Gymnastics News #23: Defying Gravity

[VGThuy]

She's not insured.

That stuck out at me too.

 

[Coco]

In the US, self employed people who are middle class or wealthier have to pay what must seem like an astronomical amount sometimes, like $1000/month. Obviously cheaper than a stay in the ICU, but a lot of people take the gamble.

 

[FiveRinger]

Mary Lou Retton is in the ICU.

Her daughter is fundraising for her medical care. Which surprises me. I know everyone didn’t make Bruce/Kaitlyn Jenner types of income, but I am surprised to read this.

 

[Allskate]

Her daughter is fundraising for her medical care. Which surprises me. I know everyone didn’t make Bruce/Kaitlyn Jenner types of income, but I am surprised to read this.

I think she has a lot more money/assets than the typical American:

Mary Lou Retton’s luxury Houston home

Every once in a while we enjoy taking a look at celebrity homes. It gives us a nice perspective and it lets us understand that every home is unique and

www.homedit.com

But, she gambled it by not buying health insurance. So, it either isn't enough to cover the ICU costs or they would prefer not to have to use such a large amount of her own assets to pay the costs.

I hope she is able to beat the pneumonia and makes a full recovery.

 

[FiveRinger]

I think she has a lot more money/assets than the typical American:

Mary Lou Retton’s luxury Houston home

Every once in a while we enjoy taking a look at celebrity homes. It gives us a nice perspective and it lets us understand that every home is unique and

www.homedit.com

But, she gambled it by not buying health insurance. So, it either isn't enough to cover the ICU costs or they would prefer not to have to use such a large amount of her assets.

I hope she is able to beat the pneumonia and makes a full recovery.

Yeah, well I need to stay off the internet. I’m being reminded of her politics and her role with USAG, especially after Nassar. I’m quickly souring and losing sympathy

 

[sk9tingfan]

She's not insured.

I'm sorry but that is what the Affordable Care Act is for. There's more to this story.

 

[sk9tingfan]

Yeah, well I need to stay off the internet. I’m being reminded of her politics and her role with USAG, especially after Nassar. I’m quickly souring and losing sympathy

Losing it rapidly. When I was unemployed before the ACA, due to my cancer diagnosis, and living out of state based on my employers plan, I did not qualify for COBRA, nor the community-rated pool. In my state of residence, I qualified only for the catastrophic pool, more than ten years ago. The monthly premium was $2300 per month with a high deductible & coinsurance, but I had no option, but to bite the bullet.

Now she is relying on others to pay up in light of her irresponsibility.

 

[sk9tingfan]

In the US, self employed people who are middle class or wealthier have to pay what must seem like an astronomical amount sometimes, like $1000/month. Obviously cheaper than a stay in the ICU, but a lot of people take the gamble.

Please see my comments above. Thanks

 

[Allskate]

I'm sorry but that is what the Affordable Care Act is for. There's more to this story.

I doubt there's much more to the story other than that she made the choice not to buy insurance but to pay for other things such as mansion costs. There are plenty of people who choose to spend their money on things other than health insurance and then are unhappy when they have big medical bills. My former colleague had an adult son who had a chronic health condition and a wife and kids but refused to buy insurance under the ACA and then refused to pay one-third of the premium for the health insurance offered by his employer. So, no health insurance. He and his wife always had the nicest and newest phones, went on vacations to places like Disneyland, had big gas-guzzling vehicles, frequently ate out, etc. They were mad when the wife had some medical problems and were expected to pay the medical bills.

I think that there increasingly are people who genuinely can't afford insurance under the ACA, and certain politicians deliberately have made it that way. But, I don't think Mary Lou falls into this category. She rolled the dice and lost. I hope she has better luck in her battle against the pneumonia.

 

[once_upon]

I'm sorry but that is what the Affordable Care Act is for. There's more to this story.

Affordable is asset depended. When open market was my only option, monthly premium was $1,400/mo and deductible was $6,500/yr.

 

[Coco]

I wouldn't say she's relying on others as it sounds like she's on a ventilator and may be sedated. She probably thought this would never happen to her.

It always seemed to me a bit like her life went a little bit off the rails after her divorce. She seemed to struggle with the recent opportunities that she had, like dancing with the Stars and just navigating public life generally. It's a very sad, horrifying story, as is @sk9tingfan 's story about paying $2,300/month.

 

[FiveRinger]

I doubt there's much more to the story other than that she made the choice not to buy insurance but to pay for other things such as mansion costs. There are plenty of people who choose to spend their money on things other than health insurance and then are unhappy when they have big medical bills. My former colleague had an adult son who had a chronic health condition and a wife and kids but refused to buy insurance under the ACA and then refused to pay one-third of the premium for the health insurance offered by his employer. So, no health insurance. He and his wife always had the nicest and newest phones, went on vacations to places like Disneyland, had big gas-guzzling vehicles, frequently ate out, etc. They were mad when the wife had some medical problems and were expected to pay the medical bills.

I think that there increasingly are people who genuinely can't afford insurance under the ACA, and certain politicians deliberately have made it that way. But, I don't think Mary Lou falls into this category. She rolled the dice and lost. I hope she has better luck in her battle against the pneumonia.

Is she a politician that made it that way or is she someone who can't afford insurance under ACA? Which is it? She's still toting her MAGA card, last I heard. And considering that she was peddling Colonial Penn at one point (the commercials have made a miraculous comeback via the web since her hospitalization), she's okay with insurance companies that pay her.

The good news (for her) is that the hospital where she's staying rolled the dice and gambled on her. They are treating her rare pneumonia (sorry....I mean covid) whether or not she can afford to pay. And even more good news, she doesn't need to worry about paying until after she gets out. They'll do payment arrangements or whatever else she can muster. All the good people who still want to support her and donate, I wish you all the best.

 

[Allskate]

Affordable is asset depended. When open market was my only option, monthly premium was $1,400/mo and deductible was $6,500/yr.

Yes. It is asset-dependent. If Mary Lou paid that much for health insurance, she might not have been able to pay for the pool maintenance and landscaping on a 9000 square foot mansion. Some people genuinely don't have the ability to pay for health insurance because of decisions politicans are making. Others have it but make the decision to take a gamble and spend the money on other things to have a higher standard of living than many who are paying for health insurance. (And health insurance costs go up for everyone when some people don't buy health insurance and don't pay their medical bills.) She took a gamble and lost. And now her daughter wants others to help her out.

Is she a politician that made it that way or is she someone who can't afford insurance under ACA?

Neither. I thought that was pretty clear from my posts.

 

[tony]

Yes. It is asset-dependent. If Mary Lou paid that much for health insurance, she might not have been able to pay for the pool maintenance and landscaping on a 9000 square foot mansion. Some people genuinely don't have the ability to pay for health insurance because of decisions politicans are making. Others have it but make the decision to take a gamble and spend the money on other things to have a higher standard of living than many who are paying for health insurance. (And health insurance costs go up for everyone when some people don't buy health insurance and don't pay their medical bills.) She took a gamble and lost. And now her daughter wants others to help her out.


Neither. I thought that was pretty clear from my posts.

But we also don't know what may or may not be happening in her personal life to judge why she didn't have healthcare and whether she was 'gambling' or not. I also think it's a bit cringey that you're calling out a daughter, whose mother seems to have went from good health to very poor health in a matter of days, for trying to ask for help through this.

My insurance skyrocketed through Obamacare (note here, Obamacare because my long-time job offered ZERO in terms of benefits) due to a combination of factors, and I also had my rent almost double overnight all while trying to finish up school. Sometimes things just happen and unfortunately the American system puts a lot of people in a predicament with their health.

I hope I'm pretty clear in my post.

 

[Allskate]

But we also don't know what may or may not be happening in her personal life to judge why she didn't have healthcare and whether she was 'gambling' or not. I also think it's a bit cringey that you're calling out a daughter, whose mother seems to have went from good health to very poor health in a matter of days, is trying to ask for help through this.

I feel for her daughter and the rest of the family that Mary Lou is battling pneumonia and is in the ICU. As I said, I hope she beats the pneumonia and makes a full recovery.

You're right that we can't possibly know for sure why she made her choice not to buy health insurance despite so recently owning a mansion. Heck, for all we know, she could be so rich that she self-insured. She doesn't seem to be opposed to the idea of insurance in general as she recently has been promoting life insurance for an insurance company:

Colonial Penn Life Insurance Company

Mary Lou Retton- You Got This Fall 2023

www.youtube.com

And sometimes people just make stupid decisions that they regret. Even if that's the case here, it certainly doesn't change the fact that I feel bad for her and wish her a full recovery.

 

[Debbie S]

I don't know the costs in TX but in my state, the cost of an ACA plan for someone in their early 50s is about $400-500/month, deductible around $6K. Prohibitively expensive for many but probably something Mary Lou could have afforded. But yes, we shouldn't speculate.

I was 12 at the time of the 1984 Olys and she and Julianne McNamara became my idols from those Games. Her actions/comments during the Nasser scandal were upsetting to read, so I can't say I'm still a fan, but i hope she recovers.

 

[escaflowne9282]

This is so freaky, because Shushunova passed from pneumonia not too long ago ☹. I hope she makes a full recovery.

 

[Private Citizen]

Some people will make excuses for anything .

Retton is (or was) an able-bodied adult with plenty of opportunities, far more than most people. There's no excuse for her not to have health insurance. Those who leech off the system should pay in full and suffer the consequences, harsh as they may be. I have zero sympathy if she ends up bankrupt and living in public housing. Better than being dead. Anyone who gives to this fundraiser has more money than sense.

 

[bardtoob]

I'm just going to leave this right here ...

Why Do We Love Watching Female Celebrities Fail?

From Britney to Lindsay, it's an offensive trope as old as time.

www.glamour.com

 

[sk9tingfan]

I was not aware of her political views, and I wonder if that extended to getting vaccinated (or not). I also never saw any of her commercials on TV.

 

[once_upon]

Since the Mary Lou discussion has taken away from the current gymnastics news, maybe it deserves her own thread.

and maybe because it's heading into the ACA and speculation on what is the cause of her "rare" pneumonia being related to her political views, it gets moved to political forum?

JMO - thread drifts do what thread drifts do

 

[just tuned in]

Since the Mary Lou discussion has taken away from the current gymnastics news, maybe it deserves her own thread.

and maybe because it's heading into the ACA and speculation on what is the cause of her "rare" pneumonia being related to her political views, it gets moved to political forum?

JMO - thread drifts do what thread drifts do

Maybe like the Jamie Sale thread.

 

[Coco]

Amazing how many people are experts on someone's personal financial situation.

Given that there is clearly no publicist or agent in the picture, and she's doing commercials associated with z-list celebrities, I'm guessing things haven't been as rosy as some might think from knowledge of her past earnings and mansion.

The outcomes here are either that she will die or recover and be able to explain her choices. So I don't think it will kill people to wait for more information.

 

[skatfan]

Amazing how many people are experts on someone's personal financial situation.

Given that there is clearly no publicist or agent in the picture, and she's doing commercials associated with z-list celebrities, I'm guessing things haven't been as rosy as some might think from knowledge of her past earnings and mansion.

The outcomes here are either that she will die or recover and be able to explain her choices. So I don't think it will kill people to wait for more information.

News reports that the daughters say that over $350k has been raised.

There have also been reports that Mary Lou has not had good health for a while. Gymnastics, particularly in the era she competed, was not known for taking care of its young athletes.

 

[bardtoob]

There have also been reports that Mary Lou has not had good health for a while. Gymnastics, particularly in the era she competed, was not known for taking care of its young athletes.

That is very true. The IOC officially began allowing professional athletes to compete in the Olympics Games in 1988, basically leaving it up to the individual sporting federations to determine if they would allow professionals. This means that Mary Lou bore all the burden of living and training as well as all the risk of injury, and received no real earnings until after she retired. Athletes often "trained through injury" instead of getting prompt medical care and having surgeries because it was an out of pocket expense that only wealthy athletes could afford.

 

[FiveRinger]

Amazing how many people are experts on someone's personal financial situation.

Given that there is clearly no publicist or agent in the picture, and she's doing commercials associated with z-list celebrities, I'm guessing things haven't been as rosy as some might think from knowledge of her past earnings and mansion.

The outcomes here are either that she will die or recover and be able to explain her choices. So I don't think it will kill people to wait for more information.

What you say is true. However, when you make a request for donations to a cause, people want to know what it is that they are supporting. I don't begrudge Retton's kids for trying to help her. If it were my mother I might do the same. But you give up the right to privacy (even when you ask) when you ask people for money. They want to know why you need it and how you'll spend it. And in 2023, whether those people are friend or foe, they are going to dig into public records and the internet and whatever else they can to either find answers to questions. People make decisions and inferences based on past behavior.

The family is asking for money now. And regardless about how we feel about it morally, the public isn't going to wait for answers.

 

[Coco]

Well then, I'm speaking to the people in this thread, not some faceless public.

The family has been clear what the $$ is for, people are free to not donate. The venom directed at them is OTT, imo.

 

[VGThuy]

I'm just going to leave this right here ...

Why Do We Love Watching Female Celebrities Fail?

From Britney to Lindsay, it's an offensive trope as old as time.

www.glamour.com

I don’t doubt misogyny plays a part in which stories of personal failings society decides to consume, but a lot of things posters have pointed out about Mary Lou Retton were specifically related to questions about how she, someone who many perceived to be well off (public persona, getting endorsement deals decades after the height of her fame, may have been living in a mansion) and who has been very public about a lot of her policy views or what she advocates for got to the point where she’s participating in America’s GoFundMe health care scheme. There’s a bit of irony here.

That said, it is also very fair to ask that we all take a step back and realize we don’t actually know her living and financial situation and how big her fortunes at her apex of popularity were. The Beales were living in Grey Gardens after all and unless your lived in East Hampton or were part of or close to the Bouvier-Beale-Kennedy clan, you wouldn’t have known what their actual situation was either.

If is also fair to show others how she may have ended up in this situation by having us confront the very real issue of the high cost of American healthcare where unless you’re incredibly destitute, then you’re forced you to buy into a private insurance scheme where you pay into an industry that makes profits up to 19 billion dollars or foot the full bill yourself (and hope you can make it go away somehow). Your income doesn’t even have to be at “middle class” or even “working class” (if there is even a difference really) levels to be forced to pay into the system.

Of course, there’s also the idea that somebody’s health is deteriorating and there’s a good chance she may die, so maybe this isn’t the right time to use her as a central figure to discuss any of the above topics… even if you think she herself didn’t show the same sensitivity towards others who were suffering in other contexts.

 

[bardtoob]

@genevieve
@PRlady
@miffy

Can we have a new Mary Lou thread and a new Gymnstatics thread and close this one?