Private health insurance for uk gymnasts....good idea or expensive and unnecessary?

[Uglybetty]

I was reading this interview with Beth Tweddle and it set me thinking about whether I should add my DD to my workplace PHI cover now that she has started on the competitive gymnastics path. It would probably cost me a few hundred pounds a year.

I'm interested in views about NHS treatment (how available/quick) should she need it. Does your BG membership include physio cover? I'm thinking she will almost inevitably get injured at some point and I'd hate to see her benched for longer than necessary and that I should probably take this opportunity to buy PHI before she ever does get hurt.

http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/health/beth-tweddle-interview-333475.html

 

[Iwannabemargo]

We dont have the option to cover P&F. We have used the NHS 3 times for gym related incidents.

1.) Dislocated and fractured toe - ( not quite in the gym, but she was practicing walkovers and crashed into her brother). Went to minor injuries, got it x-rayed, splinted and 2 follow ups. Its bent (happened Saturday and we went on Monday) but fine.

2) Knee strain - she has hyper-mobility and strained her knee ligaments. Phoned docs who said as she was under 10 I had to go on the waiting list for pediatric physio at the hospital. Went private locally (ex physio to NZ All Blacks) £32 for consultation, gave her strapping and exercises. Appointment came for NHS 9 weeks later.

3) Sprained ring finger on or vault, trip to minor injuries to confirm no break. X ray and soft splint.

Only the Physio would have been claimed privately/more speedy. Depends I think on your level and hours worked.

 

[Faith]

Not worth it in my opinion.

Bear in mind Beth says she's had PHI for the last 10 years- so since she was 17/18, already at the top of her gymnastics game, and presumably it was her livelihood then, plus she was probably at a stage and level where there was an increased chance of injury.

If you are at that elite GB team level I believe physio is part of the national squad training package. Your BGA insurance does cover it I believe (I did track down the policy the other day, you can find it with a bit of hunting round the BGA site), but it's a negligible amount, and I'm not sure what the qualifying circumstances are.

I think the only real circumstance you'd need PHI is if your DD has an accident that needs prolonged sports-specific physio (and check your policy covers this). Paeds in the UK is excellent, and pretty fast so any accident will be dealt with much the same as privately.

For us, the (hopefully) only occasional £25 for a private physio is far less than paying a PHI policy.

The level your DD is at, it's not necessary.

 

[Flossyduck]

I've never come across anyone doing this for girls of our age and level.
BG insurance isn't generous but, coupled with pretty good paediatric services on the nhs, it should cover most eventualities.

As Faith and Margo have said, the odd physio appointment (daughter has had 3 in two years) would work out cheaper than insurance, if it's something with which a bit of expertise could expediate recovery.

Other than that an injury is an injury and she'd recover just as quickly with an nhs pot on a broken ankle as she would with a private one!

 

[Uglybetty]

Ok good...guess that saved me a few hundred pounds.....and given that I've spent about £300 on gym so far this month, that's a relief. I might buy it later on in a few years when she starts tackling the much harder skills (assuming she is still doing it then).

I suppose that part of my fear comes from an incident at the British finals when one of our team espoirs was on the mat for ages having taken a very very nasty fall off the beam.....watching them isolate her neck put the fear of god into me!

 

[bogwoppit]

Private insurance would not get a gymnast dealt with any faster after an accident at a comp. They have people on the floor and an ambulance would be called.

 

[Learning Parent GB]

Bearing in mind that it's BG membership renewal time, I was quizzed by a parent about why there was any point having any insurance as part of the BG membership since the NHS is free anyway. She has asked me to find out what the BG insurance covers so I'll be trying to dig around and find that policy document.

I suppose I assume any serious injury would be sorted immediately as an emergency, but it's long term care and recouperation I wondered about.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

I was under the impression ( and I may be wrong as I have never seen a policy) that the insurance part is basically an indemnity in the event of serious debilitating injury.

 

[Faith]

having skim read the policy it reads like a compensation scheme for major injuries. Basically you get a lump sum for fatal/permanent disabling injuries. I don't think it would cover anything already covered on the NHS like broken limbs etc.

http://www.bg-insurance-centre.com/files/British Gymnastics 2012 PA Policy Summary.pdf

Reading the complete policy: http://www.bg-insurance-centre.com/files/British Gymnastics 2012 PA Policy Wording.pdf, it seems that in reality to get a payout for something non-permanent you'd need an injury resulting in a stay in hospital over 25 days. But I'm no expert.

Please note, whilst benefits are included for physiotherapy, manipulative massage and soft tissue treatment, this is not a private health insurance and the costs of medication, private consultation and surgery are not insured benefits.

Cover may be provided for X-rays and MRI scans. You should refer to Perkins Slade if this is required.

http://www.bg-insurance-centre.com

 

[Uglybetty]

I think the BG cover is pretty basic if I'm honest. God forbid you had a spinal injury because the cover is nowhere near enough. I know from colleagues who recover compensation for people with those kinds of injury that you can be talking lifetime care bills in the millions! I appreciate that such severe injuries are probably exceptionally rare, but I think I will purchase some extra cover once the skills get more scary. However, I think it would be sports cover I'd get first over and above PHI. I googled it before and found gymnastics cover for less than £50 a year. I do tend to over insure though and appreciate that not everyone thinks such policies are worthwhile.

 

[Frase]

I know this is an old thread but thought I would add to it having recenty had contact with British Gymnastics insurance concerning dd's fracture and my interpretation of how insurance works with phsyio etc.

She broke her foot at gym - I was there and I took her to a+e where she was x-rayed and put in plaster. Before we had even had confirmation of the break the club had filed an accident report with BG.

When we were coming to the end of her time in plaster I called bg insurance to find out what I needed to do to ensure I followed the correct procedure so that any phsyio she required would be covered. They basically (and quite rightly) told me that I couldn't just decide that she automatically needed phsyio and that it would have to be on the recommendation of the doctor.

The doctor did recommend that physio would be useful so I booked her in with our phsyio we have often used - to be honest I would have done this regardless for my own peace of mind.

Having looked at the form online you need to fill in, you need to note who recommended the treatment but the phsyio herself can complete the medical declaration required.

As we stand we probably won't make a claim - you are responsible for the first £50 and I'm hopeful that she may only need 2 appointments at a total cost of £60 but having not really thought about bg insurance before, it certainly was re-assuring to know it was there for her phsyio should she have needed it.