Confirmation of Primary Insurance Form (PDF)
Primary, Secondary, and Catastrophic Coverage
The student athlete's insurance coverage will be considered as primary coverage for all athletics related injuries and/or illnesses. The student-athlete's primary insurance must cover all injuries that may occur in intercollegiate athletics and serve as a primary payer for any medical expenses that may result from said injuries. Some insurances may not meet these requirements (i.e. Medicaid, Medicare, and Peach State). If you have any questions concerning your insurance policy, contact a Georgia College athletic trainer. The student-athlete must provide a photocopy of both sides of their insurance card prior to any participation in athletic events. This policy includes any insurance coverage carried by international student- athletes at Georgia College.
The athletics department provides an insurance policy that serves as secondary coverage for all athletics-related injuries. This policy will cover any claims not covered by the student-athlete's personal primary insurance coverage, including all co-pays and deductibles. This coverage is not available for any condition that is not directly related to Georgia College Athletics participation (i.e.—illnesses, pregnancy, non-athletic accidents, dental/vision screenings, etc.). This policy is secondary to, or in excess of, any personal family medical insurance coverage and applies only to injuries/illnesses/accidents resulting from the direct participation in the intercollegiate athletics program during the dates of the primary competitive season and designated off-seasons as approved by the Director of Athletics according to NCAA regulations.
The NCAA's Catastrophic Injury Insurance Program covers student-athletes who are catastrophically injured while participating in a covered intercollegiate athletic activity (subject to policy terms and conditions).  This policy has a significant deductible. This coverage dos not qualify as the basic coverage required for participation in athletics at Georgia College & State University. This policy only applies to claims made from catastrophic injuries that are directly related to participation in NCAA-sanctioned sports. More information on this program can be found on the NCAA's web-site at www.ncaa.org.
Compliance with Insurance Company Requests
It is the student-athlete's responsibility to understand the conditions that apply to their policy and comply with any requests for information, etc. from the primary insurance company. Privacy rules prevent the Athletic Department from receiving bills related to athletic injuries. All bills will go to the patient/athlete. It is the responsibility of the athlete to deliver all bills to the athletic training staff as soon as possible.
HMOs
If a student athlete's primary insurance is an HMO, the Georgia College athletic training staff strongly encourages the student athlete and/or his/her parent(s)/guardian(s) to change the primary care physician (for the student-athlete only) to a Georgia College team physician or other local physician considered to be in network for that plan. This will allow the student-athlete to initiate care for a medical condition much more efficiently and effectively.
Insurance Policy Changes
The Georgia College athletic training staff must receive notice of any changes to a health insurance policy as soon as they occur. If proper notification is not received, the Georgia College Athletic Department will not be responsible for any delays in payment, collections notices, credit reports, etc. that occur.
Exclusions and Limitations
The Georgia College Athletic Department's secondary medical insurance policy does not apply to the situations indicated below. This list is not all-inclusive.
- Injuries/illnesses that are not the direct result of Georgia College sanctioned athletics participation during the dates of the primary competitive season and designated off- seasons as approved by the Director of Athletics according to NCAA regulations.
- Hospital room and board charges in excess of the semi-private room rate unless hospitalized in an intensive care unit.
- Any injury which occurs, or is directly related to, body jewelry of any kind worn (seen or unseen) during an athletic event. Generally, NCAA rules and regulations prohibit the wearing of jewelry during athletic participation.
- Any injury which is caused by unsportsmanlike conduct or other behavior outside of the Peach Belt Code of Conduct (i.e.—fights, throwing equipment, punching a wall, etc). The athletic training staff will care for these injuries and provide medical referral as necessary, but all financial responsibility for the charges incurred will be with the athlete and not with the Athletic Department.
- Injuries/illnesses that are a result of intramural, and recreational activities (non- intercollegiate activities), as well as training/conditioning activities that occur outside of the primary competitive season and designated off-season periods.
- Injuries/illnesses that are recurrences of old injuries/illnesses which were sustained before participation in the GC intercollegiate sports program
- Any tests and /or consultations needed to gain approval for participation in the intercollegiate athletic program.
- Any medication, over-the-counter or prescription that is not administered during a medical procedure or surgery.
- Any fee or charge incurred as a consequence of a missed medical appointment.
- No coverage by the Athletic Department's secondary insurance policy will extend to any student-athlete who has not been cleared for athletic participation by a physician (MD or DO) prior to the beginning of any formal competition, practice, or workout/conditioning session.
Non-Sport Related Injury/Illness Procedures
The Georgia College Athletics Department does not assume financial responsibility for injuries and/or illnesses that do not occur during the student-athlete's primary competitive in-season and designated off-seasons as approved by the Director of Athletics according to NCAA regulations. Medical bills associated with such conditions will be the sole responsibility of the student-athlete and/or his/her parent(s)/guardian(s).
