Vail Valley Charitable Fund: A helping hand in a medical crisis – Vail Daily

It was mid-July 2006, and I was waiting tables at Vista Restaurant when it was in the “Boat Building” in the main roundabout in Avon. I waited on a very nice couple, who I got to know in other walks of life and who eventually recruited me to work at their insurance agency.

I knew next to nothing about the industry itself, but thought it would be worth a shot. Insurance — the one thing you love to hate, and something you spend a lot of money on in hopes that you never have to use it. I took on the challenge of being a solid, ethical representative within the world of insurance, knowing full well that everyone needed and deserved it.

Lee Froman

Fast forward to today: I am proud to report that I remain entrenched in this service for Colorado residents as I am now the owner of this agency. I have also had the pleasure of joining the Vail Valley Charitable Fund Board of Directors. In an unanticipated chess move, I now get to use my insurance experience to provide assistance to those in our community who have been negatively impacted by a medical experience.

As a nation, we pay an incredible amount for health insurance and in return we get large deductibles, maximum out-of-pockets and co-pays, and are haggled on coverage for prescriptions and procedures. Living in a land of optimism and perhaps ignorance, we never think we will use it, nor do you want to.

Then it happens — an injury, an accident, or diagnosis, all of which are neither welcome nor convenient. You have health insurance (thank goodness), but now the bills are piling up because you must pay your $7,000 deductible, or discover some items are simply not covered.

It’s not fair, is it? You were responsible by carrying health insurance that costs you a boatload of money each month, and yet you still have a financial hardship from this unwelcomed event. You did the right thing, and now you are in a horrible position seeing your finances dwindle and perhaps finding yourself out of work and unable to put food on the table.

This is where the Vail Valley Charitable Fund comes into play — an organization I am so proud to be a part of. We provide financial assistance with medical bills and living expenses to Vail Valley locals who are suffering from a medical crisis or long-term illness. This was the express intent of Rohn Robbins who created this organization back in 1996. So I invite you to reach out to us for help — that’s what we are here for, supporting community when they need it most.

Lee Froman, the owner of Froman Insurance Agency, serves on the board of the Vail Valley Charitable Fund. Find out more about the VVCF’s mission at VVCF.org.