Although I recovered well, I had no insurance to pay my costs. Luckily, I worked for a company that raised the expensive tab. In the end, I should have bought health insurance long ago. So, if you do not have health insurance, my first recommendation is to buy one immediately. You probably never know what surprises life will take. having the right type and quantity mediclaim insurance Will save a lot of financial heartache.
So, if you are someone who leads an active lifestyle or are a gym goerIn this article, you need to be clear about the types of possible sports injuries and which of them are insurable.
types of sports injuries
Sports injuries can be of many types. A young athletic schoolgirl at my daughter’s school had a major ligament lesion that left her in crutches for months. Before the pandemic, a major cause of accidents in Delhi were children playing on trampolines at birthday parties. Injuries occur in gyms, swimming pools and playgrounds. There are examples of healthy people falling on the treadmill. Some sports are inherently risky. I know that a polo player often needs surgery because of match injuries. Fortunately, most sports injuries are mild sprains, muscle strains, and abrasions.
The best way to minimize injury is to be mindful. Avoid unnecessary risk. Increase the intensity gradually. Have a plan in case you get hurt. Identify hospitals you can go to quickly and doctors who can treat you. Also, make it clear what the insurance will pay for.
sports injury insurance cover
Mediclaim Insurance: Over the years the insurance regulator has significantly reduced health insurance exclusions and standardized definitions. Today, a regular mediclaim insurance only allows sports-related exclusions for professional sportsmen and that too in hazardous activities such as racing, scuba diving or mountaineering. Most of us do not fall into this category which means that our health insurance will cover hospitalization or day care procedures due to injury, whether due to sports or being in the gym.
However, an important point in many mediclaim insurance is that outpatient (OPD) costs are usually not covered. This means you will have to pay for minor strains, ligament tears, physiotherapy and even fractures yourself, even if you have a health insurance policy. The exception is when physiotherapy or OPD expenses are required before or after hospitalization as part of the recovery process. In those cases the cost of OPD or physiotherapy will be paid by the health insurance company. The fact that the cost of treating most gym injuries is out of pocket, precisely because these costs are not very high and the expense will not be that high. Insurance comes in handy when the injury is more serious and requires hospitalization.
Other Insurance: Other insurance such as critical illness, personal accident or overseas travel insurance As of now there are no security measures at the same level as mediclaim insurance. These insurances have wider exclusions and more caveats in the insurance contract.
For example, an insurer would exclude cover in a critical illness insurance if a person was injured while participating in adventure sports, and adventure sports broadly refer to any activity involving physical exertion and skill. was defined in. I’ve taken the term policy for brevity’s precise meaning, but the gist is that the definition is broad enough that no one Sports injury. Another insurer for foreign travel insurance excludes any physical contact sport or potentially dangerous sport for which you are untrained. This means that injuries caused overseas related to adventure sports such as para-gliding, bungee jumping, or scuba diving are unlikely to be covered by that travel insurance company.
own insurance
The first insurance you should buy is mediclaim insurance. All of these insurance will pay for sports injuries if you are hospitalized or have a day care procedure. Generally, for those who live in metros, I would recommend a minimum cover of Rs 10 lakh. Such insurance will cost around Rs 10,000 per year as premium for the age of 40 years. For those who supplement basic insurance with a critical illness or personal accident insurance, read the policy wording carefully, especially the provisions on sports-related injuries. There are other caveats in these contracts that you should be aware of. For example, if you change your business an insurer requires you to notify them otherwise no claim is due. So, pay attention to these too.
Non-sporting exclusions to be taken care of
If you were intoxicated when the injury occurred or there is evidence of substance abuse, no insurance will pay the claim. Another universal exclusion is cosmetic treatment. This section came up in the case of the polo player I mentioned earlier. He broke his jaw during a match and the insurer denied the claim on the grounds of cosmetic repairs. I argued that the repair was medically necessary, not cosmetic. But such disputes become a lengthy process. Similarly, payment will not be made for illegal acts. For example, if you go rafting with unlicensed operators or get injured in a gym that doesn’t have a formal permit to operate, the claim may be denied. In fact, while joining gym you need to check whether they have valid license or not. If there is a serious injury that requires hospitalization, the health insurance company may pay your claim if you are using the gym with a valid license.
I certainly don’t want to curb your enthusiasm for sports and exercise as I myself am passionate about them. Dani Rojas in the award-winning serial, Ted Lasso, catches on with enthusiasm when he whispers that “football is life.” But you’ll play a better game if you know the risks are taken care of.
(The author is the co-founder of www.securenow.in)