Insurance Coverage for National Athletes
Ministry of Culture, Community and YouthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the baseline scope, limits, and duration of insurance coverage for national athletes, as raised by Ms Sylvia Lim. Minister Edwin Tong Chun Fai clarified that the Sport Excellence Carding programme provides medical insurance for sports-related injuries sustained during training and competitions. He noted that coverage applies throughout an athlete's carding period and is supplemented by Major Games insurance and policies from National Sports Associations. Minister Edwin Tong Chun Fai also highlighted that carded athletes receive medical and rehabilitative services at the Singapore Sport Institute, with most injury claims fully covered. Finally, he stated that athletes facing financial difficulties can seek further assistance from the Institute to ensure they are adequately supported.
Transcript
51 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth in respect of current insurance coverage for national athletes in sports such as hockey, water polo and football (a) what is the baseline scope of coverage; (b) whether there are limits to the amounts covered per claim; and (c) what is the duration of the coverage.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: Under the Sport Excellence Carding (spexCarding) programme, the Singapore Sport Institute (SSI) provides all national carded athletes with medical insurance for sports-related injuries sustained during national training and competitions, both locally and overseas. Coverage applies throughout an athlete's time on the spexCarding programme.
In addition, the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and Singapore National Paralympic Council (SNPC) provides athletes participating in the Major Games with additional insurance that covers personal effects, personal injury or death, and lasts the duration of the Games.
National Sports Associations (NSAs) are also encouraged to obtain insurance to cover their athletes – including those who are not carded – during their own overseas training and competitions.
The SSI, SNOC/SNPC and NSAs' insurance coverage are also supplemented by the athletes' own insurance coverage. So far, the vast majority of our athletes' injury claims are fully covered by insurance. Should any of them face financial difficulties, they are advised to seek further assistance from SSI.
Besides insurance coverage, all national carded athletes also have access to medical, physiotherapy, and rehabilitative services at Sport and Exercise Medicine Centre at SSI (SSMC@SSI), provided in collaboration with Changi General Hospital (CGH).