Robert Horry is a 7-time NBA champion who played for the Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs. Today, he joins SureCo as Chief Impact Officer. This is his story.
If you’re reading this story, it’s likely because you know my name, or maybe my nickname “Big Shot Bob,” from my 16 years in the NBA. Or maybe you know me as a sports commentator for Los Angeles Lakers. Either way, you’re undoubtedly asking yourself, “What does this guy have to do with a health insurance platform like SureCo?”
I get it, I’d be asking the same question.
But healthcare is as much a part of my story as basketball. I grew up in rural Alabama where healthcare felt more like a luxury than a right. To this day, my mom still drives over an hour just to see a doctor—and because of her insurance, she doesn’t even have her choice of providers.
That lack of access to care never sat right with me, but it wasn’t until my oldest daughter, Ashlyn, was born that I saw first-hand how truly broken healthcare in America is. Ashlyn was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called 1p36 deletion syndrome, which thrust my family into a world of hospitals, treatments, and medical bills. While my career in the NBA afforded me the means to provide for my family's healthcare needs, I saw countless other families grappling with financial burdens and insurance limitations. I remember sitting in the waiting room listening to so many of them contemplate waiving their parental rights because they thought their children would be able to get better care through the state. It was gut-wrenching.
Ashlyn passed away in 2011 at age 17, and losing her, combined with the struggles of those fellow families, ignited a passion in me to advocate for change and ensure that no one should endure such hardships in accessing quality healthcare.
Around the same time, I left the NBA and for the first experienced healthcare as a “private” citizen. Like many former athletes, I found myself confronting healthcare without the safety net of a team's support system. It was a wake-up call, driving me to educate myself and others on making informed healthcare decisions. The whole time, I just kept asking myself why being healthy had to be so complicated. Thank goodness for my wife who made sure our family stayed on top of things!
So, when I met the founders of SureCo, it felt like the stars aligned. SureCo's mission—to transform the health of working Americans—resonated deeply with me. I instantly connected with what they were trying to do and quickly got up to speed on what an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRA) is and how it helps individuals take control of their health by choosing the plans that are right for them and their families.
My journey from the basketball court to the healthcare arena is driven by a simple yet meaningful belief that every individual deserves access to quality healthcare, regardless of their background or circumstances.
As SureCo’s Chief Impact Officer, I will do everything in my power to rally working people to demand the coverage they deserve. To start, I’m asking you to visit sureco.com/impact and share your stories of how insurance has failed you. I’ll be collecting these stories and sharing them with employers, insurance brokers, and policymakers to affect change through SureCo’s ICHRA Solution.
How Has Health Insurance Failed You?
Photo: Getty Images
