# What was your most expensive injury? also, Do you have insurance?



## dopamean (Nov 1, 2012)

dislocated a vertebrate in my spine; near my lower back a few years ago while skateboarding. Was trying to 5-0 a hubba @ this local 119 [sandstone] park and fell from like 10 ft straight to flat on the concrete, right on my back. My homie tried to come help me up and help me laugh it off, but said I was twitching and shit haha. 

I've been injured so many times I could give a fuck, just a huge annoyance/irritation when it happens nowadays; knowing i'll have to neglect the things I love: skateboarding/snowboarding, in order to sit on my ass and allow recovery time 

All in all, I spent some $cheddar on x-rays and dr. visits initially and have since spent tons on chiropractor visits just to keep from being a permanent-cripple. 

Injuries = suck ass.


----------



## huckit (Jan 9, 2012)

My latest, and probably my most expensive, was actually a dirtbike accident. Was going around 25 mph, crashed, did a flip and landed on my head, neck, and then whacked my lower back. I wear all my protective gear, but I wasn't wearing a kidney belt, which protects the lower back. I broke my leatte brace, which means it did its job, and I felt okay actually, void a pain in my lower back (the bike was okay btw, which is crazy becuase it did a couple flips as well.) By the end of the day my back was cramping and killing me and I couldn't really bend over because it swelled up so bad, which sucked because I had to load my bike and crap. Anyway, next day wasn't any better, I went to a doctor and got xrays and he told me he was 90% sure I had fractured my lumbar spinal process, and that I should get a ct scan. I went in to the ER, had the scan, and they told me that I was fine; the thing the doctor saw on the xray was actually showing that I had a minor spina bifida. Which I guess means that my spinal process never fully developed. All in all, I was diognosed with a large hematoma. Recovery time: 1 week, thank God. 

No insurance. And it's really dumb that I had to get a ct, which ain't that cheap. Everything was still under 2 grand though, so not that bad. Other than that just concussions and pulling muscles and spraining stuff. Snowboarding, football, being dumb-all definitely worth it though, except for the being dumb part. And smashing my foot under a trailer.


----------



## Lamps (Sep 3, 2011)

Up here in Canada we have public health care so this thread is irrelevant


----------



## ARSENALFAN (Apr 16, 2012)

Lamps said:


> Up here in Canada we have public health care so this thread is irrelevant



Amen brother. We could be in a bodycast with every bone shattered, living at a hospital for months on end and its all free (if you don't look at our yearly taxes...yikes). Anyhow....I would NEVER trade the Canadian health care system for that of our US friends. They think socialized medicine is crazy....the only thing crazier is the system they have in place :cheeky4:


----------



## dopamean (Nov 1, 2012)

ARSENALFAN said:


> Amen brother. We could be in a bodycast with every bone shattered, living at a hospital for months on end and its all free (if you don't look at our yearly taxes...yikes). Anyhow....I would NEVER trade the Canadian health care system for that of our US friends. They think socialized medicine is crazy....the only thing crazier is the system they have in place :cheeky4:


I want dual-citizenship so If I get hurt I can fly to Canada for Free recovery!


----------



## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

30 plus grand. Not counting the helicopter ride, ambulance, and ALS.


----------



## ARSENALFAN (Apr 16, 2012)

BurtonAvenger said:


> 30 plus grand. Not counting the helicopter ride, ambulance, and ALS.



OMG. And you still have enough cash to snowboard? You must have one hell of a job


----------



## Noreaster (Oct 7, 2012)

ARSENALFAN said:


> Amen brother. We could be in a bodycast with every bone shattered, living at a hospital for months on end and its all free (if you don't look at our yearly taxes...yikes).


I know a guy like that in Whistler. He's known around those parts as "Trauma".


----------



## Lamps (Sep 3, 2011)

ARSENALFAN said:


> Amen brother. We could be in a bodycast with every bone shattered, living at a hospital for months on end and its all free (if you don't look at our yearly taxes...yikes). Anyhow....I would NEVER trade the Canadian health care system for that of our US friends. They think socialized medicine is crazy....the only thing crazier is the system they have in place :cheeky4:


Taxes are a little higher but well worth it.


----------



## OldDog (Oct 7, 2012)

Lamps said:


> Taxes are a little higher but well worth it.


Meh, as an American working in Canada the taxes are a lot more than a "little" higher. It's not so much just the income tax, but the sales tax is double, gas is 40% more, food is retarded (I mean who the fuck pays $10/lb. for cheese?). My rent is double, and even mailing a letter is 6x as expensive as the states.

As for healthcare, it's not free. It costs about the same monthly for the provincial plan and my supplemental as it did for my previous employer's group plan in the states. My employer pays for my provincial plan, but it damn sure isn't free.

Free healthcare is a misnomer. The only real difference is access to care and lack of all the private insurers and their fucking profit margins. However, it seems to be moving more and more that way here as well.

Albeit major medical is covered at 100% under the provincial plan. Try finding a 100% coverage plan in the states these days, maybe 15 years ago. Actually my coverage was 100% for everything but dental back in '95 and it cost me $80/month. Ah, the good 'ole days. Fuck! I'm getting old. You damn kids the hell off my lawn!... :cheeky4:

PS: Had to say something, I've never had a snowboarding injury as I'm just starting this year!


----------



## CheeseForSteeze (May 11, 2011)

The billed amount was around $1500 so nothing that extraordinary. I dislocated my elbow which required a trip to ER, some x-rays, the ER meds and materials.


----------



## sheepstealer (Aug 19, 2009)

Broke my collarbone in two places last year. Elected to have surgery as I'm still a younger guy and didn't want to deal with potential complications down the road. They inserted a pin into my shoulder that I had to walk around with for a couple months.

Total cost was about $15,000, including everything from hospital transport, doctors visits, surgery, etc.

Thank God for insurance under your parents being boosted to 26 years old. I think almost all of it was completely covered. Thanks Mom and Dad.


----------



## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

OldDog said:


> As for healthcare, it's not free. It costs about the same monthly for the provincial plan and my supplemental as it did for my previous employer's group plan in the states. My employer pays for my provincial plan, but it damn sure isn't free.


I'm in Canada. My father-in-law had a quadruple bypass a couple of years ago. He and his wife are not homeowners, not rich (or even well-off), live on his pension. But he came through that process _not_ bankrupted. It seems to me, viewing it from the outside, that you can have reasonalbe coverage in the US if you have a good job and a good employer with a good medical plan available. But if you're in the lower end of the employment spectrum, you're screwed. So it comes down to a philosophical and moral question of whether the attitude "fuck'em. It's their problem." is acceptable for a society. In Canada, we've decided it isn't. YMMV.


----------



## jdmccright (Apr 8, 2011)

Donutz said:


> I'm in Canada. My father-in-law had a quadruple bypass a couple of years ago. He and his wife are not homeowners, not rich (or even well-off), live on his pension. But he came through that process _not_ bankrupted. It seems to me, viewing it from the outside, that you can have reasonalbe coverage in the US if you have a good job and a good employer with a good medical plan available. But if you're in the lower end of the employment spectrum, you're screwed. So it comes down to a philosophical and moral question of whether the attitude "fuck'em. It's their problem." is acceptable for a society. In Canada, we've decided it isn't. YMMV.



Most people on the lower end are on welfare and get it paid 100% by the tax payers. Its kinda a punishment to be middle class now. We have shit for coverage, like 70% plus a 500 to 1000 up front.


----------



## OldDog (Oct 7, 2012)

jdmccright said:


> Most people on the lower end are on welfare and get it paid 100% by the tax payers. Its kinda a punishment to be middle class now. We have shit for coverage, like 70% plus a 500 to 1000 up front.


Yup, like I said the only real differences are the lack of 100% coverage in the states and the shitty access to care in Canada. Being on a waiting list for months to see a specialist is retarded.

I think one of the main reasons for the higher tax rates in Canada has more to do with a limited population and a lot less industrial tax base. More of an assumption as I haven't really studied the issue.


----------



## jdmccright (Apr 8, 2011)

OldDog said:


> Yup, like I said the only real differences are the lack of 100% coverage in the states and the shitty access to care in Canada. Being on a waiting list for months to see a specialist is retarded.
> 
> I think one of the main reasons for the higher tax rates in Canada has more to do with a limited population and a lot less industrial tax base. More of an assumption as I haven't really studied the issue.


Really if someone would streamline healthcare in the US and not allow hospitals to charge $10 for a pain pill and $400 for a brace I can get at Walmart for $20 we would see 100% again.


----------



## Cycle4Fun (Feb 22, 2012)

jdmccright said:


> Really if someone would streamline healthcare in the US and not allow hospitals to charge $10 for a pain pill and $400 for a brace I can get at Walmart for $20 we would see 100% again.


Then we can tell them that they don't have to provide any services until a patient shows proof of insurance or pays up front.

That's not morally acceptable to me. Medicade covers you if you're at poverty level. It didn't cover you if you have a job that doesn't provide insurance. You had to pay out the wazoo for personal coverage. The new health care law is better than the past system. It's not perfect though. Myself? I like Germany's healthcare system.

My costliest injury was a dislocated patella during baseball practice in high school. Ambulance trips and MRI's are costly. Even with insurance.


----------



## BoardWalk (Mar 22, 2011)

Gerbil extraction....I mean a friend had it done.....


----------



## Gdog42 (Nov 11, 2012)

Well now that Obama's back in the house we get our healthcare for FREE!
And by free I mean we have to pay more taxes, but worth it. I'd rather pay more tax then have to pay thousands of US dollars after waking up from a surgery. That sure would be a nice surprise... 
A couple years ago I damaged the nerve connecting to my right shoulder, and couldn't raise my arm, higher than 90 degrees. For 3 months the doctors sent me from one doctor to the next claiming they didn't know what was going on, charging thousands for each appointment. By the time it had recovered, they finally sent me to a specialist who got out an x-ray chart, pointed, and said "that's the problem." Those idiots could have just sent me to this guy the first time, but they didn't because my money mattered more to them.
The way they all laughed so casually every time...
I'm not saying that all doctors in the US are like this, most are really decent people- I just got unlucky. This problem can't continue now that national healthcare's on the way though, so I'm glad about it.


----------



## Pixel8tedOne (Feb 7, 2011)

Broken tailbone. After a few rounds of xrays, hospital and dr visits, and lots of chiropractor visits, the total out of pocket was about $4500. What they billed the insurance company was stupid though.


----------

