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

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I agree completely. It bugs the shit out of me that I know people who jump but don't have health insurance. And it bugs me even more that I know jumpers who have children and don't have life insurance or any kind of nest egg saved up. It's just plain irresponsible. If you don't have health insurance (and life insurance if people are depending on you), you shouldn't be jumping.
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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.



+1

(except for the part about loaning money to sister. )

j
Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

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It bugs the shit out of me that I know people who jump but don't have health insurance. And it bugs me even more that I know jumpers who have children and don't have life insurance or any kind of nest egg saved up. It's just plain irresponsible. If you don't have health insurance (and life insurance if people are depending on you), you shouldn't be jumping.



I know people without health and life insurance (and have kids).... Yet, they manage to go visit the wind tunnel at least once a mth.....

I see a problem there.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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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/


Cool.B| (But since you specifically mentioned life insurance, you can, perhaps, understand how I interpreted it as the only insurance service USPA provides).
"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 haven't been in the sport for long, so my viewpoint is still a little skewed, but unless it's a very good friend of mine, the only way someone is getting money from me is:

A. They got hurt doing something non-skydiving related (i.e. Kyle Kniffen motorcycle accident which I relate to because I ride a motorcycle and know how bad most drivers are).

B. They were jumping and ended up in an accident because of someone elses stupidity.

C. Lose all their stuff through some other means.

People who can afford insurance (life or medical) but neglect to insure themselves will not receive a dime from me, nor will the fun jumper who decided that they just had to get that dive in while the weather was shit and ends up getting themselves hurt.

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I was injured non-skydiving and received a lot of financial assistance from friends, even though I didn't really need it. When my friends get hurt skydiving (or otherwise) I pay it back. I don't care if they screwed up and hurt themselves or if an alien spaceship collided with them. If they need help and I can afford to provide it, I do.

- Dan G

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I was injured non-skydiving and received a lot of financial assistance from friends, even though I didn't really need it. When my friends get hurt skydiving (or otherwise) I pay it back. I don't care if they screwed up and hurt themselves or if an alien spaceship collided with them. If they need help and I can afford to provide it, I do.


All of which has nothing to do with
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Soliciting donations for medical expenses and financial burdens incurred from skydiving injuries ?



I dont think many people have issues with assisting friends in need. but that's not what was being asked.
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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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/

Hey Andy,

I followed the links to the health insurance plans, entered my info to get a quote, and look what I found under "exclusions" for all the plans listed:

Any Injury that is caused by flight or travel in, or upon:

1. An aircraft or other, craft designed for navigation above or beyond the earth's atmosphere except as a fare‑paying passenger;
2. An ultra light, hang-gliding, parachuting or bungi-cord jumping;
3. A snowmobile;
4. Any two or three wheeled motor vehicle;
5. Any off-road motorized vehicle not requiring licensing as a motor vehicle;
6. Any watercraft or other craft designed for water use above or beneath the water, except as a fare-paying passenger;

Seems odd (and rather pointless) for the USPA to have negotiated to provide health insurance that does not cover parachuting related injuries. The caps on payouts seem kind of ridiculous too, eg $1,000/surgical procedure, and $2,500/emergency room visit for one of the middle-of-the-road cost plans.

I'm fortunate to have a group policy that does not exclude skydiving. I do think that if anyone needs to purchase an individual plan that provides reasonable protection against financial devastation in the event of a serious injury, they will be paying quite a lot.

Don
_____________________________________
Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

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Huh? How can you say donating money to injured friends has nothing do to with donating money to injured friends?

It is the soliciting part you're talking about? I don't think I've ever seen anyone soliciting funds on their own behalf. It has always been a DZ or other concerned person soliciting on behalf of the injured. I don't see anything wrong with that.

- Dan G

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My understanding is that USPA negotiated for group LIFE insurance rates. I'm not sure why there are links to health insurance sites on the USPA website, but the LIFE insurance USPA negotiated does not exclude skydiving.

Yes, I am yelling the word LIFE on purpose.

- Dan G

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My understanding is that USPA negotiated for group LIFE insurance rates. I'm not sure why there are links to health insurance sites on the USPA website, but the LIFE insurance USPA negotiated does not exclude skydiving.

Yes, I am yelling the word LIFE on purpose.

Fair enough I guess, but the presence of the link on the USPA web site does imply their endorsement of the product. Anyway, I was responding to Popsjumper, and I was just pointing out that it would be unwise to assume that an insurance plan was appropriate for skydivers just because it is linked to the USPA site.

Don
_____________________________________
Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

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I don't think I've ever seen anyone soliciting funds on their own behalf.



Then you were not around for the Shayna Richardson saga.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=1989936;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;

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Like I said up top...you can choose to hear the truth or not...I haven't made a cent from any of this. I have nearly $200,000 in medical bills plus nearly $25,000 to get my teeth back. I simply wanted to ask America for help. Why should I have to run around with no teeth in my mouth for the rest of my life because of a accident?!?!? I need help, and this country is full of people who can do just that...and I will find them! If you, or any other skydivier has a problem with it you can dwell on it in your hearts...and maybe sometime actually listen to one of the news programs...and hear what I am saying.


"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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I was at a DZ years ago, and was asked to donate to an injured jumper. After I found out that the jumper was injured in a drunken fall from a tree, all I could think was, "WTF?"
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Can I be on your ash jump ?

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Then you were not around for the Shayna Richardson saga.



I suppose I should have said, "I've never seen a skydiver soliciting funds on their own behalf."

I wouldn't, and didn't, give her any money. The friends I've donated to didn't ask for help, but they obviously needed it.

- Dan G

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