HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILLINOIS – FEBRUARY 21: Mary Lou Retton, former Olympic gold medalist in women’s gymnastics, looks on during the 2009 USA Tyson Cup at Sears Center on February 21, 2009 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
When Mary Lou Retton’s family announced in October that she had been hospitalized seriously ill with a rare form of pneumonia, many fans were dismayed to learn that the 1984 Olympic champion, who had supposedly earned millions from endorsement deals over the course of Years, she does not have health insurance.
During an interview on the “Today” show on Monday, Retton, 55, revealed that she couldn’t afford insurance before she was hospitalized. The retired gold medal-winning gymnast explained that purchasing insurance was too expensive for her as a newly single woman with a history of surgeries.
“When COVID hit and after my divorce and all my pre-existing (conditions) — I mean, I’ve had over 30 surgeries for orthopedic things — I couldn’t afford it… That’s the bottom line: I couldn’t afford it,” Retton told “Today” host Hoda. pole.
“But who would even know this would happen to me?” said Retton, who also explained that she is now “absolutely ready” for insurance.
Because of her lack of coverage when she was admitted to an unnamed Houston hospital, Shayla Schrepfer, the oldest of Retton’s four daughters, said the family had to start a crowdfunding campaign to help cover her medical bill. Over the next few weeks, the Spotfund campaign raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Retton, the 1984 Olympic star medalist. As of Monday, the campaign had raised a total of $459,000.
Retton’s hospital bill was probably huge. She revealed on Monday that she spent a month in hospital, most of it in the intensive care unit. She said that at some point her condition became so bad that doctors considered putting her on life support and she said goodbye to her four daughters.
Among people on social media, the idea that the Retton family needed to ask strangers to pay what was expected to be a huge hospital bill sparked a range of questions and reactions in October. At the top of the list: Why didn’t Retton have health insurance? And what country is the United States if even a legendary sports figure like Retton — once dubbed “America’s Sweetheart” — can’t pay for an emergency hospital stay?
When Retton’s daughters declined to comment on their mother’s lack of health insurance, “out of respect for her and her privacy,” people online were left to speculate about whether the retired athlete had chosen to forego health insurance, or whether or not she had somehow lost coverage. Unable to get coverage.
They also noted that she had recently been living in a mansion in Houston, citing a May 2022 report that she was selling her “luxury” 9,000-square-foot home in Houston, which includes six bedrooms, six bathrooms and a pool.
Retton revealed during an interview on Monday that she has been staying with her daughter, Shayla Schrepfer, since leaving the hospital. Schrepfer also joined her mother for the interview,
When Kotb pointed out that many people assume Retton can afford health insurance, the gymnast responded that “life goes on and things happen” in a person’s life that could suddenly make it difficult for someone like her who is unable to afford insurance. One of the things that happened was that she separated from her husband after 27 years, as she revealed in an interview in 2018.
It was also noted during the interview that it has been nearly 40 years since the Olympic gold medal was won. Bottom line: Retton said she couldn’t afford it.
A 2022 Kaiser Family Foundation study shows that approximately 10.2% of Americans under 65 do not have health insurance; Retton can qualify for federal health insurance, Medicare, when she turns 65. The number of uninsured in the United States actually decreased by about 1.5 million people from 2019 to 2021, mainly due to policies adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the study said. . These policies were designed to help low-income people get and maintain coverage during the pandemic, and included enhanced market subsidies and a requirement that states maintain continuous enrollment of people in Medicaid, which provides insurance to low-income people.
The study said that most uninsured people in America are people who belong to low-income families in which at least one family member works. In general, people of color are at greater risk of being uninsured. About 64 percent of adults surveyed said they do not get insurance because the cost of coverage is too high, even with policy-level efforts to make coverage affordable.
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