I thought I might want to clue you guy's in on something that could effect all of us.
Seems the insurance people have been twisting some arms to get themselves an even better deal.
The following is specific to horse riders, but would probably be used against us iron pounders too. Or snowboarders, skateboarders, waterskiers and so on.
Not to mention if you were to do anything that "they"
could claim as dangerous they could use it against you in the future.

I hope I'm not stepping over any lines here, I just thought we should be aware of what's going on.

P.S. just read Blacksmith/knifemaker in place of horseman/horse owner.

Moldy


> IMPORTANT! Oregon Horse Counsel doesn't have a weekly news show yet (it's
> coming!), but if we did, the following news release by the American Horse
> Council would be an important news story. It has to do with the proposed
IRS,
> Pension and
> Welfare Benefits Administration and the Health Care Financing
> Administration regulations which would allow health insurers to exclude
> coverage for injuries resulting from riding and other forms of "dangerous
> recreation." Please read!
>
> (PS - this will have a major impact on OHSET - I will send a letter on
behalf
> of the organization.)
>
>
> Contact: American Horse Council
> For Immediate Release
> Phone: 202.296.4031
> March 26, 2001
>
> Federal Agencies Propose Adverse Rules on Health Insurance Coverage for
> Riders
>
> Regulations proposed by the Internal Revenue Service, the Pension and
> Welfare Benefits Administration and the Health Care Financing
> Administration could affect people who enjoy horseback riding (and other
> forms of recreation) by permitting health insurers to exclude coverage
for
> injuries resulting from riding and other forms of "dangerous" recreation.
> While the new proposals state that an employer cannot refuse health-care
> coverage to an employee based on participation in recreational
activities,
> they permit health insurers to deny coverage for injuries sustained in
> connection with such recreational activities, effectively reaching the
same
> result.
>
> The new regulations were jointly issued by the three federal agencies as
> interim rules, which means they are effective now. But the public has
> until April 9 to comment on the proposals and such comments will be
> considered.
>
> These proposed regulations permit exclusions from health insurance
coverage
> based on activities, including horseback riding, that Congress sought to
> protect. In 1966, Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and
> Accountability Act. As we read this Act, it was intended to prohibit
> health insurers from denying health coverage based on a worker's
> pre-existing medical condition or participation in legal recreational
> activities. The legislative history of the Act states that the law "is
> intended to ensure, among other things, that individuals are not excluded
> from health-care coverage due to their participation in activities such
as
> motorcycling, snowmobiling, all-terrain vehicle riding, horseback riding,
> skiing and other similar activities."
> Recreational groups, including the American Horse Council, worked to have
> that language included in the legislative history of the Act because some
> employers and insurers were discriminating against recreationalists,
> leaving them without coverage if they were involved in recreational
> pursuits. Incidents of discrimination involved the denial of health-care
> protection to employees not only involved in illegal activities, like
> driving a car while intoxicated, but also when involved in legal
> recreational activities, such as those mentioned above.
>
>
> While the proposed rules prohibit a person from being denied health
> insurance coverage simply because he or she engages in riding, they also
> permit an insurer to exclude benefits for injuries suffered while engaged
> in such activities. This effectively excludes individuals engaged in
such
> activities.
>
> The AHC will submit comments to the federal agencies in opposition to
this
> provision. We urge any individual or equine organization to do likewise.
> Comments must be submitted by April 9 to:
>
> CC:M&SP:RU (REG-109707-97)
> Room 5226
> Internal Revenue Service
> P.O. Box 7604
> Ben Franklin Station
> Washington, DC 20044
> U.S. Department of Labor
> Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration
> 200 Constitution Avenue, NW
> Room C-5331 - Attention: Nondiscrimination Comments
> Washington, DC 20210
> Health Care Financing Administration
> Department of Health and Human Services
> Attention: HCFA-2022-IFC
> P.O. Box 26688
> Baltimore, MD 21207
>
>
> A sample letter follows. Please retype it on your stationary and
re-draft
> it to make it as personal as possible. This will give it more weight.
Send
> the same letter to each agency. Do not simply send this memo in to the
> agencies.
>
> ************
>
>
> April X, 2001
>
>
>
> Dear Sir or Madam:
>
> We are writing in opposition to the non-discrimination regulations under
> the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) proposed
by
> your agency in January.
>
> Like tens of millions of other American we enjoy horseback riding. We
> participate as follows.. Obviously, if we are unable to purchase health
> insurance that protects us as we participate in this legal activity, it
> will affect our continued participation.
>
> These rules will affect more than just us. An economic study
commissioned
> by the American Horse Council shows that recreational horseback riding
has
> a $23.8 billion economic impact in the U.S., supports 317,000 jobs and
> involves 3 million horses. This segment of the American horse industry is
> growing rapidly. Horse owners, breeders, stables, outfitters, dude
> ranches, veterinarians and feed and tack stores all rely on the
individual
> rider. The rules your agency proposes will adversely affect this entire
> industry.

>We support the original Congressional intent of the bill, which is to
> protect individuals like horseback riders from being discriminated
against
> and denied health insurance coverage simply because they are
participating
> in a legal, recreational activity. We urge you to change the proposed
> rules to ensure medical coverage, including benefits, for injuries that
may
> occur while riding and engaging in other legal, recreational activities.
>
> Thank you for your consideration.
>
> Sincerely,
>