NBA Players Association to Pay Health Insurance for Retired Players
The program is the first of its kind among North American professional sports.
The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) has announced its members voted unanimously to fund health insurance for all retired NBA players with at least three years of service in the league. The program is the first of its kind for professional sports in North America.
"The game has never before been more popular, and all the players in our league today recognize that we're only in this position because of the hard work and dedication of the men who came before us," said Chris Paul, NBPA president and a nine-time All-Star. "It's important that we take care of our entire extended NBA family, and I'm proud of my fellow players for taking this unprecedented step to ensure the health and well-being of our predecessors."
The program will be run through UnitedHealthcare and will include medical, hospital and prescription drug coverage, family coverage for players with at least 10 years of service, and open enrollment beginning in the fall.
"I couldn't be more proud of Chris, our executive committee, and our entire membership," said NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts. "Providing health care security for players who came before them has been on the players' minds for the past year and they worked closely with us to make it happen. We're also thrilled to partner with UnitedHealthcare on this initiative. We had many choices, but none matched UnitedHealthcare's flexibility, experience, clinical expertise, and robust tools and technologies."