Alyssa Lane
In January 2024, Mary Lou Retton revealed that she did not have health insurance when she was hospitalised with pneumonia. The Olympic gold medallist's daughters set up a crowdfunding campaign to help pay her medical bills, which raised over $450,000. Retton, who had recently divorced, said that she was unable to afford health insurance due to the high costs of coverage. She also mentioned her history of surgeries and pre-existing conditions as factors that made insurance expensive and unaffordable.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for not having medical insurance | Mary Lou Retton said that it was too expensive for her to buy insurance as a single woman with a history of surgeries and pre-existing conditions. |
| Public Reaction | Many people were shocked to learn that a legendary sports figure like Retton, who presumably earned millions in endorsement deals, didn't have health insurance. |
| Fundraiser | Retton's daughters set up a crowd-funding site to help pay for her medical bills. Over $450,000 was raised within a week. |
| Current Insurance Status | Retton has said that she is "all set now" and has health insurance as of 2024. |
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What You'll Learn
- Mary Lou Retton's daughters set up a crowdfunding site to pay her medical bills
- Retton said she couldn't afford insurance as a single woman with pre-existing conditions
- Retton's divorce settlement included a small fortune, but she still lacked insurance
- Retton's hospitalisation was due to a rare form of pneumonia, requiring intensive care
- Retton now has insurance and is all set
Mary Lou Retton's daughters set up a crowdfunding site to pay her medical bills
In 2023, Mary Lou Retton, the 1984 Olympic gymnastics champion, was hospitalised with a rare form of pneumonia. Retton's daughters revealed her health battle and the fact that she did not have health insurance. This prompted her daughter, McKenna Kelley, to start a crowdfunding campaign on Spotfund to help pay her mother's medical bills. Kelley wrote:
> My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life... She is not able to breathe on her own. She’s been in the ICU for over a week now. Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details. However, I will disclose that she [is] not insured.
Kelley also shared the news of her mother's condition via an Instagram story. The crowdfunding campaign had an initial goal of $50,000, but it quickly surpassed this, raising over $400,000 within a week. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee also stated that they would be providing financial assistance to Retton.
Retton later revealed in an interview that she did not have health insurance because, as a single woman with a history of surgeries, it was too expensive. She said:
> When COVID hit and after my divorce and all my pre-existing [conditions] — I mean, I’ve had over 30 operations of orthopedic stuff — I couldn’t afford it… That’s the bottom line: I couldn’t afford it.
Despite the successful crowdfunding campaign, Retton and her family have not disclosed how the money has been spent.
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Retton said she couldn't afford insurance as a single woman with pre-existing conditions
In January 2024, Mary Lou Retton revealed that she did not have health insurance when she was hospitalized with pneumonia. The 1984 Olympic gold medallist and former gymnast explained that she couldn't afford insurance as a single woman with pre-existing conditions.
Retton, 55, told TODAY's Hoda Kotb that insurance was too expensive for her, especially after her divorce and with her history of surgeries. She said:
> "When COVID hit and after my divorce and all my pre-existing (conditions) — I mean, I’ve had over 30 operations of orthopedic stuff — I couldn’t afford it… That’s the bottom line: I couldn’t afford it… But who would even know that this was going to happen to me?"
Many people were shocked to learn that Retton, a sports legend who presumably earned millions from endorsement deals, did not have health insurance. Some speculated that she chose to forego insurance, while others wondered if she lost coverage or was unable to obtain it. Retton's daughters refused to comment on their mother's lack of insurance out of respect for her privacy.
Retton's family set up an online donation site to help pay for her medical bills, with an initial goal of $50,000. The fundraiser ultimately raised over $450,000 within a week, with donations from more than 8,000 people, including a $50,000 contribution from Texas philanthropist Linda Mcingvale.
While Retton did receive a $2 million divorce settlement, she claimed that the cost of health insurance was still too high for her. According to KFF, almost two-thirds of uninsured adults in the United States cite the high cost of coverage as the reason for lacking insurance. Retton is now "all set" with insurance and confirmed that she is insured as of 2024.
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Retton's divorce settlement included a small fortune, but she still lacked insurance
In January 2024, Mary Lou Retton revealed that she had no health insurance when she was hospitalised with a rare and potentially deadly form of pneumonia. The Olympic gymnast's daughters set up a crowdfunding site to help pay for her medical bills, raising over $450,000.
Retton explained that she couldn't afford health insurance. She told TODAY's Hoda Kotb that, as a single woman with a history of surgeries and pre-existing health conditions, insurance was too expensive. She said:
> When COVID hit and after my divorce and all my pre-existing (conditions) — I mean, I’ve had over 30 operations of orthopedic stuff — I couldn’t afford it… That’s the bottom line: I couldn’t afford it. But who would even know that this was going to happen to me?
Retton's 2018 divorce settlement from her husband of 28 years, Shannon Kelley, included $2 million, with the potential to earn $2 million more in a legal dispute with the manufacturer of her two metal hip replacements. However, despite this small fortune, Retton still lacked insurance. She said that, in the years since her Olympic success, life goes on and things happen, rendering her unable to pay for healthcare coverage.
Retton's situation is not unique. A 2022 Kaiser Family Foundation study showed that around 10.2% of Americans under 65 do not have health insurance. The majority of the United States' uninsured are people in low-income families, and people of colour are at a higher risk of being uninsured.
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Retton's hospitalisation was due to a rare form of pneumonia, requiring intensive care
In October 2023, Mary Lou Retton was hospitalised with a rare form of pneumonia. The 1984 Olympic gold medallist spent a month in a Texas hospital, much of it in the intensive care unit, as she was unable to breathe on her own.
Retton's daughters revealed that their mother was "fighting for her life". They set up a SpotFund or GoFundMe crowd-funding site to help pay for her medical bills, with an initial goal of $50,000. The family didn't want Retton to have to worry about paying off her bills if she survived. Over $450,000 was raised within a week, with more than 8,000 people donating.
Retton's hospitalisation raised questions about her lack of health insurance. In an interview, she revealed that she couldn't afford insurance before she was hospitalised. As a single woman with a history of over 30 surgeries, she found it too expensive. She received $2 million in her 2018 divorce settlement and could have earned another $2 million in compensation over a legal dispute with the manufacturer of her two metal hip replacements. However, Retton said that life goes on and things happen, and it had been 40 years since her Olympic success. She also pointed out that, as of 2022, about 8% of Americans didn't have health insurance.
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Retton now has insurance and is all set
Mary Lou Retton, the darling of the 1984 Summer Olympics, fought for her life in an ICU due to a rare form of pneumonia. The retired Olympic gymnast and gold medalist was admitted to a Houston hospital on October 10, 2023, and spent a month there, much of it in the intensive care unit. Her family set up an online donation site to help pay for her medical bills, with an initial goal of $50,000. However, fans donated over $450,000 to the crowd-funding site within a week.
Many people were shocked to learn that Retton, an American sports legend, did not have health insurance. During an interview, Retton revealed that she couldn't afford insurance before she was hospitalized. As a single woman with a history of surgeries and pre-existing conditions, she found the cost of coverage to be too high. However, she now has insurance and is "all set". She shared that she is "all set now" and confirmed that she is insured as of 2024.
Retton's situation sheds light on the issue of healthcare affordability in the United States. According to a 2022 Kaiser Family Foundation study, about 10.2% of Americans under the age of 65 do not have health insurance. While policies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic helped low-income individuals gain and maintain coverage, the high cost of coverage remains a barrier for many, including those with substantial incomes like Retton.
While the specific details of Retton's insurance plan are not publicly known, it is clear that she has taken steps to secure coverage for herself. This is a positive development, ensuring that she can access the healthcare services she needs without the financial burden she previously faced.
Retton's experience also highlights the importance of having adequate insurance coverage. While she was able to rely on the support of her fans and donors to cover her medical expenses during her hospitalization, this is not a sustainable long-term solution. With insurance in place, Retton can now focus on her health and well-being without the added stress of financial concerns.
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Frequently asked questions
Mary Lou Retton, the 1984 Olympic gold medalist, revealed that she couldn't afford health insurance as a single woman with pre-existing health conditions. She had recently gone through a divorce and had a history of over 30 orthopedic surgeries.
Retton's daughters set up a crowdfunding site to help pay for her medical bills. They initially aimed to raise $50,000 but received over $450,000 in donations within a week.
Yes, Retton confirmed that she is now "all set" with insurance. She also qualified for Medicare, federal health insurance, when she turned 65.
