Sports injuries and health insurance: Is your active lifestyle covered?

Keeping fit isn’t always easy. Juggling a career, family and social life means it can be difficult to work exercise into our daily routines, but there are so many health benefits we should be making it a priority. Beyond looking and feeling better, working out regularly helps to lower body fat, prevent obesity and diabetes, reduces instances of heart disease and stroke and lowers the risk of cancer. But, keeping our blood pumping isn’t without its risks.

Just ask someone who has pulled a muscle lifting weights or sprained an ankle doing team sports. While these smaller injuries will heal with rest and time, more serious injuries from other athletic activities may have a long-term impact on a person’s lifestyle. If an injury did occur as a result of your workouts or sporting activities, would you be covered by your health insurance provider? We sit down with the insurance experts over at Pacific Prime Singapore to look at five key questions you should be asking before you slip on your sneakers, skis or snorkel.

1. Do you and your family have insurance?
While Singaporeans and PRs can access publicly subsidised healthcare, it is vital for expats to obtain private medical insurance in order to avoid the costs associated with catastrophic illnesses and accidents. You’ll want to ensure that all family members are included on the plan, especially accident-prone children!

2. Are there any exclusions?
‘Exclusions refer to specific conditions or items that an insurance policy won’t cover,’ says Olivier Zeller, Pacific Prime Singapore Sales Manager. ‘Commonly these will include pre-existing conditions or especially hazardous activities.’ Generally, most amateur sports will be included for coverage on private medical insurance plans. However, if you play a sport semi-professionally or professionally, injuries stemming from these sports may be excluded. Fortunately, specialised insurance may be available for such athletes.

3. Are your favourite sports covered?
While you may not consider skateboarding, skiing or skydiving an extreme sport, your insurance provider may and not cover injuries sustained while engaging in these potentially dangerous pastimes. As such, it’s important to study your insurance policy to make sure that all of the activities that you regularly (or even rarely) engage in will be covered. This is true not only for yourself, but for each family member on your insurance policy.

4. Are you covered internationally?
Local private health insurance plans may address all of your needs in Singapore, but this coverage may not extend to claims for injuries sustained abroad. Whether you’re competing in a sport at an international competition, or simply using the hotel gym while on a business trip, there is a chance that your locally obtained insurance provider will not cover accidents that occur outside of Singapore. However, flexible international health insurance plans, such as those available through Pacific Prime Singapore, will provide you with the same benefits in virtually any country worldwide and allow you to select the medical facility you want to attend for treatment.

5. Is your coverage well suited to your needs?
Some people assume that their current health insurance will cover just about any injury imaginable and only once they claim do they realise its limitations. However, since certain sports injuries may require immediate medical attention and surgery, as well as longer-term treatments such as physical therapy, sports enthusiasts should choose a medical insurance plan that includes both in-patient and out-patient coverage. Take note of the benefit limits, too, to ensure that it’ll never be necessary to pay out-of-pocket should the worst-case scenario be realised.

If you have any questions about your current health insurance plan, or would like to compare plans and prices between popular insurers in Singapore, contact the experts at Pacific Prime Singapore to get a quote. They offer family, individual, maternity and dental insurance so you can make sure you and your loved ones are covered on all fronts.

China Square Central #14-05, 18 Cross Street Singapore, 048423
6536 6173 | https://www.pacificprime.sg

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