Medical bills spark insurance debate after Skier’s death

Imagine waking up to the news that your daughter has died in a tragic accident. Now imagine that horrific news was accompanied with an invoice for $200,000. That was the nightmarish reality for Sarah Burke's family after the Canadian freestyle skier sustained critical injuries during a training run in Utah.

As the result of a fall, the 29-year-old suffered a ruptured vertebral artery, one of the four major arteries carrying blood to the brain. Burke was rushed to the hospital, where she was put on life support, and doctors started therapeutic hypothermia in order to protect her brain. Burke died in hospital nine days later.

The news of Burke's death and the financial obligations of her family broke almost immediately, and a fund was quickly set up by her agent, Mike Spencer. The fund's very existence raised questions about just what type of insurance Sarah Burke actually had, if any, as well as how exactly a professional athlete's family could owe money when that athlete died on the job.

Under the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association, any athlete competing in a sanctioned event has full out-of-country medical and disability insurance. Unfortunately, Burke's accident happened in an unsanctioned sponsor's event, which served to confuse the public about just who was responsible for Burke's medical bills.

Burke's injuries were incurred at an event organized by Monster Energy Drink, one of her sponsors, so the initial thought was that they should be writing the cheque, not the Burke family.

While initially refraining from comment on the story, Monster eventually released a statement affirming their support for the Burke family after a torrent of fury on social media networks over their perceived inactivity.

"As soon as we learned about the accident, we offered uninterrupted support to Sarah and her family. Without hesitation, we will continue to support Sarah's family, and are working directly with them to assess their needs and are committed to helping them financially."

While all this was happening, the fund for Burke began overflowing with donations, reaching the $200,000 mark in a matter of days. Once the donations surpassed any potential medical expenses, Burke's agent released a statement saying that any subsequent funds would "establish a foundation to [honour] Sarah's legacy and promote the ideals she valued and embodied."

It is now up to various organizations to determine who is going to cover what costs, but it is clear that the Burke family will be spared all expenses, and rightfully so. The family can now focus on what's most important, mourning the loss of a loved one taken far too young.

The first step of that process happened in a place where Burke spent some of her most enjoyable moments. Burke was honoured with a tribute at the opening of the Winter X Games on Jan. 27, an event which was missing its usual exuberance, just as it was one of its brightest stars. In a solemn, emotional moment, Burke's friends made a slow descent down a darkened half-pipe with glow sticks held above their heads. At the bottom they embraced Burke's parents and her husband. A video tribute followed summarizing Burke's life and her legacy.

Burke was the first woman to land a 720, a 900 and a 1080 in competition. She was a pioneer and played a crucial role in getting halfpipe skiing added to the Winter Olympics, an event which will debut in Sochi, Russia in 2014.