Health Care NotSimplified
By Scott Keith on April 2, 2019
What was meant to follow was this: What happens to their business? For example, will payouts and salaries decrease to compensate? If so, will that be something the wrestlers would even want? If not, is the problem not simply a Vince McMahon thing but also a John Cena, Steve Austin, Roman Reigns, Hulk Hogan and Triple H thing?
Hell, is the problem that providing health insurance and benefits packages in an industry like pro wrestling even possible? I’m legit asking, not making an argument. How does New Japan handle these factors for current and/or former talent? The NFL? The CFL? Friggin’ Impact?
Ah, that makes more sense now.
Anyway, one would assume that if Vince was forced into giving out healthcare, he would cut payoffs to pass on the losses to his people. The other side of this is that it would not only be granting healthcare, but likely switching from the "independent contractor" status to full employee status along with it. And that's a whole other kettle of fish, mostly to do with Vince and WWE suddenly being on the hook for potentially decades of unpaid back taxes if courts happen to decide that the designation should be retroactively applied. As I understand it, that's one reason why the company has been so staunchly against the idea in the first place. Also, it could lead to unionization, and although I'd like to see wrestlers treated less like cattle, I'm not what you'd call a fan of the unions.
So yeah, short version is probably that any major change costs Vince a ton of money, but holy shit can he ever afford it, moreso now than at any point in the company's history. If he can afford to spend $275 million on the XFL, he can afford all this.
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