Due to the lack of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NFL owners and players that has led to the union de-certifying and the lockout, all players must now be covering their health insurance costs on their own. While this may not seem like a big deal for those multi-millionaires on each team, the overwhelming majority of players earn a lot less than that and the policy premiums are incredibly expensive.
While I am also a business owner and providehealth insurance coverage for my staff, I complain when the cost is reaching the $500 per month mark. Since the NFL is a s high a risk category and the coverage must be wide and deep for the type of health care these guys need, their costs are astronomical in comparison to what the general public pays for coverage.
According to the union (which is now a "Trade Association" due to the de-certification), monthly premiums for individual health insurance coverage is around $2,400 per month per player. The lower-paid players in the league earn around $300,000 a season, which is paid t them in 17 weekly checks during the regular season. Even at that amount, a $2,400 health insurance premium take a huge chunk out of the annual salary and the cost can add up the longer the labor issues continue.
Check out the article in the National Football Post.