Injured Cork star left €7,000 out of pocket

[shawshank]

Source:Hoganstand

:o20 February 2012

Former Cork footballer Diarmuid Duggan has accused the GAA of mistreating him after he was left to foot a €7,000 medical bill.

The Ilen Rovers clubman, who represented Cork at every level and played in their 2008 All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Kerry, ended up funding his own operation to repair a long-standing hip injury. His overall medical bill came to €10,000, with the GPA stumping up €3,000 from their benevolent fund.

"I don't think it's right that once you're gone, you end up on the scraphead," the 31-year-old said in an extensive interview with the Irish Examiner.

"Was it a case that even though I got injured playing with a Cork team, I was no longer needed and therefore not worth the hassle or the money?

Duggan wrote a letter to Cork secretary Frank Murphy in 2010 in which he made an impassioned plea for assistance.

In the letter, he wrote: "Players should not be out of pocket as a result of them dedicating their lives to playing at the highest level and, in particular, with one of the biggest GAA counties in the country.

"When I left the panel as a result of the injury, I regret to say that as far as I was concerned, the county board washed their hands completely clean of it. Was it a case that, even though I got injured playing with a Cork team, I was no longer needed and not worth the hassle or the money?"

Seriously, this is one of the things that disgust me about the GAA. There's maybe more on the story, maybe he didn't fill in the insurance claims properly or accurately, who knows, but taking it at face value, wouldn't this pissed you off

[naka]

my niece hurt her knee( cruciateand needed surgery) playing for her county, they were insured  and to be fair to them immediately give details to facilitate the claim but the insurance company are trying everything to avoid paying, they have asked for records to show it wasnt a pre-existing injury and for the third time invoices
brother so far has paid out the operation and rehab but still chasing the insurance monies

[tyronefan]

As far as I know the gaa insurance only pays up to €4500 for any claim, it is up to the club or the player to pay the rest

[rrhf]

Sad for the lad. I know a fella who had 4 months  off work after playing soccer.

[johnneycool]

The GAA via their insurance paid for the first unsuccesful operation and whatever rehab after that. I think Dougan then struggled to regain fitness and went for a second opinion and hence led him to a hip specialist in England somewhere and that's the one he ended up paying for himself. 

Certainly not ideal under the current insurance system, but it left Cork in a bit of a quandry. Do they open a can of worms and pay the lads bills, leaving them open to any player in the county coming at them with similar issues? I'd suggest most county boards around the country would probably done the same.

I believe each person should have their own individual insurance policy, possibly subsidised by Croke Park instead of the current arrangement, but as some says its hard to put an old head on young shoulders.

[ballymac]

The problem with insurance is the insurance companies and not the GAA per se Just go and try to get a relevant insurance policy that will pay medical costs, loss of earnings, hospitalisation, rehab, physio etc etc and you can be sure that they will laugh at you. If an inter county player was filling out the form and it asks how many hours do you train or part take in this activity, they probably put as many hours in as some professional soccer players.
If they did quote, the premium would be expensive. The reason is that the underwriters of such policies do not understand gaelic football, or perhaps they understand it too well. Could you imagine the claims week on week from every club player looking a bit of physio, or feigning a back injury to help claim loss of earnings etc...

There are limitations within the policy to keep costs affordable. There is also the north south difference in regards to health insurance, as we have the NHS and don't associate this with having to pay a premium. While in the south you pay an insurance premium, vhi etc although recent reports suggest 19000 people per week are not paying/renewing as it due to economic reasons.

My experience with GAA insurance is to make sure you are referred by your doctor to a specialist before paying for anything and remember that they will only fund certain things, always check and not all physio is covered as there have been recent changes to the cover (last 2yrs)

[Real Talk]

Query over decision to limit player reimbursement scheme
The chairman of the GAA's Medical, Scientific and Welfare Committee is to sit down for discussions with President Christy Cooney on the Association's decision to limit physiotherapy reimbursement as part of its player injury scheme.
Date: 05 March 2010 Score: 7.4389142990112
I think in general the GAA only play lip service to Players Welfare and they begrudge all Players additional help outside of the Insurance scheme.   As far as players go they don't give enough thought about the effects of injury until they experience the problem for themselves.  There is no education process in place to alert players of the possible consequences of serious injury as the County Boards and the general Governing Bodies are scared of puting players off playing the games.  But in the final analysis Players should make themselves fully aware of the risks involved and literally take it on the chin when it goes wrong cost thats what they will be expected to do.  As the intensity and the fitness levels required increases then the future for the amateur game particularly at County level will be confined to a select number of counties eg large population/very dedicated single gaelic entity areas will be able to compete at the to table.  This is already happening with Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Kilkenny and Tyrone likely to dine at the top table.  All of this not helped by the difficult economic situation which is going to paralise the many Sponosors.   I doubt I have went on a very negative tangent !!!!!!!

[ballymac]

Real Talk,
what you have to realise is that insurance companies tend to deal with 'the worse case scenario', while we all live in the real world, and as you say you have to take it on the chin when it all goes wrong. As the French say 'that's life' and all any of us can do is to try and be prepared.
Players are trained, coached and educated better than ever before to deal with the strains of modern football. Granted inter county players are more like professional sportsmen, but they get and give a lot from the sport.
As we all get older we feel aches and pains and I know personally I blame a few bad tackles to cause my ankle to ache in the cold weather,as I didn't have the knowledge to look about physio at the time.
Most clubs and counties have masseuses/ physios etc available to players. I know our local club has a guy who straps the players, (not in a kinky way) so players are given lots of assistance in avoiding injury.
In any past-time that involves movement there is the potential of wear and tear

[Jinxy]

Did the GAA pay for Collie Morans hip replacement?
Or Bernard Flynns?
Where do you draw the line?

[heffo]

Did the GAA pay for Collie Morans hip replacement?
Or Bernard Flynns?
Where do you draw the line?

Flynn had private insurance and that paid for it - it was 18 years after he retired though!.

Collie Moran had his operation covered as it was prescribed.

[Jinxy]

Did the GAA pay for Collie Morans hip replacement?
Or Bernard Flynns?
Where do you draw the line?

Flynn had private insurance and that paid for it - it was 18 years after he retired though!.

Collie Moran had his operation covered as it was prescribed.

The operation was, but the problem manifested itself towards the end of his playing career.

[heffo]

Did the GAA pay for Collie Morans hip replacement?
Or Bernard Flynns?
Where do you draw the line?

Flynn had private insurance and that paid for it - it was 18 years after he retired though!.

Collie Moran had his operation covered as it was prescribed.

The operation was, but the problem manifested itself towards the end of his playing career.

Hence it wasn't covered.

Too many grey areas with issues like this - GAA insurance scheme was being fleeced by fellas taking the absolute piss with physio bills, people doing their cruciate playing astro and clubs putting it through as a GAA injury - the total fund is a finite amount and can only pay out what is put in.

Fellas with injuries arising out of playing or training should be looked after seperately though if existing scheme doesn't cover it.