Insurance

Download the Insurance Information Form.pdf
Download the Insurance Consent Form.pdf

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Dear Parents and Student-Athlete:

                NCAA rules prohibit us from providing coverage or paying bills incurred for expenses related to illnesses or conditions that are not sustained as the direct result of an accident in our intercollegiate sports program.  (This includes pre-existing conditions and non-athletic injuries.)  The Eckerd College Athletic Department has acquired insurance for your son/daughter’s protection in the event of an injury during supervised practice or competition.  The athletic insurance is secondary coverage (defined in #5 below) and is subject to the following limitations:

1.  Only injuries sustained during a game or supervised practice will be covered.

2.  Medical expenses will only be covered if the team physician or the certified athletic trainer refers the athlete.  Non-referred visits or expenses will not be covered by this policy and as such, will be considered your responsibility.

3.  If you are a member of an HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) or PPO (Preferred Provider Organization), you must use an authorized vendor from your list.  If you choose not to use the authorized medical vendors of the plan, be aware that our coverage will not be able to pay the bills incurred that would have been honored had you used the proper medical vendors.

4.  During the course of the school year, should an athlete’s insurance coverage change, the Athletic Training Department must be notified immediately.  Failure to do so will terminate financial responsibility toward any medical expenses incurred. 

5.  Secondary coverage is provided for expenses incurred in excess of your primary insurance coverage.  Secondary coverage means that claims must be filed with the primary or family insurance first before this coverage comes into effect.  This supplemental coverage is designed to pick up any remaining balance not covered by the primary insurance.  The bills incurred will be in the student’s name and must be submitted to the family insurance company.  All claims must be submitted within 180 days from the date of injury; therefore, it is imperative that athletes report injuries immediately to the Athletic Training Staff.

6.  All subsequent bills/explanation of Benefits (EOB) must be submitted to the Athletic Training Staff within 10 days from the time you receive them.  If you fail to submit them during this time period, you will be responsible for the remaining balances.

The athlete’s primary insurance information will be given to the medical provider at the time of treatment.  The provider will directly bill the primary insurance company.

1.  Your primary insurance company will do one of the following;

     A.  Honor the claim by paying a portion, or the entire bill.

     B.  Not honor the claim and send you a letter of denial.

2.  If any or all parts of the bills incurred are not paid by your private insurance company, you need to forward the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to the address listed below.  A claim will be sent to the athletic insurance carrier (Summit America Insurance Services) for processing.  If they need any additional information, please cooperate with them in processing the claim.  It is in your best interest to have the claim settled promptly since all bills incurred are in your name. 

3.  It must be stressed to you that your private insurance must either pay or decline to pay before our insurance will act on any bills.  You must provide us with the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from your insurance company showing that all bills have been submitted and processed.  It is also important for you to send us any bills with a remaining balance due. 

Should you have any questions concerning this matter, feel free to write or call.  To assure prompt and accurate coverage, you must accurately complete the enclosed Insurance Information Sheet and return it by July 15, 2007.  Your son/daughter will not be able to participate or to put on a uniform until this information is on file and procedures are completed.

Thank you for your cooperation and immediate attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Wendy Stevison MS, ATC, LAT
Athletic Insurance Coordinator
4200 54th Ave South
St. Petersburg, FL 33711
(727) 864-8255
steviswj@eckerd.edu

Please Note:  If the primary family coverage is through a HMO, it is recommended that your son/daughter contact his/her insurance company to change your primary care physician to a physician in the St Petersburg area.  This is necessary to insure that your son/daughter receives the proper medical attention in a timely manner.  If the primary family coverage is through a PPO, you must follow the proper procedures required by your plan in order for the university’s insurance to satisfactorily complete its portion of the claim.  This is especially important if your plan requires pre-authorization to have your son/daughter treated outside of your plan’s service area.


*** Please review your insurance policy regarding “out of state and/or out of area coverage” prior to your son or daughter’s arrival at Eckerd College.  It has been our experience that many standard insurance plans (especially HMO’s) do not provide adequate coverage for student-athletes requiring non-emergency medical attention while attending college out of state.  In order to provide the best coverage and minimize problems (such as denial of treatment or payment), it may benefit you to explore the possibility of modifying your current plan or purchasing Pioneer’s Medical or International Insurance Coverage to ensure your son or daughter will be fully covered away from home. 

               
These policies run from August to August and can be purchased through the Business Office (extension 7564).  Please contact them if you have any questions regarding these policies.