Accident insurance: Not just for slipping on banana peels

It can be difficult to understand all benefits available at work. And if you are not an expert in Benefits of group supplementary health insuranceincluding accident, serious illness and hospital daily allowance insurance, you are not alone. This article, the first in a three-part series, focuses on accident insurance and offers helpful insights.

Accident insurance provides cash payments for injuries covered by a policy. The funds can be used to cover expenses such as deductibles, out-of-pocket medical costs or everyday living expenses. And in an economy where 63% of workers unable to pay a $500 emergency expenseAccording to a report by SecureSave, an additional lump sum to offset costs not covered by statutory health insurance at a very cost-effective premium rate can be crucial for employees.

Read more: Over 80% of employers plan to improve their benefits next year

A “standard” accident insurance policy often covers things like broken bones, emergency room treatment, ambulances, sprains, initial and follow-up doctor visits, and other minor injuries. Additional benefits can be added to a program, including pet boarding, care for aging parents, mental health support, various types of rehab therapies, and more.

The usual provisions of accident insurance include:

• Benefit payment regardless of income or participation in another employer
• Insurance offers
• No health questions, insurance coverage always guaranteed
• Multiple benefits possible in the event of an accident
• Relatives are entitled to the same benefits as the employee

When an accident insurance claim is made, the amount paid out depends on the number of services a person is entitled to, the care received and the terms of the policy. Aside from health and wellness claims, most accident claims in the past have involved items such as follow-up exams, x-rays, emergency room treatment, diagnostic tests and broken bones.

Accident insurance can make the difference

Now that we’ve covered the details, it’s time to make personal accident insurance understandable. As insurers have expanded their offerings to anticipate and respond to market needs, many of them have added add-on clauses to personal accident policies that cover, for example, injuries sustained during organized sporting events.

Read more: AI startup receives funding to prevent widespread workplace accidents

And what is the fastest growing sport in America? You guessed it – pickleball. According to data from the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP), 48.3 million Americans currently play the sport. And for a variety of reasons, this sport is very injury-prone. Many (including myself) may be surprised, but this game is not dominated by early retirees. The average age of a pickleball player is 34.8 years old, with 70% of these players being between 18 and 44 years old, according to APP. And what’s also surprising: most pickleball players are men – averages range from 62% for avid players to 57% for casual players.

Perhaps not surprisingly, most pickleball injuries occur in the emergency room.

are intended for people aged 50 and over – according to a recent study of doctor visits between 2013 and 2017, they account for 90.9% of injuries. Of these injuries, 28.7% were strains and sprains and 27% were broken bones.

Read more: Why employers should expand their benefits package to include child disability insurance

These numbers place the pickleball-playing demographic right in the middle of their working age, and even taking into account the slightly older age of those requiring emergency room treatment, pickleball could become a major driver of injury claims in the future—and a compelling testament to the value of injury insurance for workers of all ages.

Today’s multigenerational workforce has a wide range of priorities, including mental health awareness, caring for loved ones, and maintaining an active lifestyle for themselves and their children, to name a few. And there are a variety of personal injury benefits to help them do just that. A quick demographic analysis can help match the needs and the type of personal injury coverage that is best suited to the workforce group, providing an additional layer of protection for individuals of all generations.