Report: NFL denies millions of dollars in payouts after concussion settlement

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NEXT WEEK IS THE PINNACLE OF FOOTBALL SEASON. BUT THIS WEEK – A NEW REPORT IS SHINING AN UNFLATTERING LIGHT ON THE NFL. 

A WASHINGTON POST INVESTIGATION ACCUSES THE NFL OF DENYING MEDICAL CARE AND PAYOUTS TO HUNDREDS OF PLAYERS UNDER THE LANDMARK CONCUSSION SETTLEMENT, SAVING THE LEAGUE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

WILL HOBSON – WASHINGTON POST: “WE FOUND BASICALLY THAT THIS SETTLEMENT HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE WAY TO DEFINE DEMENTIA, AND THAT IS ONE BIG COMPONENT THAT THERE ARE PLAYERS OUT THERE, MANY PLAYERS OUT THERE WHO ARE GETTING DIAGNOSED WITH DEMENTIA, AND THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE THE SYMPTOMS OF DEMENTIA, BUT THEY DON’T MEET THE SETTLEMENT STANDARD. SO, THEY’RE GETTING DENIED FOR MONEY AND MEDICAL CARE THAT THEY AND THEIR LAWYERS THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO GET.”

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THE 2015 SETTLEMENT BETWEEN THE NFL AND 5,000 RETIRED PLAYERS PROMISED PAYOUTS FROM THE LEAGUE TO PLAYERS DIAGNOSED WITH NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEMS FROM PLAYING FOOTBALL. 

ACCORDING TO THE POST, THE NFL APPROVED JUST 15% OF MORE THAN 1,200 FORMER PLAYERS WHO FILED DEMENTIA CLAIMS BASED ON MEDICAL DIAGNOSES.

THE POST SAYS THE SETTLEMENT HAS A MUCH STRICTER THRESHOLD FOR DEMENTIA. DOCTORS THEY INTERVIEWED SAID IF THEY USED THE NFL’S DEFINITION IN REGULAR PRACTICE, THEY’D BE SENDING AWAY PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM DEMENTIA WITHOUT A DIAGNOSIS.

THE NFL DISPUTES THE POST’S CONCLUSIONS – SAYING THERE HAS BEEN RAMPANT FRAUD SINCE THE SETTLEMENT. THEY CLAIM MANY FORMER PLAYERS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH DEMENTIA HAVE TRIED TO GET PAID.

WILL HOBSON – WASHINGTON POST: “AS WE DOCUMENTED, THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF GUYS OUT THERE WHO INDISPUTABLY HAD DEMENTIA, WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS, SAW THEIR CLAIMS GET DENIED, AND THEN DIED AND HAD CTE CONFIRMED AT AUTOPSY.”

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THE POST ALSO ALLEGES THE NFL TREATED CLAIMS DIFFERENTLY BASED ON A PLAYER’S RACE.

IN 2021, THE NFL SAID IT WOULD STOP WHAT’S CALLED RACE-NORMING TO DETERMINE PAYOUTS. 

WILL HOBSON – WASHINGTON POST: “WHICH IS BASICALLY THE TEST SCORES WERE CURVED AND ADJUSTED A LITTLE BIT BASED ON A FORMULA THAT ASSUMES BLACK FORMER PLAYERS NATURALLY PERFORM WORSE ON THESE COGNITIVE TESTS THAN WHITE FORMER PLAYERS.”

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POST REPORTER WILL HOBSON SAID DESPITE THEIR FINDINGS, THE NFL INSISTS THE SETTLEMENT’S DEFINITION FOR DEMENTIA DOES NOT REQUIRE MORE IMPAIRMENT THAN THE STANDARD DEFINITION. THOUGH DOCTORS QUOTED IN THE INVESTIGATION DISAGREE.

THE NFL SAYS THE PROCESS IS MONITORED BY AN INDEPENDENT LAW FIRM AND A FEDERAL JUDGE. THEY SAY THE AMOUNT OF MONEY ALREADY PAID OUT IS PROOF THE SETTLEMENT PROCESS IS FAIR.

SO FAR THE NFL HAS SPENT 1-POINT-2 BILLION DOLLARS ON MORE THAN 1600 PLAYERS.