big enough. That's when friends come in to help carry some of the load.



A friend coming in to help the load is not the same as soliciting for money
You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

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The question should be: Why doesn't the USPA set up insurance for people in the sport?
This sport has become an industry. People make a living at it. Pay mortgages, put kids through college. What's the USPA doing? Building a stupid museum.
Leaveing jumpers out in the cold, because most if not all insurance doesn't pay for skydiveing injuries.
U only make 2 jumps: the first one for some weird reason and the last one that you lived through. The rest are just filler.
scr 316

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The question should be: Why doesn't the USPA set up insurance for people in the sport?



There is no way USPA could front the money to underwrite "skydiver's insurance". There is no way any other existing insurance company would underwrite such insurance because there is no way it'd ever be profitable. Skydivers are very, very good at racking up insanely large hospital bills.

Now, you're right, THEORETICALLY it could be made profitable if the company charged enough. But the monthly premium would be so high we'd all scoff at it and walk away anyhow.

Elvisio "ICU stays are expensive" Rodriguez

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The question should be: Why doesn't the USPA set up insurance for people in the sport?



For those who don't follow what USPA is doing....

http://www.uspa.org/USPAMembers/Membership/Services/tabid/91/Default.aspx

(scroll down some...)

"For years, skydivers have struggled to obtain reasonably priced life insurance—and often can’t even get a quote—simply because they jump out of airplanes for a hobby. But that has finally changed. USPA has used its group buying power to negotiate on behalf of its members for life insurance, as well as a host of other insurance and financial products and services. USPA members now qualify for life insurance at preferred underwriting rates, not just the standard rates that skydivers have come to expect just because they jump. (You still must meet health requirements to get preferred rates.) There is no limit to the amount of coverage you can purchase, and every USPA member can receive a quote......."
My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

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I answered yes. Not saying everyone should donate or anything though. Just that someone can ask.

For me to donate would depend on the circumstances. Pregnant bimbo described above, probably not. A friend that gets blindsided by somebody else, probably.



This is how I feel, too.
My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

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While life insurance is an excellent thing for skydivers to have to ensure their loved ones are covered after their death, and I'm glad to hear USPA offers that, it does exactly nothing to help pay for medical bills for a living jumper.
"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

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On the other hand, I do have a problem with people asking for donations to help with financial obligations, day to day expenses, and incidentals like room decor ?!?. WTF ?



Just as when I donate to a cancer foundation, I don't get to decide if they spend my $100 for a clinical trial, a screening awareness program, part of a staff member's salary, to replace a printer in the office, or for tablecloths at the fundraising gala, if you do choose to give money to someone who requests it, you don't get to decide exactly how it gets used.

Now, maybe if I were in the six-or-seven-figure donor range, I could tell the cancer foundation that they needed to use the money to build a lab and put my name on it, but since I'm not, I choose organizations that I believe will use my money appropriately to meet whatever expense it is needed to support. Same goes for if I choose to give money to a jumper in need - I don't get to decide if they pay the hospital, the physical therapist, the landlord, PG&E, or to put up a Megan Fox poster.
"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

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I don't know what medical insurance you have, but if it won't cover a skydiving injury I would look for new insurance!

As far as Life insurance mine covers my skydiving as well, it costs more but that's the price of playing the game while protecting my family.

In addition:

+1 to with what Monkeyboy said


Fire Safety Tip: Don't fry bacon while naked

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Hey, could you set up a fund for me? I can't afford to pay for my hockey injury. I know, not skydiving, but I'm still a jumper (at least until I become a rig owner next month), and I could really use a few cool video games to pass the time with while I worry about how I'm going to pay the medical bills.

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The question should be: Why doesn't the USPA set up insurance for people in the sport?



There is no way USPA could front the money to underwrite "skydiver's insurance". There is no way any other existing insurance company would underwrite such insurance because there is no way it'd ever be profitable. Skydivers are very, very good at racking up insanely large hospital bills.

Now, you're right, THEORETICALLY it could be made profitable if the company charged enough. But the monthly premium would be so high we'd all scoff at it and walk away anyhow.

Elvisio "ICU stays are expensive" Rodriguez




Many years ago I was an Ironworker. We self insured ourselves. We did this for a few years and the insurance companies came knocking. They saw profit.
U only make 2 jumps: the first one for some weird reason and the last one that you lived through. The rest are just filler.
scr 316

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What's the USPA doing? Building a stupid museum.



The skydiving museum is not being funded by USPA.

Have you brought up your concerns with your Regional Director? If not, that's probably more effective than bitching about USPA online.

- Dan G

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It's just good Karma.
I may not be flush with cash as I was two years ago. But still I help out. If a friend who works in the industry is hurt, I'll help out as best as I can. If I don't know, what's $5 out of my pocket? It's just good karma, the world sucks, we all get hurt but we don't have to be cold to each other.
Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

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Of course, everybody has the RIGHT to ASK for donations.


And likewise, I have the right to choose not to donate. I'm very willing to help my friends in a variety of ways.

First, one of the ways I help my friends is by encouraging them get medical insurance before they get hurt.

Second, if a friend does get hurt, I'm more than willing to help them financially, as I know sometimes there are costs beyond those covered by insurance.

But, there have been times in skydiving where people have made a long progression of poor choices, and I've chosen not to help out financially.

Of course they have the right to ask, and likewise, I have the right to sink back into the crowd and move onto a different discussion.

_Am
__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

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While life insurance is an excellent thing for skydivers to have to ensure their loved ones are covered after their death, and I'm glad to hear USPA offers that, it does exactly nothing to help pay for medical bills for a living jumper.



Well, Krisanne, following the links you'll find....

http://uspa-benefits.org/
My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

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The thing that bothers me is when I see a jumper who has no medical insurance, but manages to have enough money to jump and have a 4k rig and travels all over to go to boogies and is always seen after jumping with a beer ALWAYS in his/her hand.

That is a priority problem. They have enough money to jump, buy gear and party, but not have insurance?

I don't feel really bad for them... Well, I feel bad for them, but I don't see why I should support a person who decided to party and have fun instead of taking care of the basics.

For example, I paid my sisters car payment for a few months when she was unemployed UNTIL I found out she was not even looking for a job. I then told her that she could get rid of the RANGE ROVER and buy a used Hyundai and I would keep making the payments, or I was done. She made the choice to stay unemployed and tried to make me the bad guy... She has not gotten any financial help from me since.

I sent a buddy money when his apartment burned to the ground and he lost everything.

I loaned my other sister money while she went to school.

But, I will not loan to people who are out of cash, but somehow manage to always have money for beer, pot, and jumps.

A guy that makes ~200 jumps a year (5k), has new gear, and travels all over to boogies and parties all the time...... Yeah, I'll send my money to a more responsible person.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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>People say, "Oh, they're going to lose their house, car, boat, RV, or
>whatever. And their credit is going to be ruined. Everybody should pitch in
>and help them"

I remember AirAnn saying stuff like that years ago. She had financial problems, was going to lose her house, was going to be out on the street etc. So I sent her a little money. A few months later she was still talking about losing her house - and in a different thread was talking about the time she spent tanning on her new tanning bed and her new cool camera helmet.

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