This is simply amazing, NBA players association has pledged that they will fund the health insurance for all retired players, this leaves me wondering if a similar thing can happen here in Nigeria.
The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced Wednesday that its player representatives have voted unanimously to fund health insurance for all retired NBA players with at least three years of service in the league.
This program is the first of its kind among North American professional sports. It also exemplifies the NBPA's focus on the health and welfare of its
current, retired and future members.
"The game has never before been
more popular, and all the players
in our league today recognize
that we're only in this position
because of the hard work and
dedication of the men who came
before us," said Chris Paul, NBPA
President and nine-time All-Star.
"It's important that we take care
of our entire extended NBA
family, and I'm proud of my
fellow players for taking this
unprecedented step to ensure the
health and well-being of our
predecessors."
The unanimous vote -- which
took place during the NBPA
Summer Meeting in New York on
June 26 -- established a multi-
faceted health insurance
program through
UnitedHealthcare, the country's
leading health benefits provider.
The current proposal includes:
• Retired players with between
three and six years of NBA
service time but who are not yet
eligible for Medicare would be
offered a plan that includes
medical, hospital and
prescription drug coverage with
modest out-of-pocket costs for
deductibles and co-pays;
• Those with between seven and
nine years of service would be
offered the same coverage with
even lower out-of-pocket costs;
• Retired players with at least 10
years of service would be offered
the same coverage as the seven-
to-nine year players, and would
include coverage for their entire
family;
• Retired players with three-nine
years of service who are eligible
for Medicare would be offered a
$0 deductible and $0 co-pay plan
along with a low-cost
prescription drug plan; those
with 10+ years of service to
receive this coverage for
themselves and their spouse.
• The open enrollment period for
retired players would begin this
fall, with coverage beginning on
January 1, 2017.
The average NBA player's career
in the league lasts just over four
years, emphasizing the need for
long-term planning for all
aspects of life, including health.
Since becoming Executive
Director of the NBPA nearly two
years ago, Michele Roberts and
her new executive team have
instituted a cardiac screening
program for retired players and
other initiatives designed to
prepare current players for life
after basketball and provide
opportunities for retired players.
"I couldn't be more proud of
Chris, our Executive Committee
and our entire membership,"
said Roberts. "Providing health
care security for players who
came before them has been on
the players' minds for the past
year and they worked closely
with us to make it happen. We're
also thrilled to partner with
UnitedHealthcare on this
initiative. We had many choices,
but none matched
UnitedHealthcare's flexibility,
experience, clinical expertise,
and robust tools and
technologies."
The National Basketball Players
Association (NBPA) is the union
for current professional
basketball players in the National
Basketball Association (NBA).
Established in 1954, the NBPA
mission is to ensure that the
rights of NBA players are
protected and that every
conceivable measure is taken to
assist them in maximizing their
opportunities and achieving
their goals, both on and off the
court.
Culled from NBA.com
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