4 Reasons Why You Need Personal Accident Insurance If You’re Into Sports

It’s all fun and games pushing your body to its very limits during exercise, until something snaps. 

Ask anyone who lives for marathons and breathes the gym, and they will tell you that exercise is a personal journey. It is a mental challenge and physical competition with yourself to see how fast you can run a 10K marathon, or the number of weighted squats you can manage within a minute. 

We’ve always been told by coaches that our bodies are capable of so much more, that it is mind over matter, that it is just one more rep. Our stay-home workouts nudge us to go that extra mile. So, we push harder to test those limits, but sometimes that backfires and we end up with a sprain, strain, dislocated joint or fracture (ouch!). 

Apart from being in pain, this invariably means a setback to your fitness goals (because recovery always takes too long), missing a few days of work and medical bills. For injuries that require more than just a simple X-ray, medication and bed rest, this could spell a huge dent on your savings if you do not have a personal accident insurance plan. 

And that’s why if you are a marathon runner, gym rat, bedroom HIIT enthusiast or CrossFit addict, here are 4 reasons why you need a personal accident insurance plan to go with your #fitspo. 

1. Sprains, strains, and pains

Muscle aches are a sign that you’ve done a good workout. But does it last for more than 3 days and cause you to whimper every time you move? That might be something more, like a sprain or strain, and it warrants a visit to the nearby clinic, physiotherapist, chiropractor or acupuncturist. 

While most insurance companies’ personal accident plan covers visits to the clinic, they do not for physiotherapy, chiropractic treatment and acupuncture. 

This is where personal accident insurance plans like Sompo’s Personal Accident Star Insurance or AXA’s SmartPersonal Accident come in handy. These provide coverage of up to $2,000 for physiotherapy, chiropractors and TCM treatments.

2. Medical coverage

The last thing you want to worry about when you’re in pain and on the way to the hospital is your medical bill. Hospitals in Singapore provide first-class medical care but also at a first-class price tag. To put things into perspective, an MRI would easily cost upwards of $1,000, and this doesn’t include medication, consultation or the ambulance transport charge. A personal accident insurance plan will take that load off your shoulders as most provide medical expense coverage of around $2,000. 

Oh, and did we mention, submitting a claim is now easier than ever as some insurers accept claims online? No appointments or pesky paperwork necessary. 

3. Daily hospitalisation allowance

As you feel that heady rush of adrenaline, you push for your last set of kettlebell swings but get distracted by a random thought. You lose concentration for all of one second. The next thing you know, you’ve thrown out your entire lower back. You find yourself on a stretcher, en route to the hospital in an ambulance. Honestly, this happens to the best of us. No judgement.

Being admitted for any injury is no fun, especially if it means that your main source of income is affected. A personal accident insurance plan gives you a daily allowance for up to 365 days on top of medical expenses, so that you can focus on recovering. The amount ranges from $25 to $300 a day, depending on whether you’ve been admitted to a regular ward or an intensive care unit, and the type of personal accident insurance plan. 

4. Low annual premium

It might come as a surprise to many, but the average cost of a personal accident insurance plan for an entire year of protection costs less than a 1-month gym membership, 2 pairs of Lululemon tights or a pair of Nike running shoes, and even the registration fee for select marathon races (yes, we calculated). Depending on the coverage you are after, the cost of an annual personal accident insurance plan works out to be less than $0.30 a day. 

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