People nowadays are very health conscious and to achieve fitness goals and be healthy they invest a lot of time in the gym. With heavy weight lifting, they sometimes tend to injure themselves and such injury treatment can cost a good amount of money. So, if you are a gym goer or a sports person, you are well aware of the chances of getting injured and how these injuries can impair your ability to conduct daily work and can keep you bedridden for months. Also, it is important to protect yourself against such scenarios as the expenses associated with mediation and physio therapies can strain your finances. Therefore, a medical insurance policy that covers gym and sports injuries is a top priority necessity for every individual.
Common Sports and Gym Injuries
Every sport is different, there are sport-specific common injuries. So, below are some of the common injuries that can occur to individuals involved in sports or gymming:
- Ligament tears
- Muscle sprains
- Muscle Pulls
- Dislocated joints and bones
- Abrasions
- Knee injuries
- Tendon injuries
Does Health Insurance Cover Injuries from Sports and Gym?
Buying health insurance is the most basic and essential financial protection one can have against high medical costs. Such policies offer comprehensive coverage against medical treatments, hospitalization, and several other diseases. In India, there are various health insurance companies offering cover for sports injuries if someone is hospitalized.
Also, there are also some specific health insurance plans that only cover injuries caused due to sports or gym activities. Such plans cover several injuries that include ligament tears, bone fractures, and other complications depending on their policy wording. In fact, there are several personal accident insurances or critical illness insurance that cover some sports-related injuries.
Likewise, there are some travel health insurance plans that offer optional coverage for adventure sports while you’re abroad. Regardless, the coverage varies from insurer to insurer, and one should know what kind of injuries are covered during these sports. So, each insurance plan has its own limitations and terms for covering gym-related and sports injuries. A condition that one health insurance policy may cover may not be offered by another.
Which Injuries are covered by Health Insurance?
Activities like scuba diving, racing, or mountaineering are not covered by most health insurance companies. Such activities are not performed regularly, so they are not covered by insurance companies, but most sports or gym injuries will be covered by health insurance. OPD or outpatient costs are not covered in most health insurance plans. Generally, minor gym injuries to muscle and ligaments are paid out-of-pocket and usually not covered by a health insurance policy.
Thus, the health insurance policy does not cover injuries like ligament tears, physiotherapy, fractures, and minor strains. If a person is hospitalized only then these costs are covered or these OPD costs are part of the recovery process post-hospitalization.
Things to Remember Before Claiming for Injuries
- The insurers will not cover sports injuries caused due to intoxication or other illegal substances.
- Injuries such as sprains are not covered by most insurance policies.
- Motorsports, cliff diving, hunting, and adrenaline air sports are not covered by various health insurance plans.
- Injuries sustained in an illegal or non-registered fitness center are not covered by many insurers.
- Only a specific sports insurance policy covers injuries during intramural sports events and tournaments. These injuries are not covered by regular medical insurance companies.
- Insurers do not cover injuries that occur due to illegal activity.
- Any procedure that falls under the category of cosmetic treatment is not covered by most health insurance companies.
Conclusion
To protect oneself and their finances, one must opt for a gym injury insurance plan and get proper treatment. Conventional health insurance policies do not cover such injuries. Also, before purchasing gym insurance plans, go through all the details of the plan and then make any decision.
Author Bio: Smriti Gala works as a Digital Marketing Manager with Coverfox. As her life turned upside down when COVID severely afflicted her family members, Smriti decided to dedicate her expertise towards informing and educating the masses about the importance of health insurance. When she is not actively writing enlightening content, our ‘monk marketer’ likes to meditate, meet new people and explore less travelled territories.