Sports insurance 101 | Essential guide for anyone into sport

Sep 13
3
 min read
Last updated: 
March 15, 2023
A Close Up Of A White Line On A Green Grass Field

Important note: The statements made in this paragraph about the cover provided by Flip insurance for accidental injuries and the amount of benefits payable relate to the Flip Active product dated 31 May 2023. That product was withdrawn and replaced with the new Flip Active product on 27 June 2023, which has a different scope of cover for accidental injuries. These statements do not describe the scope of cover under that new product. Please refer to the current Product Disclosure Statement for details of that cover.

Australians are known for being sport obsessed, and it’s fab for our fitness and mental wellbeing. The only downside? Injuries. They’re almost inevitable, and they can be painful and expensive. If you play sports, it might be worth considering whether sports insurance can make your recovery easier.

What is sports insurance?

Sports insurance is a type of insurance that can cover you for injuries sustained during sporting accidents.

There are several different types of sports insurance. Some are designed to protect the athlete or sportsperson, and some are for clubs and sports facilities. In this article, we’re focusing on sports insurance for individuals, which can sometimes be called personal injury cover or personal accident cover. 

What does sports insurance cover?

What is covered can vary hugely between insurers, and it pays to do your research. Look for sports insurance that covers:

  • Injuries you’re likely to get: fractures and soft tissue injuries are the most common hospitalised sports injuries. Some sports insurance doesn’t cover soft tissue injuries, so check before you buy. Flip accidental injury insurance covers the most common injuries, including fractures, soft tissue injuries and anything requiring surgery.
  • The activity you’re doing: some insurance policies won’t pay benefits if you’re doing certain sports. Check that your sports and activities are covered before you buy. Flip is made for sports people and covers you for pretty much every sport, except for motorcycling (sorry bikies!). Check the PDS for full details.

What makes Flip sports insurance different?

Flip’s on-demand accidental injury insurance is changing the face of sports insurance in Australia.

You can get cover for a single day, a week or a monthly subscription that you can flip on and off as needed.

  • Flip Active can cover you for $7 a day, or $25 a week.
  • Want cover every day for ongoing training and events? Subscribe for $40 per month and cancel anytime.
  • Heading overseas? Take a look at Flip Roaming for protection in covered countries.

We cover pro athletes and accidents at work if your work is sports-related

  • We welcome professional athletes and people who work in sports-related fields, like tennis coaches and ski instructors.

Instant cover

  • Signing up for Flip insurance takes a couple of minutes, and cover starts immediately (or schedule it up to 12 months ahead). There are no waiting periods. You just need to ensure your cover is on before the accident. You can’t turn it on after the fact.

Flip Insurance in action

How Flip helped Amira when she got injured playing rugby

I train twice a week and play on the weekend. I didn’t want full health insurance because it’s not worth it for me. Although it’s a very different product, Flip is simple and doesn’t hide anything, and actually supports what I like to do. 

In my experience, it feels like some other insurance companies don’t want to pay you, but Flip lets me go out and have a good game and not stress about getting injured. Gives me peace of mind.

I usually play pretty aggressively, so I Boost on game days. It’s only a few extra dollars for a bigger payout when I know I’ll be pushing myself. 

I got a soft tissue injury to the lower chest area. I went to the GP and got a chest x-ray. Luckily no fractures, but I still couldn’t work because of the pain. The $400 was perfect to cover doctors and scans.

READ MORE

Want to see how Flip could cover your sports injuries?

As with any insurance, you’ll need to work out if Flip is right for you. The good news is, we’ve made our website as straightforward as the legal eagles would let us. 

CHECK FLIP OUT

A snapshot of Australian injuries in Financial Year 2020

90%

of Aussies did some exercise at least once
team sport being Soccer followed by AFL & Rugby

1.75

million
injuries 

were estimated

52,300

sport injuries were serious
enough to require a
hospital stay

29%

were cycling injuries
(up by 18%)

Double

injuries in men
than women

15-24

years
highest decade of
injury

1/2

of main injuries were a
fracture, followed by soft
tissue injuries
The true cost:

$29.8

billion
paid by Aussies for
out-of-pocket* healthcare
costs


*not covered by Medicare or private health insurance
Note: All dates unless
otherwise stated refer to
Financial Year 2019-2020
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Sports injury hospitalisations in
Australia, 2019–20
Stuart Babbage and Dr. Dana Hutchins for PwC, Australia’s out-of-pocket healthcare problem
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That’s why we created Flip
Personal accidental injury cover from $7 for a single day
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You should consider whether Flip Insurance is appropriate for you. It’s important to read our Product Disclosure Statement and Financial Services Guide and Target Market Determination before signing up, too. Issued by HCF Life.

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