Can I Get Health Insurance as a Semi-Pro Athlete?

Achieving your dream of athletic excellence means rising through the ranks and pushing yourself to the limit. Today, around 22% of adults play at least one sport, but part of maintaining peak performance and achieving continuous improvement is having proper protection in place.

Obtaining health insurance as a semi-pro athlete gives you access to the top standards of care. Semi-pro health insurance policies do exist, and through your health insurance intermediary at Dragonfly Crowd, we can ensure you get the policy that fits your needs

How health insurance differs for semi-pro athletes and sportsmen

As a semi-pro athlete, you already know the balancing act of maintaining your sporting career and a day job simultaneously. Already, 46% of Brits have at least one side hustle, meaning you need specialised protection should you need to take time away from doing what you love.

Professional cover prioritises maximum speed of diagnosis and recovery to get you back on the field as soon as possible. Likewise, semi-pro health insurance policies often incorporate income protection, so that your finances are maintained if you also have to take time away from your secondary career. Our experts can look to add this product onto a sports health insurance plan if it suits your needs.

Unlike standard Private Medical Insurance (PMI), policies aimed at semi-pro sportsmen in the UK are tailored to personal needs. That means you don’t have to worry about competitive playing injuries being excluded from your policy.

Dragonfly Crowd acts as your healthcare intermediary to source these policies that provide appropriate protection should you need them. In conjunction with our partners at Bupa, we support you in your search for a bespoke policy that gives you peace of mind.

Protect Yourself with Semi-Pro Sports Insurance

Getting health insurance when playing semi-professional sports

Health insurance for semi-professional athletes is designed to bridge the gap between NHS waiting times and private healthcare. With standard PMI policies excluding injuries sustained during semi-professional and professional training and competitive play, these market-specific policies are tailored to your needs.

So, what do you need to consider?

·  Definitions – Typically, if you earn less than £5,000 per year from your sport, you will be classified as a semi-professional athlete. Over this limit, you may need to explore professional athlete insurance policies.

·  NHS vs. Private Healthcare – The NHS will cover emergency treatments, but private sports insurance offers faster diagnosis, specialised care and rehabilitation and other forms of care.

·  Extra Protections – Consider policies that go beyond injuries themselves. Add-ons you may want to explore include personal accident insurance to cover lost income.

The process of securing semi-pro insurance, though, will involve reviewing cover levels and exclusions and requesting quotes. However, you don’t have to embark upon this process alone.

Instead of trying to understand legalese or looking up different providers, an increasing number of semi-pro athletes turn to a healthcare intermediary like us to help them source their policies quickly and with minimum hassle.

Do you need a specialised health and protection policy when playing semi-pro sports?

Specialised health insurance policies for semi-pro athletes may not be legally required, but their value is enormous.

Standard PMI insurance contains specific exclusions for injuries sustained while playing competitive sports, or even high-impact sports. It effectively means you will need to explore other options should you need to access medical care as a result of your growing sports career.

Additionally, although your club may already have a health insurance policy, it must be mentioned that these policies aren’t necessarily sufficient to accommodate all of your needs. By opting for a dedicated health and injury insurance policy for semi-professional athletes, you can access benefits like:

·  Rapid diagnostics through the UK’s private healthcare system.

·  Shorter recovery times by reducing diagnostic delays resulting from NHS waiting times.

·  Quality treatment and rehabilitation via sports injury specialists.

·  Additional benefits, including lost income protection.

Getting semi-pro health insurance with Dragonfly Crowd

One of the most common questions semi-professional athletes have is where to begin with taking out health insurance that supports their needs. The truth is, this can be complicated, which is why the team at Dragonfly Crowd helps to simplify the process.

Here’s what the process of taking out a private health policy looks like:

1. Initial Consultation – Get in touch with a Dragonfly Crowd expert to discuss your specific medical needs and your sporting career.

2. Market Search – As your health insurance intermediary, we do all the hard work of searching a wide panel of trusted insurers serving semi-pro sportspeople like you. Our goal is to find the policy tailored to your specific profile.

3. Bespoke Options – We provide you with tailored health insurance options. Discuss your options with one of our experts, including additionals like dental coverage and mental health benefits.

Once you’re satisfied with your policy, confirm the one that’s right for you, and we will take care of the rest. Even when you’re insured, Dragonfly Crowd continues to act as your partner. You can always speak to one of our trusted experts should you need to discuss an aspect of your policy or if you need help making a claim.

If you’d like to learn more about how semi-professional health insurance works, or you’re ready to begin researching policies, contact us today.

Get Semi-Pro Sports Insurance With Our Help