[jonnyss]

if i recall correctly, when an employee gets workers comp, he or she doesn't get salary; savings in salary largely offset the payment (or the insurance to cover payments). in terms of the medical treatment part of workers' comp, doesn't stanford already pay medical bills for athletes when they are injured and can't "work?"

I am not sure what you mean here. Clearly an employee gets paid, either a salary or hourly. Workman's Compensation Insurance is specific insurance with specific mandated coverage for on-the-job injuries. It includes additional things like disability insurance, loss of wages benefits etc. This insurance is in addition to any "normal" health insurance employers may (or may not) provide and is required by law.

That is a major reason why you see questions on the description of your complaint when you go for medical care  asking if the problem/injury is work-related. A whole different insurance process comes into play if it is. Right now, since playing football isn't "work", athletes can be covered by "regular" insurance. If they are employees, the rules change. Workman's Comp is an additional required expense Stanford would have to pay. It ain't cheap.

exactly! workers' comp covers loss of wages. so the employer makes back a good portion of the premium by not paying wages.

after 4 decades of stonewalling (recall that NCAA lawyers invented the term "student athlete" in court filings in the 50s to get out of covering paralyzed athletes), the NCAA now requires that schools pay for long-term, catastrophic injury coverage (yay!). the cost of those premiums should go down as disability insurance covers much of the same territory.

yes, there are extra costs, but i believe offsets take away some, even much, of the bite.

[jonnyss]

if i recall correctly, when an employee gets workers comp, he or she doesn't get salary; savings in salary largely offset the payment (or the insurance to cover payments). in terms of the medical treatment part of workers' comp, doesn't stanford already pay medical bills for athletes when they are injured and can't "work?"

I am not sure what you mean here. Clearly an employee gets paid, either a salary or hourly. Workman's Compensation Insurance is specific insurance with specific mandated coverage for on-the-job injuries. It includes additional things like disability insurance, loss of wages benefits etc. This insurance is in addition to any "normal" health insurance employers may (or may not) provide and is required by law.

That is a major reason why you see questions on the description of your complaint when you go for medical care  asking if the problem/injury is work-related. A whole different insurance process comes into play if it is. Right now, since playing football isn't "work", athletes can be covered by "regular" insurance. If they are employees, the rules change. Workman's Comp is an additional required expense Stanford would have to pay. It ain't cheap.

exactly! workers' comp covers loss of wages. so the employer makes back a good portion of the premium by not paying wages.

after 4 decades of stonewalling (recall that NCAA lawyers invented the term "student athlete" in court filings in the 50s to get out of covering paralyzed athletes), the NCAA now requires that schools pay for long-term, catastrophic injury coverage (yay!). the cost of those premiums should go down as disability insurance covers much of the same territory.

yes, there are extra costs, but i believe offsets take away some, even much, of the bite.