The calculations showed that players younger than 50 had a 0.8 percent chance of developing Alzheimer’s or dementia, compared with less than 0.1 percent for the general population. For players ages 50 to 54, the rate was 1.4 percent, compared with less than 0.1 percent for the general population. The gap between the players and the general population grows wider with increasing age.
As important, the company also knows that the former players have access to a gold-plated benefit that few Americans have: The N.F.L.’s 88 Plan, which provides up to $130,000 a year for those with full-blown dementia, A.