The Boiling Point: Universal healthcare is a debate for college sports, too
Sorry, not sorry — we’re talking health care in the sports section.
It is one of the hottest topics of the 2020 election and for good reason: Millions of Americans’ health care is at risk in the middle of a pandemic. It is estimated that up to 12 million households have lost their employee-sponsored health insurance since February, and with the Affordable Care Act hanging by a thread in the courts, the country may see the health care crisis worsen.
I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these households supported an NCAA student-athlete.
Medicine and sports have a deep connection, especially in the world of college sports. It is estimated that in a five-year span, more than one million injuries result from college athletic activity. For perspective, an average of 460,000 athletes compete in the NCAA every year.
These injuries could range from a simple strain to a blown-out ACL, but what matters is where they happen and who is going to cover the expenses of treatment. It’s a lot trickier than “we break, we buy” in college athletics, and that’s what I want to talk about today.
The NCAA’s rules on medical insurance and who pays for what are confusing, leaving many athletes who sign the dotted lines committing as teenagers in the dark as to how they are actually protected.
The NCAA requires every student-athlete to have personal insurance. The policy could be held by themselves, their parents or, if neither is feasible, through the school they play for. Almost all Division I, II and III programs have insurance options for those who come without one; USC is no exception. However, “almost all” implies that there are student-athletes out there who still slip through the cracks, and the solution is a lot more nuanced than forcing all schools to have an insurance policy for students.
First, the medical treatment available to athletes is questionable in nature. Athletic trainers and physicians are the first ones on the scene, but we have to keep in mind who their employers are.
The NCAA passed a rule in 2016 barring coaches from having direct influence on medical personnel and treatment of players to prevent disruptions of care for the sake of playing time. However, there have been multiple citations of programs that violate players’ medical autonomy, and the line between treating toward healing and stitching up for field return can be blurred.
It should be noted that in the USC student-athlete handbook under the medical coverage section, the policy states that “referrals to outside health care providers without prior approval from the USC athletic medicine staff may not be financially covered.” This sentence comes after the policy claim that all medical costs outside of insurance are covered by the USC Athletic Department. In other words, student-athletes are financially bound to the recommendations and treatments by AD-hired doctors.
At least USC has a talented and deep roster of physicians available for athletes at any time. For those in D3 or smaller programs, the lack of personnel could mean an uncovered hospital visit. Sure, they can apply for the NCAA Student Assistance Fund, but those are processed on a case-by-case basis and carry no guarantee.
The NCAA needs to centralize the health care of all its student-athletes. These 18-to-23 year olds put their bodies under extreme pressure to perform for their schools’ revenue, and the dispersing of coverage policy sends the message that the association doesn’t want to take on the responsibility of an employer.
Sure, the NCAA can play the savior ads about the housing and scholarships they give athletes and how they are the jumping-off point for so many. But is that worth anything if the association won’t cover for an athlete when an injury inhibits them from jumping in the first place?
Student-athletes’ bodies are not expendable or replaceable. It’s time the association stops allowing athletes to fall through the cracks of a broken health care system and takes some responsibility for its revenue generators.
Taylor Mills is a sophomore writing about the NCAA. She is also a sports editor at the Daily Trojan. Her column, “The Boiling Point,” runs every other Friday.