ABAC Athletic Training Services

We have a full-time athletic trainer here at ABAC. There should be no reason for an athlete to be late to practice because they are seeing the trainer. The ABAC athletic trainer will have treatment availability most mornings and prior to practice. Student-athletes are expected to seek treatment when not in class or practice. Student-athletes are expected to follow the ABAC athletic trainer’s protocol in addressing and preventing injuries. It is important that the student-athlete initiates health concerns with ABAC’s athletic trainer while also communicating with the Head Coach and Health Center as necessary.

Reporting

All athletic injuries and illnesses are to be reported immediately to the ABAC athletic trainer for evaluation, care, and referral. The athletic trainer assesses the immediate needs and gives referrals to receive medical care. It is the student-athlete’s responsibility to report back to the athletic trainer with information from the appointment and for follow-up care. For additional information on services provided, emergency medical plans and professional information, please see ABAC’s athletic trainer.

Physical Examinations

Every student-athlete is required to have a physical on file with the ABAC’s athletic trainer prior to participation in any team activities (including strength and conditioning exercises and practices). Also, each student-athlete will be required to complete several forms relating to their health care, including: Physical Examination, History Information & Clearance, COVID -19 Screening, Concussion History, Concussion Reporting Agreement, USG HIPPA, Medical Insurance and Authorization, Health Special Risk Secondary Insurance, Consent to Treat, Assumption of Risk and Medical Information Release, Substance Abuse Informed Consent, Personal Information Consent, Insurance Coverage of Student-Athletes. All forms must be submitted on Sportsware Online (www.swol123.net)

Insurance Requirements

ABAC wishes to provide quality, timely healthcare to all our student-athletes. The following is a brief description of our policies and procedures relating to athletic insurance coverage and insurance claim resolution.

~~Pre-participation Requirements~~

All student-athletes are required to provide a copy of a valid health insurance card, prescription benefit card, copies of any previous diagnostic tests, and physician notes from all previous injuries or significant illnesses. Failure to complete these forms or failure to provide the requested information will prevent the student-athlete from participating in any practice or competition until the required information is provided to the athletic training staff.

ABAC requires every student-athlete to carry adequate health insurance that covers athletic injuries. Most families rely upon their home coverage, which in many cases provides the needed benefits. However, the policy MUST INCLUDE COVERAGE FOR INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC INJURIES. ABAC strongly recommends you verify with your insurance provider that your current policy provides coverage for your student-athlete’s athletic injuries.

~~Athletic Insurance Provided Through ABAC~~

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College requires all student-athletes to provide evidence of health/accident insurance that covers intercollegiate athletic injuries. Any student-athlete that does not provide evidence of insurance or lets their health insurance policy lapse will be ineligible to participate in conditioning, practices, and/or competition with ABAC athletic teams until evidence of current insurance coverage is on file with the ABAC athletic trainer by uploading information onto SWOL. Also, any student-athlete that lets his/her health insurance lapse or does not inform the ABAC’s athletic trainer of a change in his/her insurance policy will be RESPONSIBLE for all medical bills related to an athletic injury. If a student-athlete gets injured and during the billing process it is found out the student-athlete’s insurance has been dropped or there is not coverage for any reason, that student-athlete may be responsible for total payment of all medical expenses.

ABAC’s athletic department provides secondary insurance coverage for athletic-related injuries. The intercollegiate accident insurance policy (Health Special Risk), provided by ABAC, is offered on an "excess" basis to the primary health insurance policy, provided by the student-athletes plan. This means that the secondary insurance will pay secondary to a valid and collectible health insurance plan. It is the student athlete's responsibility to submit his/her medical claims to the primary insurance policy provider. Coverage will begin on the first day of a team’s official practice or conditioning and continue until the end of the authorized athletic season as governed by NJCAA.

Insurance requirements for international student-athletes. All students who reside outside the United States and who attend the ABAC under provisions of an F or J Visa are required to purchase Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) healthcare insurance from the United Healthcare System (UHS) provided by the University System of Georgia (USG). International student-athletes must also provide insurance coverage for athletic injuries that meet USG/ACA standards.

~~Important Notices~~

ABAC’s secondary intercollegiate athletic insurance provides coverage only if the student-athlete’s injury was athletic related. The injury must have occurred during in-season varsity competition, practices and or other coach-supervised and mandated athletic-related activities including but not limited to pre/post season team workouts.
~~All injuries and follow-up treatment must be reported to the Head Coach AND Athletic Trainer at the time on injury/treatment.~~
~~ABAC secondary intercollegiate athletic insurance does not cover illness or pre-existing conditions.~~
~~Injuries resulting from participation in intramural sports or other on-campus, or off-campus activities are NOT covered by ABAC’s secondary intercollegiate athletic insurance.~~
Parents/guardians should remember to always provide ABAC’s athletic trainer with updated copies of valid primary insurance coverage should the student-athlete’s insurance coverage change during the year. ABAC secondary intercollegiate athletic insurance WILL NOT pay for health care costs from an athletic injury if the student-athlete’s coverage is invalid or has lapsed. It will be the responsibility of the student-athlete or parent/guardian to pay for healthcare costs in the case of an invalid or lapsed primary coverage policy.
If you have any questions regarding the terms of your coverage, you should contact your insurer immediately. Please be sure to note if there are any exclusions in your policy regarding athletically related injuries.
~~If you have any questions or concerns regarding ABAC’s secondary intercollegiate athletic insurance please contact ABAC’s athletic trainer.~~

~~Weather~~

If at all possible, ABAC’s athletic trainer will notify teams of impending dangerous weather. If lightning reading is within 10 miles, all student-athletes must immediately exit the field and seek shelter in athletic fieldhouse, institutional building, vehicle, or appropriate four-walled shelter. Anytime lightning is spotted, or thunder is heard, all should seek immediate shelter. To find out about inclement weather affecting class, you can call the Inclement Weather Hotline at 229-391-5225. Most of the time, the ABAC Homepage will also have notifications of any cancellations.

ABAC Athletic Training Services

We have a full-time athletic trainer here at ABAC. There should be no reason for an athlete to be late to practice because they are seeing the trainer. The ABAC athletic trainer will have treatment availability most weekdays prior to practice. Student-athletes are expected to seek treatment when not in class or practice. Student-athletes are expected to follow the ABAC athletic trainer’s protocol in addressing and preventing injuries. It is important that the student-athlete initiates health concerns with ABAC’s athletic trainer while also communicating with the Head Coach and Health Center as necessary.

Reporting

Physical Examinations

Every student-athlete is required to have a physical on ﬁle with the ABAC’s athletic trainer prior to participation in any team activities (including strength and conditioning exercises and practices). Also, each student-athlete will be required to complete several forms relating to their health care. All forms must be submitted on Sportsware Online (www.swol123.net).

Insurance Requirements

Secondary Athletic Insurance Provided Through ABAC

ABAC’s athletic department provides secondary intercollegiate accident insurance coverage through Health Special Risk for athletic-related injuries. This means that our secondary insurance will pay secondary to a valid and collectible health insurance plan. Because our insurance is secondary, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College requires all student-athletes to provide evidence of a health/accident insurance that covers intercollegiate athletic injuries.

o Most student-athletes rely upon their home coverage, which in many cases provides the needed beneﬁts. However, the policy MUST INCLUDE COVERAGE FOR INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC INJURIES and should cover local physicians as “in network” providers (many policies can have the coverage area moved to the institution’s geographic region. This could change local practitioners from “out of network” to “in network.”). ABAC strongly recommends you verify with your insurance provider that your current policy provides coverage for student-athlete’s athletic injuries.

There are many types of coverages that are either not insurances, or do not cover intercollegiate athletics injuries (i.e., MediShare, WellCare, Peachcare, and other State Medicaids). Therefore, student-athletes must provide documentation from their primary insurance company stating that they cover intercollegiate sports injuries. If a student-athlete cannot provide this, we ask them to secure ANY insurance that will cover intercollegiate athletics prior to allowing them to participate in conditioning, practices, and/or competition.

If student-athletes have difficulty identifying an insurance that will cover them in intercollegiate-athletes, we refer them to the USG Ship Athletic Rider. United Health Care offers coverage and students can email ABAC Student Accounts at studentaccounts@abac.edu for more information or visit https://www.abac.edu/funding/student-accounts/?search=student%20accounts. Each semester a student would like to purchase this rider it will be assessed to their account. Once the amount is covered or paid in full, ABAC Student Accounts will then upload the information to United Health Care for them to enroll the student in the coverage.

Health Insurance Marketplace options which provide good coverage and cost are also located at https://www.healthcare.gov/.

Pre-participation Requirements

All student-athletes are required to provide a copy of a valid health insurance card, prescription beneﬁt card, copies of any previous diagnostic tests, and physician notes from all previous injuries or signiﬁcant illnesses. Failure to complete these forms or failure to provide the requested information will prevent the student-athlete from participating in any practice or competition until the required information is provided to the ABAC athletic trainer.

Lapsed Insurance Coverage

Any student-athlete that does not provide evidence of insurance or lets their health insurance policy lapse will be ineligible to participate in conditioning, practices, and/or competition with ABAC athletic teams until evidence of current insurance coverage is on ﬁle with the ABAC athletic trainer by uploading information onto SWOL. Also, any student-athlete that lets his/her health insurance lapse or does not inform the ABAC’s athletic trainer of a change in his/her insurance policy will be RESPONSIBLE for all medical bills related to an athletic injury. If a student-athlete gets injured and during the billing process it is found out the student-athlete’s insurance has been dropped or there is not coverage for any reason, that student-athlete may be responsible for total payment of all medical expenses.

International Student-Athlete Insurance Requirements

There are specific insurance requirements for international student-athletes. All students who reside outside the United States and who attend the ABAC under provisions of an F or J Visa are required to purchase Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) healthcare insurance from the United Healthcare System (UHS) provided by the University System of Georgia (USG). International student-athletes must also provide insurance coverage for intercollegiate athletic injuries that meet USG/ACA standards such as the USG Ship Athletic Rider.

Important Notices

o It is the student athlete's responsibility to submit his/her medical claims to the primary insurance policy provider. Coverage will begin on the ﬁrst day of a team’s ofﬁcial practice or conditioning and continue until the end of the authorized athletic season as governed by NJCAA.

o ABAC’s secondary intercollegiate athletic insurance provides coverage only if the student-athlete’s injury was athletic related. The injury must have occurred during in-season varsity competition, practices and or other coach-supervised and mandated athletic-related activities including but not limited to pre/post season team workouts.

o Student-athletes must communicate all potential injuries to institution’s athletic trainer AND head coach when it occurs and follow the athletic trainer’s procedures for follow-up care.

o ABAC secondary intercollegiate athletic insurance does not cover illness or pre-existing conditions.

o Injuries resulting from participation in intramural sports or other on-campus, or off-campus activities are NOT covered by ABAC’s secondary intercollegiate athletic insurance.

o Parents/guardians should remember to always provide ABAC’s athletic trainer with updated copies of valid primary insurance coverage should the student-athlete’s insurance coverage change during the year. ABAC secondary intercollegiate athletic insurance WILL NOT pay for health care costs from an athletic injury if the student-athlete’s coverage is invalid or has lapsed. It will be the responsibility of the student-athlete or parent/guardian to pay for healthcare costs in the case of an invalid or lapsed primary coverage policy.

o If you have any questions regarding the terms of your coverage, you should contact your insurer immediately. Please be sure to note if there are any exclusions in your policy regarding athletically related injuries.

o If you have any questions or concerns regarding ABAC’s secondary intercollegiate athletic insurance, please contact ABAC’s athletic trainer.

Weather

If possible, ABAC’s athletic trainer will notify teams of impending dangerous weather. If lightning reading is within ten miles, all student-athletes should immediately exit the ﬁeld and seek shelter in athletic ﬁeld house, institutional building, vehicle, or appropriate four-walled shelter. Anytime lightning is spotted, or thunder is heard, all should seek immediate shelter. To ﬁnd out about inclement weather affecting class, you can call the Inclement Weather Hotline at

229-391-5225. Most of the time, the ABAC Homepage will also have notiﬁcations of any cancellations.