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Player Accident Insurance Cover - What Is It All About ?
Accidents do happen to sportspeople.
In 1978 the New South Wales government established the NSW Sporting Injuries Insurance Scheme. The Scheme provides affordable player accident and injury insurance cover for both amateur and professional sportspeople. The Scheme is open for membership to all sporting organisations operating within New South Wales that elect to join.
Amateur and professional sportspersons may be covered by the Scheme. Professional sports people must belong to a sporting organisation whose membership is largely amateur.
The Scheme's player accident insurance provides twelve month coverage to all authorised activities of the sporting organisation. Activities include all sporting events, trials, practices and training.
If a player or member is injured while participating in an authorised activity or sporting event and suffers a permanent disability of a certain kind, then a lump sum benefit is payable to that person.
Should an accident or injury result in death, a benefit may be paid to the legal personal representative of the deceased.
As lump sum benefits are paid out , the insurance obtained from the Scheme can be used as a top-up to the sporting organisation's existing comprehensive player accident insurance cover or as a top-up to the individual's private health cover.
It is important to note that insurance terms, conditions and exclusions do vary from insurer to insurer. Our scheme benefits are paid regardless of the negligence of the participant or pre-existing conditions, or if a benefit has previously been received from another insurer.
Both senior and junior sportspeople of a sporting organisation receive the same benefits but junior sportspeople are charged only 20% of the senior premium rates.
Participation in the Scheme means that a registered participant of a declared sporting organisation is not deemed to be a "worker " under the NSW Workers Compensation Legislation while:
- Participating in an authorised activity of that organisation;
- Engaged in training or preparing with a view to participating in an authorised activity; or
- Engaged on a journey in connection with participation or training.
However a member of a declared sporting organisation may still be a worker under a contract of service for the club for activities that are unrelated to the organisation's authorised activities or if, under the contract with the organisation that governs the person's participation in the authorised sporting activities the person is entitled to remuneration for activities outside the scope of those activities. It is recommended you seek you own legal advice in this regard.
The Scheme is non-profit and derives its funding from premiums paid by member organisations. All monies other than the administrative costs are directed towards the benefits provided by the Scheme.
Detailed information can be obtained by reviewing the Sporting Injuries Insurance Scheme Handbook.
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