PROPOSAL NO. 2005-101 AWARDS AND BENEFITS -- MEDICAL EXPENSES ? PERMISSIBLE

 

Status: Management Council Second Consideration  


Intent: To specify that permissible medical expenses (including surgical expenses, medication, rehabilitation, physical therapy expenses and dental expenses) shall be limited to athletically-related injuries or illnesses that occur during the academic year or summer.


Bylaws: Amend 16.4.1, pages 225-226, as follows:

 

"16.4.1 Permissible. Identified medical expense benefits incidental to a student-athlete's participation in intercollegiate athletics that may be financed by the institution are:

[16.4.1-(a) through 16.4.1-(g) unchanged.]

 

"(h) Expenses for medical treatment (including transportation and other related costs) for a student-athlete that results from an athletically related injury or illness.  Such expenses may include the cost of traveling to the location of medical treatment or the provision of actual and necessary living expenses for the student-athlete to be treated at a site on or off the campus during the summer months while the student-athlete is not actually attending classes.  Medical documentation shall be available to support the necessity of the treatment at the location in question; and

 

"(i) Medical expenses (including surgical expenses, medication, rehabilitation and physical therapy expenses and dental expenses). for a student-athlete who sustains an athletically related injury or illness;

 

"(j) Medication and physical therapy used by a student-athlete during the academic year to enable to student-athlete to participate in intercollegiate athletics, regardless of whether the injury or illness is the result of intercollegiate competition or practice; and

 

"(k) Medication and physical therapy used by a student-athlete (even if the student-athlete is not a full-time student) during the academic year to enable the individual to participate in intercollegiate athletics, only if the student-athlete resides on campus (or in the local community of the institution) and appropriate medical documentation is available to establish that the student-athlete is unable to attend the institution as a full-time student as a result of the student-athlete's injury or illness."

 

Source: NCAA Division I Management Council [Championships/Competition Cabinet (Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports) (Mountain West Conference)].

Effective Date: Immediate
Proposal Category: Amendment
Topical Area: Awards, Benefits and Expenses


Rationale: Under the current legislation, it is likely that institutions will be faced with issues related to equity when determining which student-athletes should receive expenses for nonathletically related injuries or illnesses because of limited resources. There also is the potential for significant one-time medical/dental expenses that could greatly impact an institution's budgeted expenditures for medical expenses. Further, while the Special Assistance and Student-Athlete Opportunity funds may be used to cover medical expenses (as specified by the respective funds), these funds are institutionally limited. Reimbursement for significant medical expenses would be impacted and the availability of funds for other valid and authorized purposes (e.g., clothing, summer school aid, etc.) would be reduced or eliminated. Finally, there is a potential recruiting advantage for those institutions with greater resources.


Estimated Budget Impact: Varies.
Impact on Student Athlete's Time: None.
Position Statement(s)


 Championships/Competition Cabinet: The cabinet agreed to support the proposal as written. The cabinet noted that the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport also supported the proposal. The cabinet also noted that the Awards/Travel Policies/Bylaw 16 Subcommittee opposed the proposal in favor of Proposal No. 2005-102.

 Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports: The committee supports NCAA Proposal No. 2005-101 as written.


Primary Contact Person:

  Carolayne Henry, Associate Commissioner
  Mountain West Conference
  15455 Gleneagle Drive
  Suite 200
  Colorado Springs, CO 80921
  Phone: 719/488-4043   FAX: 719/487-7240   Email: chenry@themwc.com


History

Jun 24, 2005

Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports, Recommends Approval

Jul 05, 2005

Submit; Submitted for consideration.

Sep 21, 2005

Championships/Competition Cabinet; See position statement.

Jan 08, 2006

Mgmt Council 1st Review, Approved - (Yea=27, Nay=23, Abstain=0, Not Present=1)

Jan 09, 2006

Comment Period; Start of Comment Period

Mar 12, 2006

Comment Period; End of Comment Period; (Official Comment Totals: Support = 4, Oppose = 9, Abstain = 0)

Apr 10, 2006

Mgmt Council 2nd Review, Tabled; Tabled in order to gather and review data related to medical expenses and insurance. - (Yea=46, Nay=3, Abstain=0, Not Present=2)