Questions and Answers for Student-athletes and families about Health Insurance

• It is a secondary (excess) coverage that only begins to pay after your primary and personal insurance has paid on a bill that was generated as a direct result of intercollegiate sports participation. Once a bill is generated and has been processed through the athlete’s primary and/or secondary insurance, the secondary coverage fund goes into effect. The fund is a direct cost of the University and is not supported by a third party. This fund is not for general personal use such as birth control, acne medication, mental health medication, over-the-counter medication, etc.It is available for use only under very specific conditions, and usually begins to provide assistance after all other sources of payment (other insurance policies) have been exhausted.

• To ensure coverage, all services must be coordinated and approved by the university’s athletic training staff. Your son or daughter should contact a staff athletic trainer in order to begin this process. In the case of an emergency, your son or daughter should go directly to the nearest emergency room and then contact a staff athletic trainer as soon as possible afterwards. Please note that, except in an emergency we cannot cover medical services that have not received prior authorization by our athletic training staff.

• The university can cover medical services that have been pre-authorized and are related to injuries sustained during a sanctioned university intercollegiate athletics event (e.g. scheduled game, competition, or practice).

• Illness of any kind (e.g.: flu, mono, colds, allergies, etc.)
• Pre-existing injuries or conditions (e.g. asthma, diabetes, psychiatric disorders, contraceptives, etc.). An injury or condition is considered pre- existing if it was present prior to reporting for the start of the first official practice.
• Injuries incurred while involved in activities outside of intercollegiate athletics or during unsanctioned/unsupervised activities (e.g. intramurals, dorm activities, pickup games, auto accidents, etc.).
• Unsupervised summer workouts on campus.
• We cannot cover injuries or illnesses unrelated to participation in our programs, nor can we cover injuries that occurred before the student-athlete began participation in our programs.
• Pregnancy or Gynecology pathologies

• The university’s athletic insurance policy provides “excess-only” coverage. This means our insurance can only pay for a medical service after the bill for that service has been submitted to and considered by the other insurance policy that covers the student. Once all other insurance policies have paid or denied the claims for an eligible athletic injury, we are generally able to pay the remaining deductibles from the other policies, excluding any co-payments incurred. Please be aware that, unlike auto insurance, making claims against a health insurance policy generally will not affect your premiums. We strongly recommend that coverage for the student-athlete remains for as long as the policy permits. New laws which went into effect during the Obama Administration allow you to maintain insurance coverage on your children up to the age of 26.

• Because the athletic program is only able to cover authorized treatments of sports injuries sustained while participating in our programs, it is important that the student-athlete also be covered by a policy that will pay for treatment of illnesses and injuries that are not related to athletic participation. As a condition of enrollment, the university requires that all students be covered by a major medical health insurance plan. A flexible spending account, in and of itself, is not considered a major medical health insurance plan. The Athletic Department will only consider payment for injury coverage upon receipt of an EOB or denial from the primary insurance.

• All full-time undergraduate students at University of Tampa are eligible for the university’s Student Health Insurance Plan. Graduate students and part-time students are not enrolled in the university’s Student Health Insurance Plan, they must obtain primary insurance coverage on their own whether it is through the university’s plan or other primary insurance coverage.

• All registered undergraduate students and graduate students (matriculating and non-matriculating) attending University of Tampa are expected to carry health insurance. Students will need to show proof of insurance coverage prior to their arrival on campus by completing the insurance letter and form in the online student health portal.
• All international students and all intercollegiate student-athletes are required to enroll in the plan unless they provide proof of adequate coverage prior to their arrival on campus.

• Complete all requested information on the insurance information form every year. This document is required to be filled out prior to annual physicals performed at University of Tampa.
• Provide a copy of the front and back of your primary insurance card every year. The images of the insurance cards must be submitted through the online student health portal.
• When changes to your insurance occur during the year, please send an updated copy of your new insurance card (front and back) as soon as possible to the Sports Medicine staff at the University of Tampa.
• Always follow the guidelines of your primary insurance.
• If the student-athlete sustains an injury as a result of intercollegiate athletics competition and sees a doctor (emergency room, etc.) be sure to send the bill and EOB to University of Tampa athletics Insurance Coordinator. Remember that coverage is not guaranteed unless proper procedures for referral have been taken through the Sports Medicine Department at University of Tampa.

• EOB stands for “Explanation of Benefits.” It is a statement that your insurance company sends to the policy holder. It provides details regarding who was seen, the date of visit, what charges are covered or not covered, as well as how application to deductible and how network provider discounting has been applied, under the terms of your policy.

• For answers to all other question, please contact the Athletic Insurance Coordinator at Carly Jaskulski (cjaskulski@ut.edu).