health plans effects on pro wrestling

It seems ever since the bill was passed, everyone wants to talk health care reform.

The obvious water cooler talk is probably more negative than positive—and rightfully so. Anyone who's anyone knows the bill is not perfect, but it still helps out many people.

Despite that, I have seen that a Facebook group for people against the bill is now more than 300 million. Kinda shows how unhappy the American people are with it, huh?

In any case, part of the bill states that you must be accepted by an insurance company—no matter your age, health, or occupation.

Keep that last one in mind: occupation.

See, for a long time, many wrestlers could not get insurance because of the high risk their job has. I mean, most of them are on the road, wrestling well more than 100 shows a year on average—that's figuring indy guys, too—during which a body takes a ton of pain. Injuries can happen easily.

No insurance company wants to end up paying for injuries that are more likely than not—which is understandable.

So even if you are a guy like Chris Jericho—who rarely, if ever, gets hurt—your occupation makes you more likely to suffer from an injury than if you were doing a normal, 9-to-5 job.

Which is why your average Joe on the street can have insurance, while people who are massively well-known in the wrestling world haven't had health coverage since they were children.

Even those who are married are sometimes not covered by their spouses' insurance. Most insurance companies will cover the spouse and children—if there are any. But they won't cover the wrestler.

If you try to add a wrestler to the policy, the insurance company decides not to cover the entire family. So to do what's right for their families, the wrestlers will not have the insurance and let their families use it when needed—which is admirable.

The problem will now be solved, because no one can be denied insurance under this bill— everyone has to have it.

Most businesses, more so small ones, will hate this—simply because they already try to break even, so paying more for insurance isn't good.

Many companies offer insurance to workers, but not all of them offer it to all working for the company full time—if they give it to any at all.

So now businesses will have to provide insurance for everyone working full time—which will hurt them financially. Will the WWE or TNA provide insurance to any—if not all—on their rosters, because the wrestlers are under contract to the companies?

Some would say it is likely because of the bill—but I find it highly unlikely, personally.

WWE has all the money you could dream of, but that's because it is not paying for things like health insurance. It's unlikely that it will have to, because it never has. there is no union for professional wrestlers and all though WWE does carry an insurance policy for all it's events as mandated by law it does not cover the performers which is why all performers purchase there own personal insurance.

So to me, it seems health reform probably helps out wrestlers a lot from a financial standpoint.

The big issue for Americans is the tax increase. They say it's free health care, yet you end up paying for the insurance—and more so in taxes.

So saying it's free is kinda crazy.

However, the great part about it is the "no-denial" end of things—which is what many are loving about the bill.

Fourteen states have already said they are suing the federal government—and 38 are expected.

So I can't say that this bill is going to end up coming out and staying.

It will most likely go to the Supreme Court—which will probably come to the conclusion that the people should vote for it. And that means it won't make it out because most of America, even as Democrats, hate the bill.

However, if you are a wrestler, you may want to rejoice—for now, at least. Because that part about no denial is helpful to you. You cannot get health care because of your job—which is not fair at all.

What the government should do is tell insurance companies they have to let people in if they can pay. Those who cannot won't have it.

If it's needed, you could raise insurance for people at high risk—the same way car insurance is raised for a person who has had a wreck or a male younger than 25.

It's funny how auto insurance companies make a man younger than 25 pay crazy premiums when he never wrecked a car. Yet because the age is such a high risk, insurance companies raise the price when they take in young men.

Why not give the same kind of opportunity to health care?

If a wrestler is such a high risk, give them the same issue. Make them pay a little more than the average American, but make sure it's a possible payment for them, depending on income.

If they are indy workers, I doubt making them pay $3,000 a month is right. But if you are a WWE performer, it's possible that you could pay that.

Some companies have adopted this sort of idea, but not all of them.

This wouldn't raise taxes for all Americans—like the health care bill now would. So while it may be a bit tougher for a person to get insurance, at least they have the opportunity—unlike most do now.

I, for one, want to see wrestlers be able to have health care, because they are in such need of it. i know many indy guys who cant afford insurance and go out there and risk hurting themselves so they can continue to do what they love no one should have to give up there dream or what makes them happy because they cant afford insurance on account of following there dream.

And if a wrestler suffers an injury that ends his career, he will still need health care— which can be adjusted for him.

But we'll have to see how things come to pass with the bill before getting too carried away. But as a wrestler i am holding out hope that now i have a shot at being insured and having a little peace of mind.