Thumbs Up
To the NFL owners and players, who interrupted their stalemate over how to slice up their $9 billion-a-year revenue pie this week long enough to do something good for former players stricken with ALS. They agreed to expand benefits provided under the "88 Plan" to include reimbursement of expenses to qualifying players who are suffering from this horrible disease. The "88 Plan," named after Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey, was developed in 2006 to provide coverage to former players diagnosed with dementia. Eligible players with ALS will receive the same financial benefits - up to $88,000 per year for institutional care or up to $50,000 for home custodial care plus costs for certain physician services, medical equipment and medication. To date, the "88 Plan" has awarded $9.7 million toward the care of 132 former players.
