NFL Claims Admin Audit Power Questioned

A claims administrator implementing the $1 billion NFL concussion litigation settlement is fighting efforts to limit auditing former players’ claims multiple times. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the firm alleges it is not limited to auditing claims a single time to stop ineligible payments. Reportedly, the settlement agreement and audit rules adopted by the special master allow audit of claims at any time in the process, even after payment. They assert a need to re-evaluate a player and his claim in the audit process whenever questions about the legitimacy of a player’s claimed diagnosis arise. A group of thirty claims brought by the same counsel were put into a second audit. He contended that forcing the claims into multiple rounds of audits goes against the broader settlement agreement and damages his clients’ due process rights. Reasons for re-examination of claims given include switching doctors while claims were being audited, and eventually using a doctor who allegedly gave a high neurocognitive impairment diagnosis to a former player, while continuing to work as a corporate spokesman and host public events. It is feared the settlement program would attract unscrupulous persons if claims were investigated in limited scenarios. The NFL and co-class counsel for the players did not yet comment. See full story here-- https://bit.ly/2TMqxEX and NFL concussion site regarding some 20,532 claimants here-- https://bit.ly/2F7z78Y