‘Delay, Deny And Hope You Die’: NFL’s Byzantine Rules Stymie Ex-Players Seeking Health Benefits
But Paul Scott, who worked as the NFL's benefit plan point person, wants to change that. He's hoping to help former players through the application process to get the disability benefits they've earned. Meanwhile, experts find fault in the way the University of Maryland treated football player Jordan McNair when he suffered from heatstroke, which led to his death.
The New York Times:
He Signed The Denial Letter. Now He Helps Former N.F.L. Players Get Their Benefits
Retired N.F.L. players struggling with debilitating injuries years after they leave the field have a not-so-facetious way of describing the league’s approach to doling out their health benefits: “Delay, deny and hope you die.” Enter Paul Scott. (Belson, 8/14)
The Washington Post:
Experts Say Maryland May Not Have Acted Quickly Enough To Save Football Player
Nearly 40 minutes after a 911 call was placed, Jordan McNair arrived at Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park with a body temperature of 106 degrees, according to a hospital medical report. Once admitted, the 19-year-old Maryland football player was covered with ice and cold water, a cooling method known as cold-water immersion. It took 12 minutes for his body to cool to 102 degrees, which one medical expert called “a much, much safer temperature.” (Dougherty, 8/13)
The Baltimore Sun:
Cold-Water Immersion Is 'Magic Elixir' For Heatstroke — And A Question In Treatment Of Maryland's Jordan McNair
But medical experts said Monday that [Jordan] McNair’s health could have hinged on Maryland’s adherence to medical guidelines for treating heatstroke, including cold-water immersion — a practice which doctors said likely saved Class’ life after he was stricken during a Towson University football practice in 2013. ...When McNair was taken from the workout in College Park to nearby Washington Adventist Hospital, Ruff told The Baltimore Sun on Monday, medical records indicate his body temperature was 106 degrees, a sign of heatstroke. (Shaffer and Klingaman, 8/13)
