Football Impact on Insurance Exposure

We all know that college football and football in general is a very violent sport.  There are all levels of concerns and studies underway by the NCAA the NFL and the medical industry.  But what is the impact to all of the allegations and studies for the players who seek medical or life insurance in the future.  The mere exposure of the impact to all the violence and long term mental and physical health has to be weighing heavily on the insurance industry.  Why isn’t the media taking aim to help these families of the impacted to ease the burden of the rising cost of insurance for the affected athletes.  Where will the families turn to find affordable health care backed by insurance they can depend on long after football is gone for their impacted children.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic Brain Injury and the NFL: A Study of the Confluence of Medicine, Ethics, and Social Mores in Professional Football

“The future of American football and the National Football League (NFL) is currently uncertain. Although football is America’s most popular sport and the NFL has reached unprecedented levels of financial success, this popularity has declined in recent years. Medical research concerning traumatic brain injury in football players has changed the landscape of the sport, and the NFL has been very resistant to acknowledging these recent medical discoveries. This paper explores the history of professional football and the NFL’s rise to power, as well as the debate over concussions that has occurred between the NFL and independent researchers over the last fifteen years. This paper also includes a discussion about the ethics of football, for players and fans, in light of the newly discovered dangers of playing the sport. The paper concludes with an examination of the current state of football and the NFL and what the future may hold for both.”  By, Jack Rogers,Director: Dr. Bracy Hill II, Ph.D.

With all the data past present and going forward the future the Insurance industry is having to look deeply at the reports and studies but will this result in a group or sector of families and athletes who will be unable to afford basic care and life insurance due to the growing data being collected?  As a society, this should be addressed as well as finding ways to combat the challenges to protect the athletes from the injury prone positions they find themselves in during the practice sessions and on the field of play during the games.

Whether you are a fan or family member of the sport the insurance industry will ultimately have a major impact and thus say in how this all unravels.  Is it the end of the Football as we know it?  Just go to your local park and recreation centers and take a look as Flag Football is quickly becoming the version of football that is being offered in the youth leagues over the Pop Warner version of the game.  Is it time?  Is the data defensible?

Courtesy of NY Times

What are your thoughts?