To: Parents/Guardians of Valdosta State University Student-Athletes
From: Russ Hoff, Director of Sports Medicine
RE: Medical Insurance

The Valdosta State University Athletic Training Staff is dedicated to providing access to quality health care to your son/daughter during their participation in intercollegiate athletics. Our Athletic Training Staff collectively has over 50 years of experience as BOC (Board of Certification) certified athletic trainers, and all are licensed athletic trainers in good standing and eligible to practice in the state of Georgia.

What is Secondary Insurance Covereage?

The Valdosta State University Athletic Department provides "secondary" insurance coverage for all our student-athletes that incur athletically related injury expenses. The fact that our coverage is "secondary" means that we pay claim benefits only after the student-athlete's primary insurance processes payment and produces an explanation of benefits (EOB). Therefore, all athletically related medical expenses will first be submitted to the health insurance company of the student-athlete or the parents/guardians of the student-athlete.

Processing Medical Claims
for Athletic Related Injuries and Illnesses

The following are insurance policies used by Valdosta State University Athletic Department in processing medical claims for athletic related injuries and illnesses.

1. The VSU Athletic Training Staff (ATC) must coordinate referral for medical care and/or treatment of any and all athletic related injuries.  Any self-referral will absolve the Athletic Department from responsibility for payment of claims.
   
2. Student-Athletes not receiving athletic aid (scholarship) of at least $1000 are required to carry and keep in force a primary health insurance policy.
   
3. The Athletic Department is limited to $500 in claims for athletically-related injury for student-athletes receiving less than $1000 in athletic aid (scholarship).
   
4. A policy has been established with a local insurer for primary health insurance. If you are interested in securing a policy contact us for information.
   
5. Be sure to forward all bills, statements, claims, explanation of benefits (EOB), etc. to my office in order to pay bills in a timely manner. This is the primary cause for delayed payment to medical providers. These items are only mailed to one party; therefore, if they were sent to you, we probably did not receive a copy (send to: Valdosta State University, c/o Russ Hoff, 1500 N. Patterson St., Valdosta, GA, 31602).
   
6. The Athletic Department must be notified immediately of any change in insurance status. If a student athlete is dropped from coverage, and an athletic injury occurs the Valdosta State University Athletic Department is absolved from responsibility for payment of claims.
   
7. We consistently find that student-athlete’s primary insurance is terminated due to lack of verification that your son/daughter is a full time student.  Many companies require this procedure annually. Verify with your insurance provider that your son/daughter is effective under the policy and verify that they are indeed a full time student if required.
   
8. If you do not have insurance on your son/daughter, Valdosta State University Athletics requires a statement written by your employer on company letterhead stating that neither you nor your child has medical insurance coverage.
   
9. The NCAA and VSU require the obtaining of a signed medical insurance form and front/back copy of insurance card on file and updated annually. Your son/daughter will not be allowed to participate in VSU Athletics practice or competition unless we receive your primary insurance information or employer notification of no insurance.

Submitting Your Claims

The medical provider's office will normally do all the paperwork in submitting the athlete's medical claims to your insurance company. The filing of a claim with the parent's insurance company should have no effect on a parent's group insurance premium. In fact, if your policy has a yearly deductible clause, having your son's/daughter's athletically-related claim filed first with your insurance company could allow you to avoid having to pay a deductible for any claims that you might incur personally.

Occasionally, in spite of the requests of the athletic department, a medical facility may send the bill for an athletically-related injury to the patient (the student-athlete) or to the parents/guardians of the patient.  Should you or your son/daughter receive a bill for an athletically-related injury from a medical facility, please contact the medical provider’s office to make certain the claim was filed to your insurance company.  Otherwise, the student-athlete or parent could face the problem of an unpaid bill being sent to a collection agency.  Likewise, should your insurance company send you a check for an athletically-related injury of your son/daughter, immediately contact us, since NCAA Rules and Regulations strictly prohibit a parent/guardian from keeping such a payment and hence profiting from an athletically-related injury.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have a change in a medical insurance provider, or if we can be of any help to you, please contact us.

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