Medical Expenditures in Division 1 Collegiate Athletics: Analysis by Sport and Gender

Abstract

PURPOSE: Collegiate athletic medical care expenses include support for supplies, facilities, personnel and insurance. Additional medical expenses include imaging, diagnostic testing, specialty consultations and surgeries. The objective of this report is to examine these additional medical expenses that occur. Data regarding these expenses have not been widely reported. This analysis of medical costs of college athletics examined the variation of medical expenses by individual sport at a NCAA division 1 collegiate athletic program over a 5 year period. METHODS: Data for all medical expenses for athletic related injuries/illness were obtained from a single insurance coordinator for the athletic department. The claims and charges data for 33 teams was analyzed for a 5 year period (2005 - 2010). The data was analyzed for annual fluctuation and change over time. Sports were divided into corresponding male and female teams, female-only sports, male-only sports and coed sports. Linear regression analysis was used to compare the corresponding male and female teams. Claims and charges were analyzed by team/year and after normalizing for roster size by athlete/year. Significance was p < 0.05. RESULTS: The team claims and charges were stable over the 5 year timeframe. In 11 of the 14 gender matched sports the female teams had higher average annual charges. After normalizing for roster size in the gender matched sports, females had.97 more average annual claims (p<0.01) and $1,459 higher annual charges (p=0.001) than their male counterparts. The charges per claim were similar between the genders. The five teams with the highest average annual charges were: football, wrestling, softball, women's crew, and men's lacrosse. When normalized for roster size the five sports with the highest average annual charges per athlete were: softball, women's diving, men's basketball, wrestling, and men's gymnastics. CONCLUSIONS: Charges per claim were similar between the matched gender sports, but the female sports had a higher number of claims and higher total charges per athlete/year. Football had the highest average annual total charges, but when normalized for roster size charges per athlete/year were similar to other sports. More research into why gender differences in athletic medical expenses exist is needed.