GAA PLAYER INJURY BENEFIT SCHEME - & CLUB PHYSIO REIMBUIRSEMENT POLICY
DRAFT - REVIEW - FOR RATIFICATION BY CLUB AT MAY COMMITTEE MEETING
Important reminders on the GAA Injury Benefit Fund
>> Medical and Dental Expenses Limit to €5,200 ( 16/2/23) >> All Claims must be notified within 60 days of the injury date, the injury date is day 1 No appeals will be considered for any unit which has failed to notify the claim within the required 60-day notification time frame. >> If the injured player is not on Foireann as a registered playing member at the time of the injury, there is no cover available under the Fund >> GAA Injury Benefit Fund cover year is from January 1, 2023, all playing members must be registered for 2023 on Foireann to ensure cover is in place in the event of an injury in 2023. NOTE : The March 31st date in rule has nothing to do with eligibility for cover under the GAA Injury Benefit Fund. The March 31 date relates to eligibility to vote at an AGM only.
The GAA Injury Benefit Fund is not an insurance product – it is a benefit fund in place to support registered playing members as per the terms and benefits of the Fund. It is each player’s personal responsibility to ensure that they have adequate covers in place.
DRAFT { FOR CLUB COMMITTEE RATIFICATION }
BANTRY BLUES
Policy for Player Injury/Physiotherapy /Sports Injury Therapy/Medical Claims/Dental Claims/Claims for Loss of Wages
1-9 : INTRODUCTION ;WHAT IS THE GAA INJURY BENEFIT FUND ?
10: PHYSIOTHERAPY / SPORTS INJURY THERAPY
11-15: PROCEDURES FOR SERIOUS INJURIES : RECORDING & CLAIMS
16-20: PROCEDURES FOR LOSS OF EARNINGS
Introduction 1. It is essential that all members,players, and parents/guardians make themselves fully aware of Club Policy in respect of player injury, physiotherapy,sports injury therapy, medical claims,dental claim and claims for loss of wages.
2. Bantry Blues (“the Club”), like other clubs, operates under the GAA Injury Benefit Fund (currently administered by DWF Claims). The guidelines for making claims under the GAA Injury Benefit Fund are strict and it should be noted that processing and finalising of such claims can take considerable time.
3. Players/members will only be entitled to receive reimbursement through the GAA Injury Benefit Fund or through Bantry Blues for physiotherapy/sports injury therapy where the injury occurred whilst training, playing, or volunteering for Bantry Blues and in no other circumstances, i.e. playing other sports or injured in some other capacity.
4. Playing Gaelic games is an activity which is inherently risky. It is an activity which also contributes significantly to wellness and community cohesion. The risk of injury is offset against the benefits of playing. Members should acknowledge this risk/benefit relationship and accept that injuries may occur and that responsibility for injury and expenses incurred rests with the player/member. Risk is an inherent factor in sport, as in life. When members voluntarily take part in Club activities, they accept the risks that such participation may bring.
5. The GAA Injury Benefit Fund does not seek to compensate fully for injury but to supplement other schemes such as private health insurance or personal accident insurance.
. A copy of GAA Injury Benefit Fund summary document will be made available in Club Office
6. Players/Members are continually shocked to discover the ‘inadequacies’ of the GAA Injury Benefit Fund and are misguided into believing that because they have paid GAA membership that they have ‘medical insurance’ which is most certainly not the case. All members, players, parents & guardians should read the ‘Club Policy” below in relation to player injury, physiotherapy, sports injury, medical claims, dental claims and claims for loss of wages, and read the details of the GAA Injury Benefit Fund.
7. Bantry Blues strongly recommends that all our players/members, particularly those who are self-employed, hold their own private health insurance and personal accident insurance.
8. Players/Members need to be a fully paid-up registered member of Bantry Blues to avail themselves of the GAA Injury Benefit Fund. Players are not available for match selection or other training activities until membership is paid for in full. Any player/member who is not a fully paid-up registered member of Bantry Blues cannot take part in any activity after 31st December until s/he has registered. If the injured player is not on Foireann as a registered playing member at the time of the injury, there is no cover available under the Fund GAA Injury Benefit Fund cover year is from January 1, 2024, all playing members must be registered for 2024 on Foireann to ensure cover is in place in the event of an injury in 2024
9. Ultimately, the responsibility to ensure that adequate cover is in place lies with the individual player/member, commensurate with his/her specific needs.
Routine Physiotherapy/Sports Injury Therapy
10. Routine physiotherapy/sports injury therapy (typically muscle strains) is not covered through the GAA Injury Benefit Fund. Bantry Blues recognise that our players/members from time to time will require this treatment and wish to assist our players financially in such situations. Bantry Blues will assist our players/members with routine physiotherapy/sports injury therapy as follows:
a. If a player requires physio/sports injury therapy the Injury Report Form [PINK SLIP] must be completed, and the Club Injuries Officer informed by the team manager.
b.(i) The club will authorise treatment and refer the player to a nominated physiotherapist for assessment who will provide a report on any course of treatment.
(ii) Where a club nominated Physiotherapist/ physical therapist is not available the player/ member may avail of one of their choosing.
c. The Club will do its utmost to have a physiotherapist/sports injury therapist at all Adult Championship games.
d. Players/Members will only receive reimbursement for physiotherapy/sports injury therapy where the injury occurred in training or playing for Bantry Blues and in no other circumstances, i.e. playing other sports, or injured in some other capacity.
e. If the injured player is not on Foireann as a registered playing member at the time of the injury, the club will not be able to offer reimbursement.
f. For players/members with private medical insurance and who need a physio/sports injury session, they must always use that insurance if they have cover under their policy.
g. For players/members without private medical insurance and who need a physio/sports injury session, they must be paid by the player and €40 will be reimbursed to the player/member by the Club. The maximum amount that the Club will reimburse a player/member is €120 for a max of 3 sessions. If further sessions are required these need to be approved by the Club Injuries officer.
h. The club will reimburse the player/member on production of a receipt, less than 30 days old, from the practitioner together with a PINK Slip which is signed by his/her team manager confirming that the physio/sports injury session was required.
i. To arrange reimbursement the member/player should contact the Club Injuries Officer with PINK SLIP & Receipts and the Club Treasurer will organise reimbursement.
Note: ALWAYS REMEMBER NO RECEIPTS = NO REFUND
REMINDER: Routine physiotherapy/sports injury therapy (typically muscle strains) is not covered through the GAA Injury Benefit Fund. The Club, allocate funding, which it has raised through Club Fundraisers to subsidise these treatments when authorised.
Procedures for serious injuries requiring operative procedures/hospital care/dental care.
11. If a serious injury requiring operative procedures, hospital care or dental care occurs the following procedures are to be followed in every case.
a. If a serious injury requiring operative procedures, hospital care or dental care occurs during a competitive game or authorised challenge game, both the player, if possible, and team management must notify the referee and ensure the injury is included in the referee’s match report. Unless included in the referee’s report, any claim will be rejected by the GAA Injury Benefit Fund. Notifying the referee is both the responsibility of the player and the team management so please act on this. The player and team management need to notify the Club Injuries officer by a call and followed up with the Injury Report Form attached within 5 days of the injury occurring. If the referee was not notified during/following the match contact the club secretary as soon as possible.
b. If the injury occurred in a training session, the player and team management need to notify the Club Injuries Officer by a call and follow up with the Injury Report Form attached within 5 days of the injury occurring.
c. If the injury occurred in another club related capacity the player/member need to notify the Club Injuries Officer by a call and followed up with the Injury Report Form attached within 5 days of the injury occurring.
d. Any potential injury claim needs to be logged by the Club Injuries Officer with the GAA Injury Benefit Fund within 60 days of the incident. After that, we cannot forward any claim to the GAA Injury Benefit Fund as it will not be accepted. The initial logging of an injury does not need to include details on costs which can be updated afterwards.
e. The Club Injuries Officer will provide the injured player/member with a reference for his claim immediately on logging the injury with the GAA Injury Fund.
12. The following forms will be forwarded to the injured player/member by the Club Injuries officer after the injury has been logged. These will need to be completed by the injured player/member and returned to the Club Injuries Officer when a claim is being made:
i. Player Declaration
ii. Medical Certification
iii. Social Welfare Statutory Declaration
iv. Loss of Wages Declaration
Note: While visiting a doctor, hospital, or dentist the player/member needs to ensure that the Medical Certification Form is signed by the attending doctor or dentist as soon as possible after the injury is sustained.
13. Any player/member who wishes to make a claim against the GAA Injury Benefit Fund and who also has private health insurance (VHI, LAYA, BUPA, etc.) may do so, but in each case, you must first apply under your own private health insurance.
14. If your private health insurance covers your claim, no further action is required. Should there be an excess on the private health insurance which exceeds your claim, then the GAA Injury Benefit Fund will accept your claim. A statement of account from your private health insurer which sets out their position on the overall claim will be required if you wish to further your claim through the GAA Injury Benefit Fund. If you are claiming through your private health insurance, the injury still needs to be logged by the Club Injuries officer with the GAA Injury Benefit Fund (to ensure any uncovered costs can be subsequently claimed from the GAA Injury Benefit Fund).
15. All medical procedures should be paid upfront by the injured party. The excess on the GAA Injury Benefit Fund is currently set at €100. This excess will be covered by Bantry Blues subject to the player/member meeting the conditions at paragraph 16a-d and original receipts being provided to support the claim.
Note: Team managers must always advise players to contact the Club Injuries Officer if they have sustained an injury, but the onus is on the player/member to inform and get the details of their injury logged with the GAA Injury Benefit Fund within 60 days from the date of the injury. Failure to log the injury will result in the claim not being processed.
Procedure For Loss of Earnings
16. Claims for loss of earnings are only applicable to adults/youths who are in full time employment at the date of injury (‘employment’ means permanent gainful employment of not less than 16 hours per week).
17. The GAA Injury Benefit Fund only provides cover for non-recoverable costs of net basic wage (excluding overtime, bonuses, unsociable working hours, allowances etc.). Social welfare/income protection and/or other entitlements will be considered as recoverable income and deducted against any pay out.
18. The player/member must be unable to work for a minimum of 14 consecutive days.
19. For those players/members who are employed the follow action should be taken
i. A Loss of Wages Claim form will need to be completed by your employer.
ii. A Social Welfare form.
iii. A claim for social welfare benefit/statutory sick pay must be made in all cases for employees and self-employed claimants, it is not acceptable to state no claim made.
. iv. The social welfare/statutory sick pay section of the claim form must be completed for all loss of wages claims. Failure to have same completed will result in delays with the assessment of the claim.
v. Provide 3 official pay slips dated prior to the date of injury or a letter from the injured member’s employer on official company headed paper confirming the injured member’s basic net weekly wage.
vi. Where there is or appears to be a family (employee/employer) connection provide a letter from the employer’s accountant.
vii. If no company stamp is available in the employer section provide a letter from the employer’s accountant.
20. For those players/members who are Self Employed the following must be provided in addition to the above:
i. Accountant’s letter confirming the average net weekly earnings for the 3 months prior to the injury should be submitted.
ii. If the claimant has no accountant, a letter from the claimant’s solicitor / tax advisor must be submitted. Notes: Loss of wages payments can only be issued up to the date that the doctor has completed and signed the medical section on the condition that there is a minimum of 14 days from the date of injury until the date on which the doctor signed the medical section. As part of the assessment of the loss of wages claim, a claimant will be requested to go for an Independent Medical Examination once the claimant has received 8 weeks loss of wages benefit.
Details of the appointment for the Independent Medical Examination will be communicated in writing by DWF Claims to the Club Secretary to give to the claimant. No further loss of wages payments will be considered beyond 8 weeks until DWF Claims receives the report from the Independent Medical Examiner.
Note: The most Up to Date official GAA procedure will always supersede the club’s procedure.
To find out more on injury claims please go to below link on the official Gaa web site CLAIMS PROCEDURE (gaa.ie)
In summary, the GAA Injury Benefit Fund is in place to cover benefits which cannot be claimed elsewhere. Therefore, if a claimant is seeking to claim benefit from the fund, they must exhaust all other avenues before making a claim under the GAA Injury Benefit Fund. Furthermore, the Injury Benefit Fund should not be used as a guarantee for the payment of expenses. Ultimately, the responsibility to ensure that adequate cover is in place lies with the individual member, commensurate with his \ her specific needs and members should not use the fund as their only recourse or be dependent on the fund to compensate them fully for any losses associated with the injury sustained.
The GAA Injury Benefit Fund is not an insurance product – it is a benefit fund in place to support registered playing members as per the terms and benefits of the Fund. It is each player’s personal responsibility to ensure that they have adequate covers in place.
GAA NATIONAL RULES / POLICY >> 4.17 A team shall not be permitted to participate in any competition or game whatsoever under the jurisdiction of the Association unless they are in compliance with the terms and conditions of the Injury Fund. Failure to fulfil a fixture as a result of such non-compliance shall result in the forfeiture of the game
