Help Game Designer Jim Ward With Medical Costs

Game designer Jim Ward, after whom the wizard Drawmij was named, and who worked on Metamorphosis Alpha, Deities & Demigods, Greyhawk Adventures, and more, has been in hospital for some time, and various bills are rising. If you have the urge to help, there's a Go Fund Me page for him where you can donate money towards his current target of $5000 [edit - the target is now $8000] [edit - having passed $8000 the target is now $15000]. Jim has already had surgery, and needs more.

The condition he's having treatment for is diabetic foot ulcers. He has already had part of his foot removed, and there are fears that amputation may not be off the table.

The Go Fund Me campaign was set up by John Popson, one of Jim Ward's friends.

​

 

[IgnatiusJ.Reilly]

Definitely, I enjoyed Greyhawk Adventures a great deal.

 

[EthanSental]

Oddly enough, I had my Greyhawk Adventures book beside me when I logged into my laptop, I'll head over and make a donation!

 

[sgt-d]

I will check out the go fund me and shout this out on my D&D podcast.

 

[guachi]

The GoFundMe says he's "having problems with his insurance". He can't have more than about $6500 out of pocket expenses no matter what problems he may be having so why are they asking for $8000? And if he stops "having problems with his insurance" will he refund the money if he doesn't need it?

 

[EthanSental]

Medical costs easily add up and if your coverage is covering 80%, then 20K in a 2 day hospital stay means he owes 4k at the least assuming 80% on all the tests, etc. yeah, its feasible.

 

[R_Chance]

80% coverage is typical. My youngest came 2 months premature and ended up having 2 surgeries by the head of pediatric surgery at the UCLA Medical Center. We owed about $20,000 when the dust settled. In 1995. He's a college boy now. Still expensive

 

[JediSoth]

He's also been in the hospital for over a month now. Unexpected and/or catastrophic illness can literally bankrupt a well-to-do family in the US because we have for-profit healthcare.

 

[Zander]

Donated. I don't have much money right now but I'm happy to help a doyen of the D&D community.

 

[tink333]

The GoFundMe says he's "having problems with his insurance". He can't have more than about $6500 out of pocket expenses no matter what problems he may be having so why are they asking for $8000? And if he stops "having problems with his insurance" will he refund the money if he doesn't need it?

Not sure where the $6500 out-of-pocket maximum you refer to comes from. That may be the out-of-pocket maximum om YOUR insurance policy, but not everyone has what you have. He posts regular updates on Facebook if you're interested in following, or you can also keep up to date on the Gary Con Facebook page. Doing so may answer some of your questions. I think it would be in bad taste to discuss his specific medical treatment here, but he started with a diabetic foot ulcer that progressed into infection in the bone. Two days ago he underwent a second surgery and may have to undergo a third. This is not going to be a short hospital stay.

To answer your question about refunding the money, you'd have to contact the originator of the gofundme campaign, and regardless what happens insurance wise, I sincerely doubt there will be a legitimate circumstance that causes a need for refund.

However, as JediSoth explained, Jim's been an inpatient over thirty days at this point, and regardless of what type of insurance one has, there are costs that they don't cover. Those costs could be considered out-of-network, non-essential (and therefore not covered), or other reasons that an insurance company doesn't cover every cost. That an insurance company can override what a doctor deems as medically necessary boggles the mind, especially, in the case of a diabetic where any infection can become quickly life-threatening.

Unless one has extensively dealt with the USA healthcare system, it can be difficult to understand how medical care can bankrupt a family, but it can quite quickly. Not knowing where you are geographically, I didn't want to assume you understood this and wanted to try to help.

 

[bragarfull]

The GoFundMe says he's "having problems with his insurance". He can't have more than about $6500 out of pocket expenses no matter what problems he may be having so why are they asking for $8000? And if he stops "having problems with his insurance" will he refund the money if he doesn't need it?

Good Lord...what does it matter..get rid of your negativity and have a little human love....and originally the goal was 1k..it was surpassed quickly due to people who put their selfishness aside to help.