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Equitable medical treatment for male and female student-athletes in all sports

In order to quantify this concern, the committee considered surveying the membership on insurance issues; this idea was ultimately rejected since it had access to two surveys conducted by the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) and did not feel that another survey would provide additional information. The committee also corresponded with an insurance consultant and met with NCAA director of operations, Michael S. McNeely, to discuss options regarding insurance programs modeled after the NCAA catastrophic insurance.

Regrettably, the committee came to the conclusion that matters regarding health insurance for student-athletes were so diverse and complex, and to some degree, political and territorial, that it was highly unlikely that it could propose any type of national plan that would provide relief to member institutions or improve inequities by gender and sport.

During this time, the committee reviewed actions being considered by the NCAA Executive Committee regarding enhancements to the student-athlete assistance fund and endorsed a recommendation that these funds may be used to purchase health insurance for the student-athletes who qualify for this program. The committee understood that this change in policy could positively affect many student-athletes who are presently lacking any health insurance. The committee cautioned that providing this benefit may become quite costly. Also, it recommended that safeguards be built into the program to ensure equal access regardless of gender or sport affiliation.

The committee recognized that on issues of equity in medical care, institutions must make a commitment to ensure that differences are based on sound medical reasons. Further, it noted that in some sports at some institutions, the access and availability of medical care oftentimes exceeds any measurement of reasonableness. It cautioned against attempts to provide equity in care when no medical basis for minimum standards of care have been considered.

Recommendations:

1. Institutions should be mindful that medical and training facilities and services are one of many areas reviewed for compliance within Title IX. The NCAA Division I certification program involves a component that reviews access to and allocation of sports equipment and sports medicine, athletic training room and strength and conditioning facilities and resources. The committee recommends that increased attention to these areas be emphasized in the next cycle of the Division I certification program and any similar certification process developed by Divisions II and III.

2. The student-athlete special assistance fund as it relates to health issues should aid student-athletes in all three divisions.

3. Schools need to be certain that student-athletes are covered by athletics-related health insurance. The NCAA needs to consider the option of providing dollars to fund such insurance. If supplied by the institution, such insurance should be made available without regard to gender or revenue production of the involved sport.

4. The following principles should be endorsed by Council and incorporated into future editions of the NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook:

a. Member institutions should neither practice nor condone discrimination on the basis of race, creed, national origin, sex, age, handicap, disease entity, social status, financial status, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation within their sports medicine programs.

b. Institutional decisions on availability and qualification of medical personnel (including certified athletic trainers and physicians), availability and quality of weight training and conditioning equipment and facilities, should be based on accepted medical criteria (e.g., rates of injury) and not on the basis of gender or sport.

c. Member institutions should not place members of the sports medicine staff in compromising situations by having them provide inequitable treatment in violation of their medical codes of ethics.

d. Institutions should be encouraged to incorporate questions regarding adequacy of medical care, with special emphasis on equitable treatment, in exit interviews with student-athletes.

e. As the cost of medical insurance continues to rise, athletics administrators need to understand better the options available regarding insurance. Institutions should examine options other than the use of athletic trainers to handle administrative matters related to insurance.