Do you have insurance?

W8killa · Jan 28, 2008

Seems a lot of pros dont have insurance based on what I have been reading. I heard Victor Martinez didnt have insurance when he got his injury. If true, thats crazy he won 100k from the arnold classic last year. Do you have insurance?

AWN2004 · Jan 28, 2008

Yes I do. I pay out of pocket each month for it. I had to use it for the first time ever earlier this month and it was a life saver. I got lucky as I got my plan through my old college roomie who worked for an investment firm who happen to sell all kinds of plans. Mine is 109 bucks a month. Thats it and it covers major medical up to 5 million with low co-pays. My ER trip cost me 100 bucks. If I would not have had insurance I would have been paying around 4700....insane. Look around and talk to a broker that understands what you need. I didn't have to have a phyisical and my buddy talked to them when they questioned the height to weight ratio. As long as you don't smoke, are single, and currently in good health, you should be able to find a plan for under 200 a month which is money well spent.

sickboy · Jan 29, 2008

I have Anthem BCBS. It's definitely worth it to me to have insurance, especially now that I'm over 30.

I can't believe Martinez didn't insurance with all the money he made last year, inexcusable. Insurance is not that expensive that a person can't get some kind of bare bones type of coverage for a health emergency.

Massive G · Jan 29, 2008

I don't understand why MD and Flex can't extend inusrance coverage to their contracted athletes?
Don't they provide it for their employees now for the magazine and supplement divisions?
contracted athletes -Isn't that considered a salary?
When you are under group health coverage there is no physical required so that shouldn't be a problem.
My knee operation similar to Vic's and the required meds and therapy and follow up cost my insurance company 100,000 plus. (40,000 alone for the surgery).

I know mattarazos open heart surgery was 800,000 plus and he had no insurance.

I often wonder what many people do without insurance that have huge medical bills. I knew a lady that had a brain aneuryism. she had no insurance and was heli lifted to a hospital that could handle her. She (thank goodness) sufferedno damage after extensive brain surgery and was in ICU for 2 weeks. Her medical bills were over 2 million and she settled for less than 10% of that with the hospital.

Something to keep in mind most hospitals will work with you to get some money which is better than nothing at all.

mountaindog1 · Jan 29, 2008

I am so thankful I have good insurance through the Bank I work for. All of those surgeries I had in 2005, plus the recent one I had, have totaled over 500k. It is amazing to me that a "Pro" bodybuilder wouldn't posses the common sense to get insurance. I sometimes get self-righteous when I see the internet requests coming to send money to these pro's who I won't name, and think to myself, why didn't that #$&$^# pick up some insurance.

John Meadows

rotty · Jan 29, 2008

Who said he can even get insurance. Most states require you to take a physical and answer questions and you can be denied. Not to mention if he lies on the questionaire and you make a claim they can investigate your application, find out you lied and cancel your insurance retroactive to the date of the policy and have the doctors and hospital go after you for their money after the insurance companies take their money back. All the people that shit on Mass in another thread, Mass is one of the few states that you can't be denied health insurance and they are actually requiring all people to have it now and penalizing individuals in their tax returns if you don't have it. They are also penalizing businesses if they don't offer it

thebrick · Jan 29, 2008

I have good coverage and I am glad I do. All the shit that's been repaired on me... I would be paying out my ass to pay it off. I have never sat down and added it up to the dollar, but its in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Matte220 · Jan 29, 2008

I do through my company and they cover the whole premium although the deductable is like 3000 so really it's there in case of an emergency or other unforseen accident.

Kaiser · Jan 29, 2008

Massive G said:
I don't understand why MD and Flex can't extend inusrance coverage to their contracted athletes?
Don't they provide it for their employees now for the magazine and supplement divisions?
contracted athletes -Isn't that considered a salary?

These athletes are more than likely subcontractors. They are paid out probably via 1099, as the sponsoring company probably wants to hold no liability for the "supplements" they truly use. Also, with a 1099, it is a full deduction whereas with a W2 employee would mean more taxes that the company would have to pay instead of having an actual deduction.

BOOMSHAKER · Jan 29, 2008

I have insurance through my job. I believe the reason why many of the pro's don't or can't get insurance is the cost gets extremely high for them when they list "self employed" on their insurance application. For the pro's once the insurance finds out you're a pro bodybuilder they get all these red flags that pop up all over their screens. The liability issue becomes a great concern for them. It's really nothing more then them (insurance company) stereo typing all bodybuilders.

The next insurance app you fill out under job write "self employed health care professional". That should be enough to get you a policy with someone.

Pushinw8s · Jan 30, 2008

Don't leave home without it!

BALDNAZI · Jan 30, 2008

Insurance

Be careful guys. If there is one thing in your medical report pertaining to steroids and you get sick, you will not be covered. I am the perfect example, close to $400,000 in medical bills due to everything I went through with my liver and I was denied because a few doctors wrote "steroids" in my reports. Even my surgeon wrote a letter stating that my condition could not be 100% proved that it was caused by steroids, and they still denied me.

I went to attorneys who looked over everything and they said that a case like this would take years, the lawyer fees alone would screw me and if by chance I won, the insurance company would still only be liable to pay a certain amount of what was owed. The rest would still be on me. The solution is bankruptcy, which is something I am going through now.

So please be careful what is put in your records, it could mean the difference of being covered or not. Insurance companies are fucking scumbags!!

exorcist1 · Jan 30, 2008

BALDNAZI said:
Be careful guys. If there is one thing in your medical report pertaining to steroids and you get sick, you will not be covered. I am the perfect example, close to $400,000 in medical bills due to everything I went through with my liver and I was denied because a few doctors wrote "steroids" in my reports. Even my surgeon wrote a letter stating that my condition could not be 100% proved that it was caused by steroids, and they still denied me.

I went to attorneys who looked over everything and they said that a case like this would take years, the lawyer fees alone would screw me and if by chance I won, the insurance company would still only be liable to pay a certain amount of what was owed. The rest would still be on me. The solution is bankruptcy, which is something I am going through now.

So please be careful what is put in your records, it could mean the difference of being covered or not. Insurance companies are fucking scumbags!!

Damn bro, sorry to hear that.. that is terrible...

Air Supply · Jan 30, 2008

Yep, blue cross/blue shield

Max32 · Jan 31, 2008

BALDNAZI said:
Be careful guys. If there is one thing in your medical report pertaining to steroids and you get sick, you will not be covered. I am the perfect example, close to $400,000 in medical bills due to everything I went through with my liver and I was denied because a few doctors wrote "steroids" in my reports. Even my surgeon wrote a letter stating that my condition could not be 100% proved that it was caused by steroids, and they still denied me.

I went to attorneys who looked over everything and they said that a case like this would take years, the lawyer fees alone would screw me and if by chance I won, the insurance company would still only be liable to pay a certain amount of what was owed. The rest would still be on me. The solution is bankruptcy, which is something I am going through now.

So please be careful what is put in your records, it could mean the difference of being covered or not. Insurance companies are fucking scumbags!!

yep, especially if you have in scripts for anything bbuilding related

Conan21 · Jan 31, 2008

that doesn't make sense???

BALDNAZI said:
Be careful guys. If there is one thing in your medical report pertaining to steroids and you get sick, you will not be covered. I am the perfect example, close to $400,000 in medical bills due to everything I went through with my liver and I was denied because a few doctors wrote "steroids" in my reports. Even my surgeon wrote a letter stating that my condition could not be 100% proved that it was caused by steroids, and they still denied me.

I went to attorneys who looked over everything and they said that a case like this would take years, the lawyer fees alone would screw me and if by chance I won, the insurance company would still only be liable to pay a certain amount of what was owed. The rest would still be on me. The solution is bankruptcy, which is something I am going through now.

So please be careful what is put in your records, it could mean the difference of being covered or not. Insurance companies are fucking scumbags!!

Are you saying you HAD insurance but they wouldn't cover anything because it was steroid related? Are you serious??

If a person is driving drunk and gets in an accident does insurance not help because they were drinking?? not being sarcastic. I'm really curious?

phreak · Jan 31, 2008

Conan21 said:
Are you saying you HAD insurance but they wouldn't cover anything because it was steroid related? Are you serious??

If a person is driving drunk and gets in an accident does insurance not help because they were drinking?? not being sarcastic. I'm really curious?

yes, they will fuck you in any possible way. watch "sicko" and you will see how fucked up their practices are. people get bonuses based on the claims they reject. it is beyond assinine.

i have very good insurance through my company with low copays and a very low deductible ($250).

i will never, EVER admit to using AAS under any circumstances. no good can come from it. even if i was on my death bed i wouldn't admit to use.

the medical community is criminally ignorant when it comes to AAS and the insurance companies are just criminals period.

even if you go to a doc for HRT, DO NOT admit to using AAS in the past. the insurance company reps salivate over the prospect of finding the word "steroids" on one of your records.

Max32 · Jan 31, 2008

phreak said:
yes, they will fuck you in any possible way. watch "sicko" and you will see how fucked up their practices are. people get bonuses based on the claims they reject. it is beyond assinine.

i have very good insurance through my company with low copays and a very low deductible ($250).

i will never, EVER admit to using AAS under any circumstances. no good can come from it. even if i was on my death bed i wouldn't admit to use.

the medical community is criminally ignorant when it comes to AAS and the insurance companies are just criminals period.

even if you go to a doc for HRT, DO NOT admit to using AAS in the past. the insurance company reps salivate over the prospect of finding the word "steroids" on one of your records.

If you go to the doc for HRT, you are fucked, plain and simple....I can find no carrier now, and will have to get on my woman's plan once we get married as I am 1099ed with my company who does not offer insurance....

SZona · Jan 31, 2008

Yep

Just switched to new HealthyBlue plan through Excellus BCBS. Kind of cool... can earn up to $500 back per family member by documenting healthy behaviors (exercise program, diet, health care proxy), completing a health assessment and getting regular physicals/check ups. Favorite part is no longer need referrals to specialists (hate that). Only costs like 8$ a week because wifey works for Excellus.

Z

bpm1 · Jan 31, 2008

BALDNAZI said:
Be careful guys. If there is one thing in your medical report pertaining to steroids and you get sick, you will not be covered. I am the perfect example, close to $400,000 in medical bills due to everything I went through with my liver and I was denied because a few doctors wrote "steroids" in my reports. Even my surgeon wrote a letter stating that my condition could not be 100% proved that it was caused by steroids, and they still denied me.

I went to attorneys who looked over everything and they said that a case like this would take years, the lawyer fees alone would screw me and if by chance I won, the insurance company would still only be liable to pay a certain amount of what was owed. The rest would still be on me. The solution is bankruptcy, which is something I am going through now.

So please be careful what is put in your records, it could mean the difference of being covered or not. Insurance companies are fucking scumbags!!

this is why you deny, deny, deny.........