Ex-NFL players raise questions about health coverage
NFL greats Harry Carson, center right, Ricky Hunley, center left, and other celebrity guests and members of Wounded Warriors, salute during the opening ceremony at the 9th Annual NFL Foundation Super Bowl Celebrity Bowling Classic at Chelsea Piers. (Feb. 1, 2014) Credit: Craig Ruttle
When 49ers tight end Vernon Davis stood up during NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's news conference on Friday and asked why the league doesn't offer free lifetime health care, it struck a chord. When the cheering stops for former players, football-related health issues continue.
Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Harry Carson, who was among a star-studded cast of former players Saturday at the NFL Foundation Super Bowl Celebrity Bowling Classic at Chelsea Piers, said the prospect of lifetime health coverage "would be ideal for the players because there are all kinds of issues players encounter once they leave the game. If it's a result of having played in the NFL, it should be covered in some way."
The NFL still is in the process of negotiating a settlement in a lawsuit on behalf of players who suffered brain damage from concussions suffered during their NFL careers. Carson said the signs of brain damage often don't manifest themselves until after a retired player's insurance coverage has run out.
"So many players are dealing with the lingering ramifications of concussions that they didn't know they had when they played," said Carson, who pronounced himself free of those issues.
Former Jets linebacker Greg Buttle praised Goodell, saying, "He's more of a players' commissioner than people recognize" even though he works for the owners. But like Carson, Buttle believes more progress can be made through negotiations.
"It would be a great idea if you had health care that supports all pre-existing conditions you had," Buttle said. "Can you imagine somebody with CTE or neurological damage that requires long-term health care? I don't know any players who want to do it just for making money. They want to protect their longevity and their families."
Retired Jets safety Erik McMillan, who lives in Atlanta, now serves as the Southeast Captain for The Trust, an NFLPA-funded entity designed to create "eco-systems" to support former NFL players with an emphasis on health issues and making the transition from football to the next stage of life.
In his new role, McMillan is raising awareness among former players of the importance of networking. "What I'm doing now is going around and talking to the former players," he said. "There are a lot of services they have available to them that they don't even know about. I'm trying to spread the word like a disease to save your life."
Former Giants center Bart Oates is president of his local NFL Alumni chapter, and he currently is involved in a charity event called the NFL Optimal Wellness Challenge geared toward teaching players and the community to be proactive about diagnosing and treating health issues early on.
According to Oates' NFL-related sources, lifetime health care for former players would cost upwards of $600 million per year. "It's an expensive proposition, and then how do you determine who gets the benefits?" Oates asked. "Do you give somebody who went to camp the same benefits as a Hall of Fame career?
"As a former player, do I think it's a good thing? Yeah. Is it practical? I don't know."
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