Since the lockout started, NFL teams no longer provide health insurance for their players. The players can continue buying into the insurance plan at their own expense, but the NFLPA* is concerned that not every player can afford it.
That’s what NFLPA* President Kevin Mawae called the “biggest concern right now” in an interview with the Associated Press.
Health care in America isn’t cheap, and the NFLPA* says the average monthly fee for a family policy is $2,400. But considering that the league minimum salary is $320,000, and considering that everyone has expected for a long time that a lockout was coming, it’s hard to see why every player wouldn’t have enough money saved up to pay for COBRA.
But Mawae said he’s particularly concerned about “some young players who . . . may not have the ability to pay COBRA over a long term.’'
“Is it a ton of players? No,” Mawae added. “But is it concern enough for us? Absolutely.”
From Mawae’s perspective it’s understandable that a few players are in a bad position with respect to their health care.
“We have 1,900 active players, give or take, and you’re always going to have guys who either don’t know all the issues or don’t buy in or really [don’t] care,’' Mawae said. “But the majority of the players understand what the issues are, and they understand that whatever happens, it’s going to intimately affect them, their livelihood and their families.’'