Health Insurers Could Take $180 Million From Concussed Ex-NFL Players

(Bloomberg) Nearly a fifth of the National Football League settlement approved this week compensating former players with head injuries could go to their health insurers instead.

As a result of federal laws and court rulings enabling insurers to recover costs of medical treatment for injuries, Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers will be reimbursed before players receive any money. Their share will reduce the value of a deal already criticized by some ex-players' lawyers as inadequate.

"It is an enormous problem," said George Washington University law professor Alan B. Morrison, who filed an amicus brief in the case in federal district court in Philadelphia expressing concern about the payments to health insurers. It could take a year or longer to sort out how much is owed to which insurers, Morrison said.

The settlement of the class action lawsuit alleging that the NFL failed to properly investigate and respond to the risk of concussion-causing hits is expected to pay up to $1 billion to more than 20,000 retired players. ..................(more)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-24/health-insurers-could-take-180-million-from-concussed-ex-nfl-players