The NCAA sponsors a post-eligibility insurance program that supports student-athletes beyond their playing days. For up to two years (104 weeks) after student-athletes separate from school or voluntarily withdraw from athletics, the program covers excess accident medical expenses for athletically related injuries sustained during participation in an NCAA qualifying intercollegiate sport. The program provides excess insurance coverage for properly documented covered injuries that occur on or after Aug. 1, 2024. The program is available to all student-athletes at all institutions in all divisions.

TWO-YEAR COVERAGE

The coverage provides benefits in excess of any other valid and collectible insurance. The policy has a $90,000 excess limit per injury, with no deductible. Of the $90,000 available, up to $25,000 is available for mental health services related to an eligible, documented athletic injury. For up to two years (104 weeks) after student-athletes separate from school or voluntarily withdraw from athletics, the program covers excess accident medical expenses for athletically related injuries sustained during participation in an NCAA qualifying intercollegiate sport.

AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT

No action by a student-athlete is needed to enroll in the program. Provided all coverage criteria are met within the benefit period, the policy will be triggered when a student-athlete’s primary insurance coverage is exhausted or when primary insurance will not cover accident medical expenses covered under the post-eligibility program, subject to terms and conditions of the policy.

ALL THREE DIVISIONS

The program is available to all student-athletes at all institutions in all divisions. For Division I members and Division II or Division III programs that sponsor a Division I sport: This does not replace the requirement for schools to provide medical care to student-athletes and reimburse out-of-pocket expenses related to athletic injuries for two years after separation from school. Institutions have discretion to determine how medical care will be provided. There is no obligation for institutions to purchase additional insurance to cover the two-year period.

ENROLLMENT

Student-athletes are automatically covered under the policy for those qualifying intercollegiate athletics injuries that meet both of the following conditions:

• Occur during the policy period (on or after Aug. 1, 2024).
• Are documented and on file with the institution’s athletics department.

Student-athletes DO NOT need to opt in for coverage before an injury occurs. Those who transfer, are part- or full-time students, or are later deemed ineligible for NCAA competition would be covered under the policy, provided the eligibility criteria is met. International student-athletes also are covered under the program subject to the regulations of the athlete’s country of origin. Action is not required by the student-athlete unless the student-athlete needs to file a claim during the benefit period.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

For student-athletes to be eligible for coverage under the policy, injuries must meet the below criteria:

• Injuries must be sustained during participation in a qualifying intercollegiate sport (including NCAA emerging sports) on or after Aug. 1, 2024.
  • The policy DOES NOT cover injuries sustained while participating in club or intramural sports.
• Injuries must be reported and documented and filed with the athletics department of the school at which the student-athlete participated when the injury occurred.

BENEFIT PERIOD

The consecutive two-year (104-week) benefit period begins as described below:

• Undergraduate - The benefit period begins on the earlier of the following for a student-athlete injured while an undergraduate student:
  • The date the student-athlete is no longer enrolled in school, except in the instance that the student-athlete’s athletics season extends beyond enrollment, in which case the benefit period begins when the athletic season ends.
  • The date the student-athlete elects to voluntarily withdraw.
• Graduate - The benefit period begins on the earliest of the following for a student-athlete injured while a graduate student:
  • The date the student-athlete is no longer enrolled in school, except in the instance that the student-athlete’s athletics season extends beyond enrollment, in which case the benefit period begins when the athletics season ends.
  • The date the student-athlete’s athletics eligibility expires.
  • The date the student-athlete elects to voluntarily withdraw.
• Prospective Students - For a student-athlete injured while a prospective student, the benefit period begins on the date that the student-athlete is no longer enrolled as an undergraduate student.

The insurance industry standard for accidental injury coverage is for benefits to begin at the time of injury. The NCAA has developed a unique policy that applies when the student-athlete separates from school or voluntarily withdraws from athletics when other insurance coverage is not in place. Given the unique nature of the policy, uncertainty of losses and extended benefit period (upon separation from school or action to voluntarily withdraw as opposed to upon injury), 104 weeks was chosen to be the benefit period in line with the standard excess accidental injury policy benefit period and the benefit period that many member institutions choose when purchasing their excess accident student-athlete insurance coverage.

MEMBER SCHOOL RESPONSIBILITY

Member schools are responsible for establishing record-keeping procedures to document all intercollegiate athletics injuries. They also are responsible for retaining documentation of injuries until the benefit period of two years (104 weeks) is exhausted plus an additional year, while considering the following:

• If a student-athlete is injured as an undergraduate and transfers to another school (NCAA or another association), the benefit period begins when the undergraduate student-athlete is no longer enrolled in any school or voluntarily withdraws, whichever comes first.
  • For a student-athlete injured as a graduate student, the benefit period begins when the athlete exhausts athletics eligibility, voluntarily withdraws, or is no longer enrolled in any graduate program, whichever comes first.
  • For a student-athlete injured as a prospective student, the benefit period begins on the date that the student-athlete is no longer enrolled as an undergraduate student.

Voluntarily withdraws means submission of a formal voluntary withdrawal form from the student-athlete with no intent to transfer to and resume intercollegiate sport/activities at another school.

INSURANCE DETAILS

All student-athletes are required to have primary insurance that covers intercollegiate athletics injuries (either through private insurance or via the member institution’s intercollegiate athletics injury policy or self-insurance program) up to $90,000. Many NCAA institutions choose to purchase a basic accident insurance policy to meet the NCAA’s primary insurance requirement. Typically, the benefit period for basic accident insurance begins on the date of injury whereas the benefit period for post-eligibility insurance begins at the time of separation from school or voluntary withdrawal from athletics. Depending on the length of the benefit period for an institution’s basic accident insurance, the post-eligibility insurance benefit period may extend the length of time in which a student-athlete may receive insurance coverage for eligible athletics injuries.

Post-eligibility insurance does not replace the requirement for DI member institutions and Division II and III programs that sponsor a Division I sport to provide medical care to student-athletes for athletically related injuries for two years after graduation or separation from the institution. The bylaw can be found here. Institutions have discretion to determine how medical care will be provided. There is no obligation for institutions to purchase additional insurance to cover the two-year period.

Carrier and Claims Adjuster

Mutual of Omaha Insurance Co. serves as the fronting carrier and A-G Specialty Insurance serves as the claims adjuster for the post eligibility insurance policy. 

A-G Specialty Insurance and Mutual of Omaha also coordinate the benefits of other insurance policies with the post-eligibility program, if applicable as part of the claims process.

How Claims Are Reported

Claims are reported to and managed by A-G Specialty Insurance. Information regarding the claim process can be found at www.posteligibilityinsurance.com.

Program Administrator

American Specialty Insurance & Risk Services serves as the program’s administrator.

Financials

The policy’s annual premium is $26 million, which is paid for by the NCAA. The annual premium payment is not expected to impact currently approved Association revenue distributions.

The policy has a $90,000 excess limit per injury, with no deductible. Of the $90,000 available, up to $25,000 is available for mental health services related to an injury.

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This is a general summary of the NCAA Post-Eligibility Insurance Program. The policy contains all of the provisions, exclusions and qualifications of the insurance benefits. If any discrepancy exists between this summary and the policy, the policy will govern and control the payment of benefits.