
Pickleball has become a popular hobby for many adults, but the physicality of the game has led to an increase in hospital visits. To help you understand what is going on and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly-experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You'll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest...
Pickleball, America’s hottest new sport, may be driving up health care costs. Chalk it up to exploding popularity, especially among older Americans. About 9 million Americans over the age of 6 played pickleball last year, and over half of avid players (playing eight or more times per year) are age 55 or older, says USA Pickleball, the sport’s governing body. Almost a third of players are 65-plus. Insurers UnitedHealth and Humana recently warned that a jump in medical costs this year was due to higher-than-expected demand for surgeries and other procedures.