Mary Lou Retton Reveals The Reason Why She Didn't Have Health Insurance

When Mary Lou Retton 's family announced last fall that she was seriously ill with a rare form of pneumonia, many people were shocked to learn that the former gymnast had no health insurance.

The reason is money, Retton, 55, told TODAY's Hoda Kotb in an exclusive interview that aired Jan. 8.

He said buying health insurance for single women who have a history of surgery is expensive.

“When Covid hit and after my divorce and all the pre-existing (conditions) (I mean, I've had over 30 orthopedic surgeries) I couldn't afford it... That's the bottom line: I couldn't afford it,” Reton said.

"But who would have thought this would happen to me?"

Retton revealed in 2018 that she had separated from her husband of 27 years, according to People.

Many people assume the retired gymnast has another agreement and way to pay for health insurance, Kotb said.

But Retton said "life goes on and things happen" (it's been almost 40 years since he won an Olympic gold medal) and he couldn't financially afford it.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 27 million Americans, or about 8% of the population, were uninsured in 2022, the most recent year for which statistics were available. In fact, this is an improvement compared to previous years.

According to KFF, nearly two-thirds, or 64%, of uninsured adults say they don't have health insurance because the cost of coverage is too high.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, among Americans who have insurance, 54% get health insurance through work, 18% are covered by Medicaid, 18% have Medicare, and 10% purchase it themselves.

Retton said he is “ready” and has health insurance.

After accidentally contracting a rare form of pneumonia last fall, he spent a month in a Texas hospital, mostly in the intensive care unit. He had never had lung problems in his life, Retton said.

At some point, the situation was so critical that the doctors thought about putting Retto in intensive care and his four daughters said goodbye to him.

Her daughter went public with her illness on October 10 via a fundraising site, revealing that she was "fighting for her life" and asking for help to fund her hospital bills.

“If he did, the last thing we want him to think about is paying these bills or doing anything like that,” Retton's oldest daughter, Shayla Schrepfer, told Hoda Kotb.

Nearly $460,000 has been raised on crowdfunding site Spotfund. Retton was at home in Boerne, Texas on October 23.

The five-time Olympic medalist said doctors still don't know what caused the pneumonia, and noted that tests for COVID-19, flu and RSV were negative. He was on a portable oxygen machine while his lungs recovered.

“I'm not very healthy yet and I know it's going to be a very long journey. I don't know how long I will need oxygen indefinitely. But you have no idea how blessed and grateful I am for this. vacation,” Retton said.

"I'm very grateful to be here."

This article was first published on TODAY.com

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