The odds of concussions in pro football turning into long-term problems for players may have been validated when the NFL agreed to pay long-term care insurance premiums for retired players. The agreement was signed with Transamerica Life Insurance Company and will cover the premium for those who are eligible retirees.
Under the agreement, the NFL Management Council will:
- pay the entire premium for a pre-determined set of benefits for eligible retirees
- offer spouses of the eligible retirees the opportunity to purchase a similar policy
An alumni group led by NFL Alumni Executive Director and President George Martin had been actively lobbying both the NFL and the National Football League Player Association (NFLPA) to institute a long-term health insurance benefit. This included a letter campaign, visits to Congress, and public awareness.
They claim that an average of 120 former players die each year each year and many pass due to the lack of long-term health care.
While most long term care services are provided to the elderly, younger people are exposed to the high cost of long-term care services as well.
No doubt that the whole concussion issue spurred some of this on. And I say good for the players. But it also plays to the continued disparity between the haves and have nots. Because let's face it. Few if any employees would be so generous. And while some retirees may not make as much as today's players, they certainly can't be hurting too much.
Not sure what the solution is to financing long-term care. My personal belief is that the CLASS Act is not the answer. It is a voluntary benefit and still costs a substantial amount out of pocket. So while the NFL players can rest easy knowing that their long-term care costs are covered, many of the rest of us will be blind-sided by the heavy blow of the financial burden that we neither anticipated or planned for - a real knockout punch.
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Comments
Although this is good news, it’s important to know that men who played in the NFL prior to ‘93 usually didn’t make enough to make it through the year and took second jobs off season. As the usual age related problems arise in all people the magnitude of these problems is far greater in the men who’s jobs was not a contact sport but one of dozens of hits daily, hits that have been equated to being in a car accident without a seat belt going 30 – 40 miles per hour….again, not just one a day….but dozens. The pain that develops eventually reaches the point that normal work and family activities become impossible. The number of these men who go broke due to their inability to hold down a job by the time they reach their mid 50’s, due to chronic pain and in far to many cases become dependent on pain killers is staggering. It is easy for many to judge them as the strong, able bodied men they are on the field….but the aftermath is tragic at best…something none of the young men are warned about when the choose to play. Aging can be a cruel process for anyone and no one should suffer or suffer alone. In the matter of these men, the the pain and suffering is magnified compared to the average person…and it is LONG overdue that the NFL and the “union” (NLFLPA) take some responsibility.
This is yet another media ploy. After going through the hoops to apply expect to get rejected due to football related degenerative conditions. Just as I found out.