Recently I was contacted by a fellow kayaker with questions regarding medical insurance, running drops and some other items. I thought more people might appreciate my answers, so here they are:
DO YOU HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE AND WITH WHOM?
I have Lifewise insurance and pay for it myself. I did a bunch of research a couple years ago, and they were the best I could come up with considering cost and coverage. I remember one of the things I really liked was that they had a very high maximum (in case of catastrophic injury) and were competitive or better on the other stuff. Check them out as well as others and let me know what you find. I would love to know how things compare as I haven't looked into this in awhile.
I HEARD YOU BROKE YOUR FINGERS...
Yeah, I broke a few fingers in Newfoundland and am on the road of recovery. Thanks for asking. The fact that I can type this two handed is a good sign :-) Hotel Charley 2008 will show before and after video of the injury as well as what they looked like broken; this is not for the squeamish. I will be back in the water soon and after it as hard as always.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER INPUT OR ADVICE?
One piece of input I have is what drops to run. I'm sure you already know this, but I recommend not running anything where you have very much hesitation or concern for injury. Those are usually internal signs that maybe you shouldn't run it, or run that line. I wouldn't have broken my fingers if I would have listened to those internal signs. I was looking at a different line, but changed my mind at the last minute due to some other factors, and that was a mistake. I've never had problems when inside I felt completely at ease, and those were often some of the toughest rapids I've run. Either way, medical insurance is ALWAYS worth having, and I applaud you for getting it.
