Do I need health insurance?

[wcc84tennis]

Should I get health insurance if I'm doing inline skating? I read that the number of injuries has increased due to the popularity increase of inline skating.

[chaosdsm]

Health insurance is a good idea regardless if you skate or not.

From the info I've been able to gather, the number of injuries is increasing, but primarily due to lack of proper protective gear &/or improperly used protective gear. It's mostly kids who don't want to look "dorky" with all that protective gear, while out street skating, jumping ramps & obsticles, trying dangerous tricks & stunts,

I've fallen several times, luckily, the one fall that could have ended up really bad was cusioned by sugar sand... I wasn't wearing proper protective gear at the time, & I nearly broke my left writst because of it. I was lucky to end up with only a hair-line fracture. Since then I usually wear at least Knee pads, Helmet, & Wrist guards. I've also taken worse falls since then & have come away totaly un-injured because of the protective gear. My skates got beat up, & my muscles got sore from bracing for the sudden falls, but no scrapes, cuts, or bruises, no sprains, no fractures, & no broken bones... knock on wood.

Couple tips I was given long ago when I first started inline skating:
1> keep your knees bent, they act like shock absorbers & at the same time shortens the distance you can fall.
2> If you begin to loose ballance bend your knees further, this shouldl help you stabilize & reduce the falling distance even more if you do fall.
3> Learn to controll your falls, much more difficult than the first two, but invaluable in a major fall. Believe it or not, you might be able to find local classes that will actualy teach you how to controll your falls. This is one of the first lessons in learning how to do stunts, & some martial arts classes teach it as well.
4> If you don't already do it, take up Yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates, Martial Arts, etc... They all help to build ballance, coordination, flexibility, & strength, all of which can help to reduce the impact a major fall can have on your body.

[tomvv11]

The scrapes on my knee, elbow and wrist guards, the lack of scars on my knees and elbows and the wholeness of my wrists are testimony to the cheap insurance that protective gear provides. A few times I've done one of those backward falls where I find myself horizontal, looking at the sky, about 3 feet off the ground, and then hitting the ground like a phone book slammed onto a table. That's when the helmet is worth its weight in diamonds.
When you feel relatively safer wearing gear, you can relax and stretch your limits a bit more, gaining the skills that keep you from falling in the first place. My skate instructor says, "Falling is learning." But it doesn't have to be harmful. Yes, do keep those knees bent, and your nose over those knees. For balance and micromuscle training , challenge yourself to stand on one foot to do everyday things, like tying your shoes(tying either the one in the air or on the ground) or brushing your teeth.
To get back to your original question, yes, you should have health insurance, even if you're young and invulnerable. Just on general principles. If you do happen to wipe out spectacularly(through no fault of your own, of course) and you're uninsured, we who are end up paying for you in some indirect, tiny reduction in quality of life sort of way. If you've been paying in, we still end up paying a miniscule amount, but don't mind because you've been chipping in your share. Oops, time to get off the soapbox and back on the skates. Wear your gear, take at least a few lessons and have fun!

[BWI-Sheldon]

Yes you should have health insurance. You should also have a job, car, place to live, food and all other essentials of life. This is required whether you skate or not.
Now part of the "essentials of life" includes good skates and proper protective equipment for your skating style. Increasing injuries are only due to increasing irrisponcible idiots out there who go skating thinking they won't ever fall. My gosh how much does a cheap stinking bike helmet cost?
As for me, it's full body armor or no skating. Helmet, Wrist, Knee, elbow pads, and spandex. I did the "asphalt tango" around 7 times this past year and one "wood fence bounce" too. With proper protection it will be just a "need to grow a little skin" event and nothing that requires insurance.
It makes no difference how good you are, one spill I actually hit a squirrel.
Falls Happen, prepare for it.

[neonpatrick]

Health insurance is really very good. Health insurance is a good idea regardless if you skate or not. There are different types of insurance available like family insurance in which the insurance company covers all the expense which include doctor fees,medicine and hospitalize expense.

[Stuard]

If you personally see the hazards around your self,in your surroundings then you will be known that life has become very risky and uncertain.Because of this fact i must say that it has become essential.

[jerryshudson]

Health insurance is really a very nice thing and i personally recommends all to buy a health insurance policy. It cover all medical expense related to health. There are many types of health insurance policy available.

[lhyne]

Definitely yes! Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is available to pay for the health care benefits specified in the insurance agreement.

[doreanjonson]

Well getting the health insurance is one of the most essential thing in today's life and so every one are protected with it. It is the most helping for the human life as its valuable. I can say must be with your always.

[evanseagel]

I almost broke my wrist left because of it. I was lucky to end up with only a hair line fracture. Since then I used to wear knee pads under, helmet, wrist guards. I also took worst fall since and came away completely undamaged because of the protective equipment.

[Andersonwaker]

An English proverb says that “Health is Wealth”. Your health is the most precious wealth that God has given you. Therefore, it is your responsibility to look after it properly. However, it is also true that the life is full of uncertainties and you never know what will happen in the next few hours. Therefore, it is also your duty to make certain arrangement so that you can take care of yourself as well as your family even if some misfortune falls upon you. Thus, I'll suggest you to get health insurance.