Originally Posted by Ron Harry

I'm recouping now, 3 days out from cracking my collar bone. I feel lucky too, as it is only a hairline crack so just rest and it should heal itself. Insurance can be a nightmare when it comes to covering injury from bicycle accidents/crashes. I checked BEFORE I even called my primary doctor to make sure I was covered on my crash injury [just me going down reaching for water bottle]. If an auto had been involved in any way, my health insurance would not cover it [they would tell me to seek remedy from auto insurance]. The last thing one wants to be dealing with when they are injured and hurting is 'Am I covered or not'? I would not chosen to NOT even go to a doctor and have the xrays done if I thought it was going to be out of pocket for me.

That's a problem as I see it. If health care is going to work as a free market with all the dynamics that make free markets viable, then a consumer needs to KNOW up front, what a cost for any product is. In other threads, I've read that severe collar bone injuries could cost up $28,000 or more. As things are, it seems one can't understand the costs until AFTER THE FACT...sometimes weeks later when the bill comes in the mail.

There' something wrong with all this somehow. First, that bicycle accidents are quagmired among three avenues of insurance, health, auto, and home, and there's almost no way to know beforehand if or who or what is covered. Second, that cost is not explained to you 'along the way'...what you might have to pay IF your coverage is denied [with bicycles, it seems almost pot luck after reading posts; coverage is all over the place and some nightmare scenarios IMHO].

when I called to find out if my insurance covered me for a bicycle crash, no auto involved, the woman on the phone seemed to think I was somehow trying to make trouble or something for asking. What's so wrong with asking what will this cost me?

I guess our only option is to be rich so you afford a good lawyer. I was lucky this time. BTW, broken bones hurt; ain't no fun.