Change in GAA Physios policy

[Celt_Man]

I heard about this at the weekend, it seems after the GAA paying out big time in the last couple of years on Physios' bills, they have decided to change the policy.  The GAA will not now cover pre-op Physios visits and post op Physios visits are only now covered in the new scheme and only to a maximum of €320.

What sort of an effect is it going to have on your club?  I know some clubs in Cavan now have a policy of you can't go to the Physio without getting written permission from the club secretary.  Most clubs will have to seriously reduce the amount of Physio visits otherwise they will be left with a serious bill at the end of the year

[Celt_Man]

Found the article I read at the weekend from the Indo

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/gaa-forced-to-rejig-injury-fund-2072778.html

GAA forced to rejig injury fund

By DAMIAN LAWLOR

Sunday February 21 2010

THE GAA has revamped its player injury scheme after being forced to fork out a massive €9.5m in claims last year.

Figures to be released in the next few weeks show that the whopping compensation bill left the scheme with a deficit of over €1m for 2009, leaving the association with no choice but to make severe changes.

The injury fund will no longer compensate club or county players for any pre-operation physiotherapy bills incurred. Instead, the GAA will now compensate post-operation physio expenses only -- to a maximum amount of €320.

Explaining the move, officials said that the incidence of physiotherapy claims have multiplied by 100 per cent in recent times, prompting them to make cuts to its fund which has lost close to €2m per year over the last decade. To try and stop that drain, the GAA last year introduced a policy of only paying out on bills received from chartered physiotherapists or doctors but found this system impossible to police.

GAA director of finance Tom Ryan says they had little choice but to introduce this policy. He said they could either cut back on the benefits available in the scheme or keep it going as it was and let the clubs make up the shortfall. But with clubs already paying €1,000 per year into the fund, the latter option was simply not sustainable.

"Our injury scheme is not an insurance policy in the strict sense," said Ryan. "It's a self-administered fund which accumulates money in two ways -- a fixed percentage of all gate receipts, plus a contribution from every registered team. The pooled funds are then used to pay out to injured players on a pre-defined basis depending on the type of injury.

"There is no insurance company involved. The scheme is not intended to make a profit but in order to survive, its income has to at least approximate its outgoings in the long term. Unfortunately in recent years, the incidence of claims has multiplied by almost 100% to the extent that we had a claims cost of almost €9.5m, and a deficit on the scheme of €1m for 2009.

"Unless we take some kind of remedial action, the scheme cannot survive. You can only pay out what you take in and the money is just not there. Getting bills of €9.5m cannot last. Clearly, the revenue side of things is not going to improve any time soon, so that means we have to reduce the cost of claims. That way, the scheme will continue and we're proud that the fund is still the only one of its kind across the major sporting bodies."

Clubs and county boards will now have to monitor, and finance, their physiotherapy costs. "Players will still be able to get physio but the clubs and boards will have to look after the costs," Ryan pointed out. "So physio is still incorporated, just not from this scheme. The overall injury fund will collapse otherwise. And we have to ensure that, with player welfare in mind, we are able to look after all the other serious problems that players from our 2,500 registered clubs endure, like illness, loss of earnings and medical costs."

The original purpose of the scheme was to alleviate financial hardship caused by injury. Ironically, in the early stages of the fund physiotherapy bills were not even included. As the modern game evolved, however, the physio element turned from a minor incidental into a rapidly rising burden.

"The alternative would have been to drastically reduce the amounts payable on the smaller number of high-cost claims for more serious injuries," Ryan said. "But we felt that this would be contrary to the spirit and purpose of the scheme."

[Bensars]

Its a problem in many clubs for last 20 years. Every club the length and breadth of the country will certainly have one player ( if not more) fond of paying a visit to the physios table on a frequent basis.

The frequency of these visits will also increase closer to championship time with the whole melodrama of will he be fit or not.

Not withstanding the average player ,who feels that the need for physio treatment will somehow propels them into the higher echelons of football greatness !

[Norf Tyrone]

What policies if any are clubs putting in place to replace the physio scheme. Are you letting players fend for themselves? Splitting the costs? Covering entire bill? etc etc

[magpie seanie]

I for one fully applaud this long overdue move by the GAA. The whole physio thing is absolutely ridiculous and a halt had to be called on it. We have the ridiculous situation in our club where the seniors have a physio at every game (they are scheduled to have a minimum of 20 competitive matches this season). No need for it in my book. If its required then surely the juniors should have the same?

The GAA scheme is pretty good all told and every year they pump at least a million (nett) from central funds into it. Its not designed to nor should it cover everything (especially lads getting their legs rubbed before a match).

[bingobus]

The scheme never covered nor was it intended to cover Physio's attending matches or giving rubs before the match. If this was claimed, it was claimed falsely with the help of the physio.

The claims made for physio had to done on an individual basis (one player at time) with a chartered phsyiotherapist. The scheme was very detailed and included having to get a player visit a doctor who advised on injury and outlined the physio required.

I'd agree that lots of players are fond of getting physio/scans etc but there are as many who are genuine and who don't abuse the system.

Having a physio or medical person at a senior match, I would have thought is a very basic requirement. Some players need a rub down or bit of strapping on ankle or the like. Bit more importantly if a player gets hurt during the match, the leats you can do is have someone in place on the line that will know exactly what to do, if this occurs. For the record, we'd have asuch a person at Senior and Junior B matches.

[cornafean]

Bit more importantly if a player gets hurt during the match, the leats you can do is have someone in place on the line that will know exactly what to do, if this occurs. For the record, we'd have asuch a person at Senior and Junior B matches.

Are First Aid officials a thing of the past? 

[bingobus]

Bit more importantly if a player gets hurt during the match, the leats you can do is have someone in place on the line that will know exactly what to do, if this occurs. For the record, we'd have asuch a person at Senior and Junior B matches.

Are First Aid officials a thing of the past? 

The person we would use isn't a chartered physio but has training in that field. We've used club people in the past and its not always been successful. One such person ran out to an ijured player who was writhing in pain on the deck, said person had a look over him, felt him up and then shouted over to the bench that the player had broke his leg, only to be pulled down by the player who told him that his shoulder was out!!

If you have someone on the line, I think you are as well doing it right and having the proper person in place rather than a sponge and spray man.

[haranguerer]

Are there any physios on the board? send me a pm if you wouldnt mind giving a tentative professional opinion on something. Cheers!

[magpie seanie]

Bingobus - I was only citing how the cult of the physio has built up and I know none of what I mentioned was claimable before or after. I accept its difficult but is paying someone €100+ per game (i.e. over 2 grand a season per adult team) unsustainable? There are a lot of genuine cases and its vital that those people are looked after but I firmly believe a lot of it is in lads heads at times. Its always the same 4 or 5 lads that have the physio tormented all year. They must be just extremely unlucky. 

[bingobus]

I could list the 4/5 now from our club! You wonder how they never get run over crossing the road they are that unlucky. 

We aren't paying that much and get a good service. For instance, this year any injured player in the club from juvenile to senior will have to attend a senior match when our physio person is in attendence and he will assess and approve further treatment if needed or to rest/ice it etc. We are fully using his services when he is present and we hope to cut out players running off to other physios and booking themselves in for a few visits.

[haranguerer]

Injuries recur, and also cause other injuries. Still, I know a few of the lads you refer to too.

You're right about matches - I see no value whatsoever on a havng a physio at a match. Perhaps for a while before to rub/strap, but they're never necessary during a match.

[magpie seanie]

I could list the 4/5 now from our club! You wonder how they never get run over crossing the road they are that unlucky. 

We aren't paying that much and get a good service. For instance, this year any injured player in the club from juvenile to senior will have to attend a senior match when our physio person is in attendence and he will assess and approve further treatment if needed or to rest/ice it etc. We are fully using his services when he is present and we hope to cut out players running off to other physios and booking themselves in for a few visits.

That's a very good idea. I'm going to recommend that for our club. The physio we have is good and we may as well get the value out of it.

[bingobus]

I could list the 4/5 now from our club! You wonder how they never get run over crossing the road they are that unlucky. 

We aren't paying that much and get a good service. For instance, this year any injured player in the club from juvenile to senior will have to attend a senior match when our physio person is in attendence and he will assess and approve further treatment if needed or to rest/ice it etc. We are fully using his services when he is present and we hope to cut out players running off to other physios and booking themselves in for a few visits.

That's a very good idea. I'm going to recommend that for our club. The physio we have is good and we may as well get the value out of it.

You can't use it, I have patented it or something like that   

[magpie seanie]

Do you not know imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!