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NBPA Votes To Fund Health Care For Retired Players

LOS ANGELES – The National Basketball Players Association announced Wednesday that its player representatives voted unanimously to fund health insurance for all retired NBA players with at least three years of service, according to a release.

In doing so, the NBPA made history with the first program of its kind among North American professional sports. Under the current proposal, open enrollment for the program would start this fall, with coverage beginning in January 2017.

Chris Paul, NBPA president and Clippers point guard, said in a statement that “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.”

“It’s important that we take care of our entire extended NBA family,” Paul said, “and I’m proud of my fellow players for taking this unprecedented step to ensure the health and well-being of our predecessors.”

Michele Roberts, executive director of the NBPA, said providing health care security for players who came before them “has been on the players’ minds for the past year,” and the players worked closely with the NBPA to make it happen.

The vote took place during the NBPA Summer Meeting in New York and established the insurance program through UnitedHealthcare. The coverage is tiered, with more NBA service leading to lower out-of-pocket costs. Retired players with at least 10 years of service also get coverage for their entire family.

Considering the average NBA player’s career lasts just over four years, the new program should be able to help a number of former athletes, should they so choose. The full NBPA release can be viewed here