Former Olympic Gymnast Mary Lou Retton in Intensive Care

And she does not have health insurance either.

Is it possible she has had serious health issues that make insurance very, very expensive? I’m not familiar with any endorsements or work she has done, I haven’t heard her name in years; but if you’ve had cancer insurance costs can be much more insane than they are for the rest of us.

I know she has done commentary at events for TV before. I don’t know how well that pays.

I saw her doing a commercial for some type of insurance, Colonial Penn, I think. I remember cause it made me feel real old!

How sad! I hope she makes a full recovery. How scary! I'm surprised to hear that she is uninsured.

She could be self-insured if she is worth $8 million. So I don’t understand the GoFundMe account.

When she was an Olympic athlete, all USA athletes HAD to be “amateurs,” meaning that they could not be paid.  They could receive no monetary payment for their sport while competing at the Olympic level. That changed in 1988 when athletes could be professionals. 

So, unlike current Olympic athletes, she wasn’t able to earn a living being a gymnast.

Nor, at the time, were sponsorships the lucrative deals they are now, although, even now, for gymnasts, I don’t think corporate sponsorships are the same as for athletes who use things like shoes (think Nikes) or skis or other equipment that can be used recreationally in their sports in brands sold to the masses. 

My understanding was that the Affordable Care Act prevented insurance companies from denying coverage or charging more if you have a pre-existing condition.  I have never been asked questions about my health when choosing my health insurance during open enrollment each year and I buy my own insurance.  It's now $1000 per month with a huge deductible but there were other options available with lower deductibles with a higher cost.  If her income is low, she should qualify for the tax credit that makes insurance more affordable.  

I had to goggle to see how old she is and she is only 55. I hope she recovers.

This is sad to hear. I hope she recovers.

I remember being glued to the tv during the olympics. I was in awe of her!

pantsonfire, that is a staggering and sobering amount to owe. Here I've been complaining about the $4000 I owe.

That’s good to know. We haven’t had to purchase insurance on our own (outside of work) for years and years. My last knowledge of this was MIL trying to insure herself and SIL and it was cost prohibitive. At the time they weren’t turned down but the premiums were absolutely insane with much less coverage than what we had. We pay the same as you, but for 2 of us, I’m sorry yours is so high. It’s the low(er) deductible plan but it’s the same deductible as the high deductible plan was just a few years ago. 

Not to mention that female athletes generally don’t garner the same kind of pay for anything that their male counterparts do, even now.