Learn How Accident Insurance Covers Student-Athletes

Which Insurances Can You Secure for Your Student-Athlete?

Student-athletes and their families deserve the best care when dealing with an injury resulting from school activities. A-G Administrators understands what’s at stake for the injured athlete, their family, and the school. Schools need a financial safety net for their students and athletes in case of accidental injuries.

There are several types of insurance for student-athlete injury coverage. Each coverage option plays a slightly different role in an athlete’s protection against current and future injuries. Here are the kinds of insurance offered:

Accident Insurance

At its simplest, accident insurance is often referred to as out-of-pocket insurance. This is because it is most easily explained as paying funds in addition to an insured person’s health insurance when medical treatment is needed after an injury.

At its most complex, accident insurance may pay catastrophic cash benefits if an injury is serious, life-threatening, or fatal. The goal of accident insurance is to make sure neither the parents nor the schools are financially derailed by a student-athlete injury.

You can learn more about our K-12 accident coverage options here.

You can learn more about our collegiate accident coverage options here.

Health Insurance

Student-athletes’ primary health insurance reduces the cost of care on a school’s budget more than anything else. A-G’s accident insurance works well with existing student health insurance coverage. Accident insurance relies on the athlete’s health insurance to act as the primary coverage and can help with deductibles and coverage gaps in students’ health insurance policies.

As an athlete moves from middle school, to high school, and then college sports, their coverage requirements can change. For example, NCAA coverage for college athletes may leave huge gaps in injury and rehabilitation costs. Some schools will pick this up for the student while others won’t. It pays to understand the limits of the coverage you have in place for your student athletes. An article by NFHS, points out that two of the top ten law issues affecting schools are from injury related issues.

Coverage Gaps To Be Aware Of

Sometimes it can be more helpful to understand possible gaps in coverage. Knowing what the coverage gaps are can help you address any concerns in your coverage options. A recent study by A-G Administrators listed the top seven gaps athletic directors and trainers cited as missing and necessary coverages for student-athletes.

While they are familiar coverages, they may not be included with your health insurance plan. You can review the following list with your carrier to determine if you have any coverage gaps you want to address.

• Mental Health
• Nutrition
• Dental
• Vision
• Sports-Related General Medical Conditions
• Women’s Health and OB-GYN
• Cardiac Screening

Some, but rarely all, of these coverages are available in a single plan. Dental and vision can often be added for an additional cost. General medical conditions are typically handled by health insurance. Mental health and nutrition coverage varies by plan and need.

Loss of Value Insurance

According to the NCAA, loss of value insurance for athletes is insurance that protects a student-athlete’s future contract value from decreasing below a predetermined amount due to a significant injury or illness suffered during the policy’s designated coverage period. It is typically purchased for the year leading up to the athlete’s draft eligibility.

Loss of value insurance protects the future value of a gifted player before they are formally drafted. It’s coverage reserved for those lucky enough to take their skills to the next level.

Wrapping It Up

A-G Administrators started in the K-12 insurance market and, for more than 30 years, has been a trusted adviser in the evolving sports insurance industry, providing insurance solutions to 670+ colleges and universities, 3,200+ K-12 schools and school systems, and 3,000 youth sports organizations, including several National Governing Bodies.

Whether you are a school, college, or university who wants to develop a comprehensive risk management program for your student-athletes, a K-12 school interested in student accident insurance, a youth sports club looking to insure your participants’ injury risks, or an agent or broker seeking the best solutions for your clients, A-G has your answer. Learn more about what A-G can do for you by requesting a quote.