May 28, 2010 8:37:47 AM

The NCAA's Catastrophic Injury Insurance Program has been extended for all member institutions through August 1, 2013.

The NCAA will continue to pay 100 percent of the insurance premium for the next three years, but the deductible will increase from $75,000 to $90,000 on August 1, 2010. 

The deductible increase will not apply to those institutions who participate in the NCAA Group Basic Accident Medical Program. The insurance company, Mutual of Omaha, is the same for both programs.

The program was extended for three years to take the Association through the end of the old broadcast rights contract with CBS Sports. The premium for 2010-11, covered completely by the NCAA, is $12 million, with annual increases over the length of the extension.

The program covers all student-athletes participating in authorized, organized or sponsored NCAA events, including practice and competition. If a student-athlete is injured while competing or during an organized practice, he or she is eligible for up to $20 million in lifetime benefits. The plan covers not only medical care but also disability payments, home modification and rehabilitation. It also features a death benefit. A detailed benefit summary is available online.

"The catastrophic insurance program is probably the biggest benefit for student-athletes that we offer," said Juanita Sheely, associate director for travel and insurance. "It's a very robust program."

The deductible increase will help the program keep pace with rising medical costs and ensure that it is accessed primarily for true catastrophic-injury cases. As medical costs rise nationally, some major medical claims exceed the catastrophic-injury policy's deductible and are covered by this program. The deductible has increased several times over the life of the program but has had no increases since 2005.

Because the catastrophic-injury plan does not kick in until the deductible threshold is met, NCAA member institutions must certify that their student-athletes have insurance to cover the layer below the deductible. Some institutions pay for those policies themselves, while others require student-athletes to be covered under their parents' plans. 

In 2006, the NCAA introduced a Group Insurance Program to create a resource for member institutions to secure basic accident coverage. The program is focused on creating benefits for member institutions in terms of coverage, service, efficiency and cost containment. More than 125 schools in all three divisions currently participate.

For institutions that participate in the NCAA's group basic accident program, the deductible will remain at $75,000 and will not increase to $90,000. The insurer for both programs, Mutual of Omaha, believes that the level of discounts, the up-front case management and seamless integration with the catastrophic-injury plan contribute to cost-control measures that protect the catastrophic plan and support the difference in the deductible. All NCAA institutions have access to the NCAA's group basic accident program and, in turn, access to the lower deductible.

For more information about the group basic accident program, including a brief informational video, visit www.ncaainsurance.com. The 2010-11 catastrophic-injury benefit summary will be available at ncaa.org closer to the August 1, 2010, effective date.