Sporting activities, while promoting good health and camaraderie, can sometimes lead to accidents. A simple misstep or a bad landing during a game can result in months spent in hospitals or, in worst-case scenarios, a lifetime in a wheelchair. However, the financial risks associated with such accidents can be mitigated to some extent with special insurance for athletes. This, however, is not always a cheap affair.
Petr Motáček, an insurance specialist from FinGO, explained that insurance costs can range from hundreds to thousands of Koruna per month. The cost depends on several factors, such as the level at which the sport is played, its risk factor, the athlete’s age, and the required insurance coverage. Based on their risk factor, sports are categorized into recreational, risky, and extreme or adrenaline-inducing. While some insurance companies do not cover extreme sports, others provide coverage with added charges or limited risks and insurance amounts.
Another factor that insurance companies consider is the level at which sports are played. Most often, these levels are recreational or registered, with top-level or professional athletes forming a specific group. Athletes engaged in fully contact sports at the performance level, such as boxing, karate, MMA, and others, typically have higher insurance coverage for accident risks.
Insurance companies like Kooperativa categorize clients into three groups in their life insurance FLEXI. The first group comprises people who engage in sports at a maximum recreational or average competition level without extra charges. The second group includes people who do not earn money from the highest or foreign competitions. These individuals have an additional charge for accident insurance. The third group consists of professional athletes who pay a more significant extra charge.
In conclusion, sports and the level at which they are played play a major role in determining insurance costs. Insurance companies have developed different strategies to cater to different groups of athletes and ensure that they are covered, but coverage comes with its own set of conditions and charges, depending on the risk involved.