Private coverage denied ; Markey's medical bills total $500K and continue to rise

tay

Hall of Fame Member
May 20, 2012
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Private coverage denied But if it happened in Canada thankfully one would be covered........






Skydiving accident victim's U.S. medical bills mount








Friends and family of a Nova Scotia woman seriously injured in a skydiving accident in the U.S. earlier this month are trying to raise funds to pay for her “astronomical” medical bills.


Kenzie Markey, 32, lives in Pemberton, B.C., but is originally from Greenwood, N.S. She has skydived more than a hundred times in the past three years. During a recent trip with friends to Arizona, she made 20 jumps in less than a week.


But during her latest skydive in Arizona on April 6, something went terribly wrong. At some point during the jump, Kenzie Markey’s chute collapsed, sending her plummeting to the ground.


Kenzie Markey suffered severe injuries in the fall, including a collapsed lung, a broken femur, pelvis and eye socket, as well as brain swelling. She has undergone several surgeries so far and medical bills are mounting. According to a web post by her friend Kelley Richardson, Kenzie's medical bills total about $500,000 right now and continue to grow.
The family’s priority right now is getting Kenzie back to Canada.


“It’s just trying to arrange air transport, there’s talk of having to guarantee an enormous amount of money up front which is a little difficult at the moment. That figure keeps bouncing around. It started off at $25,000 to $30,000, now it’s being quoted as high as $45,000,” he said.


Markey said after being on disability for the past two years, that’s not a sum he can afford to pay.


He said the family thought Kenzie Markey was insured and a claim was opened following her accident, but he said the claim was dismissed as invalid since she suffered her injuries while performing extreme sports.


Kenzie Markey's friends have set up an online fundraising page to help pay her huge medical bills. To date, more than $7,400 of the $50,000 goal has been raised.


Donations can also be made at Credit Unions in the Annapolis Valley
 

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
29,151
5
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London, Ontario
I can't understand how someone can engage in high risk 'recreational' activities like parachuting and not have adequate insurance in place to cover accidents. And I mean making damned sure the insurance is adequate.
 

QuebecCanadian

Electoral Member
Apr 13, 2014
502
0
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Good luck getting her back here. If "facebook God" can raise thousands to get his Dad a vacation (still shake my head at that one), I'm sure people will donate to get this woman back.

But yeah, you make sure you've got the insurance!!

Once she's back in Canada, who pays then?
 

taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
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Good luck getting her back here. If "facebook God" can raise thousands to get his Dad a vacation (still shake my head at that one), I'm sure people will donate to get this woman back.

But yeah, you make sure you've got the insurance!!

Once she's back in Canada, who pays then?

Canadian taxpayers. You know, the people that are busy earning a living and paying bills and taxes instead of galavanting around the world having fun.
 

BruSan

Electoral Member
Jul 5, 2011
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So; let's see if I've got this correct; a woman who has enough money to travel to another country to engage in a very expensive and RISKY passtime who then is injured while indulging her passion, treated in a foreign country, but did not take pains to ascertain whether or not she would be indemnified against enormous costs incurred through insurance coverage?

Duuuh; am I the only one who thinks this is simply a problem of the youth natural aversion to responsibilty? Does no one else think perhaps her Ma or Da should have asked some questions prior to her getting on a freak'n plane to Arizona like; "honey, I'm sure you've considered everything in the event you experience an injury".

Naah it would seem that Dad, whose been on a disability allowance for two years (everybody else miss that little nugget?) simply trusted his little darl'n and ignored completely the possibility of a 'worst case scenario'.

The failure to anticipate and plan for the unexpected is not new to the young and seemingly invincible, but adults in the mix should certainly have considered this possibility as a result of this sport being so risk prone.

Once enough cash is garnered through donations by the sympathetic to garner her release from Mexic....er,..... Arizona, she will then be covered by a mix of those Canadians who have no choice but to pay taxes and those who see nothing wrong with her stupid irresponsibility.

It now sounds to me like there will be two members of this family on disability pensions with at least one of them being carried in full by the Canadian taxpayers. There oughtta be a requirement that removes us all from carrying the costs of those who knowingly indulge their choice to engage in risky endeavours by removing those costs from the public purse and making damn sure they're indemnified by coverage THEY alone pay for.
 

QuebecCanadian

Electoral Member
Apr 13, 2014
502
0
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She's 32. Ma and Da have presumably cut those apron strings. But yeah, Canadian tax payers should not be held responsible for others' stupid "It won't happen to me so I'll save on the insurance" decisions.
 

Jonny_C

Electoral Member
Apr 25, 2013
372
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North Bay, ON
The whole idea of universal health care coverage is that everyone is covered, no matter what. We don't get to pick and choose who should be covered, and for what reasons, nor should we.

There's a long list of things people do, whether judged to be foolish or high-risk, whether mundane like driving too fast in icy conditions, or high-risk like extreme sports, or even criminal activity, where people could be judged as not worthy of coverage. We don't make those judgements, and it's a good thing we don't. Any one of us could find ourselves with a judgement going against us, or against our loved ones, with dire consequences to our lives.
 

captain morgan

Hall of Fame Member
Mar 28, 2009
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A Mouse Once Bit My Sister
When Tommy Douglas initiated (his version) universal healthcare, it was intended to accommodate catastrophic and significant medical issues.

Today's version of the system is attempting to be all things to all people... it is unsustainable, unaffordable and unrealistic
 

Nuggler

kind and gentle
Feb 27, 2006
11,596
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Backwater, Ontario.
So what would happen if she hangs in down in the US where the care is expensive but really good, then, when she's better, walk out the door and go home . Don't pay ??


Debtors prison ? The workhouse ??
probably not.
 

Sal

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 29, 2007
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I thought everything was free in the states the way some on here have described it.
 

Sal

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 29, 2007
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Now, now, Lol.

You know, if a foreign visitor to Canada had the same accident here, our hospitals would send them a bill too.
sure we would, but everything here isn't free, lol in spite of being a communist country
 

Jonny_C

Electoral Member
Apr 25, 2013
372
0
16
North Bay, ON
sure we would, but everything here isn't free, lol in spite of being a communist country

LOL isn't free or LOL communist country? :p

When Tommy Douglas initiated (his version) universal healthcare, it was intended to accommodate catastrophic and significant medical issues.

Are you sure that's all?

Today's version of the system is attempting to be all things to all people... it is unsustainable, unaffordable and unrealistic

Not so far. ;-)
 

Nuggler

kind and gentle
Feb 27, 2006
11,596
141
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Backwater, Ontario.
No one know the answer to my question ??


What would happen if she just got better and walked. no pay bill.


???


someone must have an opinion.


Boner; you're a Yankee barrister.............c`mon.
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

Satelitte Radio Addict
May 28, 2007
15,275
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No one know the answer to my question ??


What would happen if she just got better and walked. no pay bill.


???


someone must have an opinion.


Boner; you're a Yankee barrister.............c`mon.

They would probably turn her over to a collection agency and/or take her to court given the size of the bill.
 

Tecumsehsbones

Hall of Fame Member
Mar 18, 2013
60,434
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No one know the answer to my question ??


What would happen if she just got better and walked. no pay bill.


???


someone must have an opinion.


Boner; you're a Yankee barrister.............c`mon.
At a minimum, the hospital would destroy her credit rating. They'd likely put debt collecters on her. If they sold the debt, she could get sued and lose everything. Wouldn't be the first time by a long road.
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
117,834
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Low Earth Orbit
When Tommy Douglas initiated (his version) universal healthcare, it was intended to accommodate catastrophic and significant medical issues.

Today's version of the system is attempting to be all things to all people... it is unsustainable, unaffordable and unrealistic

Stubbed toes and sniffles are full on traumas the require instant access to the best stubbed toes specialists in the western world.

It won't be a problem for Canadian taxpayers but her provincial comrades who will foot the bill.