Mary Lou Retton Fighting for Her Life in ICU

[barkley]

She's now experienced what it's like to *not* have health care insurance and have a major healthcare event. If her income is extremely low, she'd qualify for medicaid (even with other assets),

many hospitals (and associated medical groups/providers) offer in-house financial assistance that have much higher income caps than medicaid (and don't consider assetts). i was very surprised when my oldest had very good insurance and a schedualed surgery to learn about these from the hospital rep at the pre-op appointment. we found that there was eligibility for a program that ended up wiping out all co-pays and the remainder of the deductible for the hospital and all the providers assocated. no way there was eligibilty for medicaid but the hospital's program had much more generous income caps (and they took into consideration what the anticipated income would being during a recovery period.

now, i have not worked inside the medicaid program for YEARS and different states have different programs but with mary lou's income source being very intermittent and not easily anticipated she could very likely be eligible. irregular income that cannot be reasonably anticipated (which i imagine speaking engagements easily fall under) are handled in entirely different manner.

 

[EllieJedi]

The Comments on the article by an overwhelming margin are very negative.

MLR may have lost some fans it appears.

When MLR was in the ICU, like many others here I was hoping for the best possible outcome and not wanting to focus on the circumstances of how she ended up without health insurance. Reading the article however, left me with a bad taste in my mouth as to the way MLR and her family handled the GoFundMe. Yes, MLR was uneducated on the way the ACA marketplace truly works most likely due to the fact that she had probably had others handle her finances for most of her life. I think too many celebrities fall into that trap of letting others handle their money and not bothering to make an effort to educate themselves.

It probably bothers me more than most as my son was in an accident shortly after starting a job in 2021 that left him on a ventilator on the ICU. We as a family did not post a GoFundMe or put it on social media at all. The hospital and VA worked with us on his expenses.

I’ve lost a lot of respect of MLR after what I’ve read, no longer a fan.

 

[barkley]

I think too many celebrities fall into that trap of letting others handle their money and not bothering to make an effort to educate themselves.

among athletes this is a horrific issue. it's an older documentary but worth the time to watch espn's 'broke' (2012). it did a deep dive into the horrific financial situations many former professional athletes (and non paid professionals that made TONS of money through endorsements/speaking engagements...) find themselves in due to lack of basic financial skills/poor advice. i was privy during my career in social services to far too many previously well paid professional athletes who ended up on public assistance programs (literaly still wearing multiple superbowl rings). believed the gravy train was never going to end, spent like there was no tomorrow, ended up back in the horrificly violent and economically depressed neighborhoods that they publicly celebrated a decade or so earlier as having been able to 'escape' from due to their pro careers.

i don't know if it was ever implemented but several years ago the local university to us that has generated some high profile athletes talked of mandating both basic financial literacy as well as some tailor-made classes pertaining to professional athletic incomes vs. career longevity.

 

[Moliphino]

among athletes this is a horrific issue. it's an older documentary but worth the time to watch espn's 'broke' (2012). it did a deep dive into the horrific financial situations many former professional athletes (and non paid professionals that made TONS of money through endorsements/speaking engagements...) find themselves in due to lack of basic financial skills/poor advice. i was privy during my career in social services to far too many previously well paid professional athletes who ended up on public assistance programs (literaly still wearing multiple superbowl rings). believed the gravy train was never going to end, spent like there was no tomorrow, ended up back in the horrificly violent and economically depressed neighborhoods that they publicly celebrated a decade or so earlier as having been able to 'escape' from due to their pro careers.

i don't know if it was ever implemented but several years ago the local university to us that has generated some high profile athletes talked of mandating both basic financial literacy as well as some tailor-made classes pertaining to professional athletic incomes vs. career longevity.

Professional leagues usually have a mandatory class for rookies to try and teach them this. A lot of them still ignore it.

 

[leeniewdw]

I've been traveling so just had a chance to watch the Hoda interview. I'm starting to wonder if when her kids said she "couldn't breath on her own", that meant she was on supplemental oxygen, but not intubated. It sounded like they considered it but didn't? MLR talks about how they almost "put me on life support"?

I hate that she made the claim again that her pre-existing ortho surgeries made it too expensive to get insured. And at the SAME TIME admits she's now insured after the kind of health problem that can truly impact her long-term health and health costs.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I've been traveling so just had a chance to watch the Hoda interview. I'm starting to wonder if when her kids said she "couldn't breath on her own", that meant she was on supplemental oxygen, but not intubated. It sounded like they considered it but didn't? MLR talks about how they almost "put me on life support"?

I hate that she made the claim again that her pre-existing ortho surgeries made it too expensive to get insured. And at the SAME TIME admits she's now insured after the kind of health problem that can truly impact her long-term health and health costs.

I watched it online. She does look very sick. She's the same age as I am and she looks like she's been through it for sure. She looks ten years older than her age....at least.

A couple of things stood out to me. She was clearly very ill, but....it does not sound like she was intubated. They said at one point that they almost intubated her. And at another point something like..."after a week of plummeting oxygen levels" her girls were told to come to see her to "prepare for the worst" and that they were told she might not "make it through the night".

I know these girls are young, and emotions run high...etc, but I don't think MLR was that close to checking out, or that her oxygen levels were "plummeting all week"....if they'd plummeted dangerously low at any point in time and didn't recover...she would have been intubated. Putting people on ventilators isn't that big of a deal. It happens all of the time in hospitals, for sick people and for relatively healthy people who are undergoing general anesthesia. But...she was obviously sick with a nasty pneumonia and is still recovering at home with oxygen.

On the health insurance. She brought up her divorce, covid and pre-existing health conditions. But then she did say it was 30 surgeries and that they were orthopedic. And that all of that contributed to her not being able to *afford* health insurance. We obviously don't know her financial situation, but I doubt she ever completely investigated the ACA and what plans would work for her.

I came away feeling sad for her.

 

[leeniewdw]

Yes -- I should have included that it seems that she was very ill. And I do feel badly for her because she does not look well and does not appear to know her long term outlook.

I'm going to presume she got screwed over by her ex, that can make money disappear quickly. A few bad business deals (his or hers) before they were divorced could easily eat up their savings. And if she's presumed to be the one who can be the higher earner.....

But her ignoring the opportunity to talk about what she learned, how she got insured, etc. Heck, she could even have said "I should have gone to the Dr on that day we got pedicures...." That leaves me very cold. Even if she's paying for some luxury/platinum plan that's made possible by the donated funds, she should have said that or even mentioned how Open Enrollment is every fall, etc.... Who knows what ended up on the cutting room floor, but she could have said more about that money specifically. I dislike the "donate the rest" comments in the USA Today article because people donated to her needs, not something she selects, but I'm going to presume that's in the fine print as permissible. IMO, everyone who donated should get a portion of the remaining funds...of course, with her not saying what that amount might be, well my guess is there won't be much left. I don't think there is any obligation on her part going forward in regard to how these fundraisers work.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Yes -- I should have included that it seems that she was very ill. And I do feel badly for her because she does not look well and does not appear to know her long term outlook.

I'm going to presume she got screwed over by her ex, that can make money disappear quickly. A few bad business deals (his or hers) before they were divorced could easily eat up their savings. And if she's presumed to be the one who can be the higher earner.....

But her ignoring the opportunity to talk about what she learned, how she got insured, etc. Heck, she could even have said "I should have gone to the Dr on that day we got pedicures...." That leaves me very cold. Even if she's paying for some luxury/platinum plan that's made possible by the donated funds, she should have said that or even mentioned how Open Enrollment is every fall, etc.... Who knows what ended up on the cutting room floor, but she could have said more about that money specifically. I dislike the "donate the rest" comments in the USA Today article because people donated to her needs, not something she selects, but I'm going to presume that's in the fine print as permissible. IMO, everyone who donated should get a portion of the remaining funds...of course, with her not saying what that amount might be, well my guess is there won't be much left. I don't think there is any obligation on her part going forward in regard to how these fundraisers work.

Totally agree. She should have admitted that she never really looked into the ACA fully because she clearly didn't. Maybe it was edited...who knows. Clearly the story is being put out there as a sort of riches to rags story....kind of "imagine that, even someone on the Wheaties Cereal Box can end up living in dire straights". She also appeared to be limping....so who knows if she's been living with continued orthopedic issues that have gone mostly untreated due to lack of funds.

I also thought that it's good that she's close to her older daughters because they are likely going to have to care for her when she does need assistance.

 

[SharonZ]

Maybe it's time for MLR to consider downsizing and cutting expenses like most people do so she can better afford insurance coverage.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I suspect MLR agreed to the interview under the condition that those options were not to be mentioned. Let's not fool ourselves that these interviews are anything but opportunities, for both interviewer and subject.

That was exactly what I thought. It's an opportunity of some sort for MLR. I do not doubt at all that she's had pneumonia and was very sick. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see her as a spokesperson for all kinds of financial products...some related to health insurance....where she can get her income back up again. I don't fault her for that either....she clearly needs the money.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Maybe it's time for MLR to consider downsizing and cutting expenses like most people do so she can better afford insurance coverage.

Yup, I thought this too. She seems to have gotten divorced at a terrible time, right before the pandemic and so whatever speaking opportunities she had....they vanished. At that point she probably had to live off of her savings. Well, not that she *had* to....but I suppose getting a "regular job" was not an option?

Now that her name is really back out there again, I'd expect she'll find opportunities to sell products. I'm the same age as her, and so I'd expect she may even be hawking reverse mortgages or something like that soon enough. Gen Xers first begin to hit 60 in 2025. My cohort will be eligible for those products in 2027. Or selling that health ministry "insurance"....something like that.

 

[robinb]

Now that her name is really back out there again, I'd expect she'll find opportunities to sell products. I'm the same age as her, and so I'd expect she may even be hawking reverse mortgages or something like that soon enough. Gen Xers first begin to hit 60 in 2025. My cohort will be eligible for those products in 2027. Or selling that health ministry "insurance"....something like that.

Given her lack of responsibility for not having insurance causing her family to spange to to pay for her medical bills, I would not buy a single thing she peddles. She has lost any and all credibility in my eyes.

 

[leeniewdw]

Yup, I thought this too. She seems to have gotten divorced at a terrible time, right before the pandemic and so whatever speaking opportunities she had....they vanished. At that point she probably had to live off of her savings. Well, not that she *had* to....but I suppose getting a "regular job" was not an option?

Now that her name is really back out there again, I'd expect she'll find opportunities to sell products. I'm the same age as her, and so I'd expect she may even be hawking reverse mortgages or something like that soon enough. Gen Xers first begin to hit 60 in 2025. My cohort will be eligible for those products in 2027. Or selling that health ministry "insurance"....something like that.

She was divorced in 2018, so I guess that's before the pandemic, but not what I'd call "right" before. However, 2018 was also the time she was on DWTS, so who knows if that was part of suddenly needing income.

I believe she's been on Colonial Penn life insurance commercials recently (pre illness obviously). So you are probably correct.

 

[focusondisney]

Now that her name is really back out there again, I'd expect she'll find opportunities to sell products.

Oh, just wait. The Olympics are this summer & NBC is showing them. After the way Hoda & the Today show gushed over her, I could see them hiring her, possibly as a commentator or special reporter. And if she’s not healthy enough to travel, they could have her in NY doing some segments on Today.

 

[DCLMP]

I didn't think she looked any older than Hoda who was interviewing her. She had a nasal cannula in her nose and didn't have makeup and hair done so it made her look sickly.... but not older.

 

[leeniewdw]

Oh, just wait. The Olympics are this summer & NBC is showing them. After the way Hoda & the Today show gushed over her, I could see them hiring her, possibly as a commentator or special reporter. And if she’s not healthy enough to travel, they could have her in NY doing some segments on Today.

This makes a lot of sense! Ugh.

 

[monsterkitty]

Yup, I thought this too. She seems to have gotten divorced at a terrible time, right before the pandemic and so whatever speaking opportunities she had....they vanished. At that point she probably had to live off of her savings. Well, not that she *had* to....but I suppose getting a "regular job" was not an option?

Now that her name is really back out there again, I'd expect she'll find opportunities to sell products. I'm the same age as her, and so I'd expect she may even be hawking reverse mortgages or something like that soon enough. Gen Xers first begin to hit 60 in 2025. My cohort will be eligible for those products in 2027. Or selling that health ministry "insurance"....something like that.

Given her lack of responsibility for not having insurance causing her family to spange to to pay for her medical bills, I would not buy a single thing she peddles. She has lost any and all credibility in my eyes.

Oh, just wait. The Olympics are this summer & NBC is showing them. After the way Hoda & the Today show gushed over her, I could see them hiring her, possibly as a commentator or special reporter. And if she’s not healthy enough to travel, they could have her in NY doing some segments on Today.

I don't think there will be any companies who sign her as an endorsement because she has become so divisive.

I don't think NBC will bring her on as a commentator or special reporter because those contracts have already been offered and signed. It would cost them more money and we all know NBC and other big companies do not want to spend any more than they have to.

 

[focusondisney]

I don't think there will be any companies who sign her as an endorsement because she has become so divisive.

I don't think NBC will bring her on as a commentator or special reporter because those contracts have already been offered and signed. It would cost them more money and we all know NBC and other big companies do not want to spend any more than they have to.

Good points!

 

[shh]

Professional leagues usually have a mandatory class for rookies to try and teach them this. A lot of them still ignore it.

And so we - the taxpayers - now get to support them after they've lived like kings for years.

 

[dvcgirl67]

And so we - the taxpayers - now get to support them after they've lived like kings for years.

I don't think that's what @Molphino was saying. More like....many professional athletes have to take a kind of mandatory class regarding financial literacy. The lay out the 'traps' where they can lose a lot of money, but also, hopefully, to point out that most professional athletes have a very short career. And so...they'd better put a little aside. Olympians have an even "shorter shelf life" if you will. And we don't really revere our Olympians the way we once did. They get a very short period of time to make some money, and then we're all on to the next thing.