Staying fit and healthy is one of the most important things in life, but not everyone’s into running (too dreadful), yoga (too slow), and gym workouts (too boring). Well, no excuses if you haven’t found something to keep you moving: there are a host of great sports activities to do around this city – futsal on a rooftop, martial arts, Polynesian dance classes, indoor surfing – the list is practically endless.
Whatever your sporting interest, you’ll reap the many benefits of exercise from feeling better to having more energy, preventing diseases, and much more. But all forms of physical activities, more so for contact sports, have risks, and it’s wise not to rule out the possibility of injuries. After all, who likes to be in pain, or worse, hospitalised? Not only does your body suffer in this case, your bank account will too.
That’s why we think it’s sensible – essential, in fact – to have a proper health insurance plan, and it’s worth noting that not all plans cover all sports injuries. To help you understand this a little better, we got the good folks at Pacific Prime Singapore to share with us five important tips:
Check if you’re actually covered
Health insurance plans generally have primary and dependent holders. If you’re the primary holder, look into your insurance plan to ensure that your loved ones (your dependents) are covered as well, especially now that Junior has taken up football. As long as they are named on the plan, your insurance is likely to cover most sport-related injuries sustained by you and your dependents.
Check for exclusions of sports-related injuries
Every insurance provider will look at injuries differently, but, as a general rule, most sport-related injuries are covered as long as you aren’t playing professionally or semi-professionally.
Case in point: If you break your thumb playing a game of pickup with your friends, you should be covered. To be sure, do consult your insurance provider whether the team you’re joining is considered a professional one.
Check if your sport is covered
Most injuries stemming from amateur sports will be covered. Extreme sports, like base-jumping or motorsports, are (unfortunately) excluded from most insurance plans, as injuries, if sustained, from these activities are deemed deliberate since risks are to be expected.
Go through your policies and get the wording cleared up. For example, if your plan states “racing of any form other than on foot and all professional sports are not covered”, it means that you might not be covered for any form of racing, including possibly dragon-boating or cycling.
Check if you are covered outside of Singapore
Not all health insurance policies have worldwide coverage, so it’s important to check before you leave the country if you’re going for a sporting trip. Travel insurance isn’t going to cut it either as most plans don’t cover medical costs related to injuries caused by doing extreme sports of any kind, though you should check what falls under extreme sports, which are usually listed in the documentation included when you purchase your plan.
Make sure you have the best coverage
Often, injuries from sporting activities can be severe, resulting in hospitalisation, surgery, and lengthy rehabilitation. Different insurance plans will cover you on a varying degree, meaning there are some that will only cover inpatient medical costs like surgery and hospitalisation, but not physiotherapy and follow-up appointments. Consider having both inpatient and full outpatient coverage which includes things like rehab, physio, and even follow-up surgeries.
Want to find out more? Schedule some face-time with the insurance experts from Pacific Prime Singapore. As expats and sports enthusiasts, they understand your needs, and can help you craft the perfect insurance plan that allows you to make the most out of your sport.
Pacific Prime Singapore, 18 Cross Street, Singapore 048423, p. 6536 6173.
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This article is sponsored by Pacific Prime Singapore.