SPORTS INJURY REPORT Cont...

3. Aerobics is the most popular organized sport in Australia with 660,000 active participants followed by golf and tennis

4. Injuries to lower body regions were reported more than twice as frequently as injuries to upper body regions.

5. Men account for 55 percent of all surgery-related ankle, elbow, knee, shoulder and wrist injuries.

6. By example in Victoria alone, each year there are at least 5 deaths, 6,500 hospital admissions and around 30,000 emergency department sporting injury presentations each year.

7. Players are more likely to be injured at the start or end of a playing season and, by participating in pre-season training, risk of injury is dramatically reduced.

8. On average, an Australian Rules football team will incur two sporting injuries requiring some type of treatment each week of competition at an average cost of $251 per player per season. (Western Australia Sports Injury Study 1997).

9. Knee injuries are generally the most common and costly injury incurred by women with surgery costing on average $4,000 to $5,000.

10. Injuries for soccer are becoming increasingly common as more and more Australians participate in the sport.  Injuries are mostly strains, sprains, fractures, bruises and abrasions and account for 10% of emergency department sports admissions.

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The message from Medibank Private Managing Director, George Savvides, was that their inaugural Sports Injury Report is a reminder to all those who participate in sport, that the injury risk cannot be ignored but can be managed.  He encouraged all members to keep fit and healthy, acknowledging that being involved in regular physical activity is an important lifestyle decision.

IEA certainly supports that message, and acknowledges the importance of insurance, both private health insurance and group personal accident cover put in place for members by their sporting organisation, in helping to address the financial costs that the player can incur if injured whilst participating in sport.  The report provides clear evidence of the cost of injury and thereby underlines the need for sports administrators, coaches, officials and players to adhere to sound risk management programs and practices that will minimize the likelihood and consequence of injury.

Sport administrators will generally have seen increased costs in sports injury insurance in recent years and this report provides an indication as to why this has occurred.  Insurers/fund managers cannot afford to make underwriting losses, therefore premiums charged will always be reflective of claims costs incurred.

Practices such as pooling of premiums or mutual funds will provide only marginal cost benefits.  Significant and sustainable savings are dependant on the implementation of actions that will control the cost of claims – it is folly to think otherwise.       

Continued....