Health Insurance for College Athletes

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) started to require universities to ensure their athletes had health insurance coverage before competing in sporting events about four years ago. The mistake that was made was that the Association did not set clear standards for the insurance coverage leaving the athletes and their parents to decide for themselves what they should get. This is according to the article “College Athletes Stuck With the Bill After Injuries” by Kristina Peterson, NYtimes.com.

Some universities accept much of the responsibility for medical claims made by their athletes but others assume no responsibility according to a review of school public documents. Many university representatives say they clearly inform their students about the limits of various health insurance plans, but students and their families are still left frustrated and confused since many have had to take on large and unexpected medical bills due to lack of proper coverage.

Often times athletes have health insurance through their parents but the coverage does not always include injuries due to college varsity sports. This is where it gets complicated. Additional coverage is needed but the students are unsure where to shop and often do not get the proper coverage which can leave them with mountains of debt. One solution being discussed is to require universities to offer quality health insurance coverage to all of their athletes, but this most likely will put too much of a burden on colleges financially. If schools are going to suffer financially from this type of requirement the NCAA is unlikely to require a mandate anytime soon.