Child accident insurance: when is it needed?

Often accident prone and always inquisitive, children are vulnerable members of society. In the event of accident or injury, you, like many parents, may be reassured by the knowledge that your child is covered for medical care by a comprehensive accident insurance policy. But what should you look for in a child accident policy?

Child insurance and schools

By law schools and child care facilities must have liability insurance to cover potential injury to children. However, the coverage offered by schools is quite different to the cover provided by child accident insurance. School insurance is mostly aimed at reducing their accountability and is not necessarily concerned with paying your child’s medical expenses.

Insurance held by child care centres may contribute up to $2000 to parents to assist if their child is injured at the centre. However, amounts under $500 are not covered by liability insurance so schools and child care centres would generally have to pay this amount.

Child personal accident insurance policies are taken out by a parent or legal guardian to offer additional cover to a school or child-care centre’s liability insurance. Such a policy would cover their child for any injury caused both inside and outside of normal school hours. Taking out a child accident insurance policy also removes any obligation for parents (or guardians) to use the school or child care centre’s insurer.

What child accident insurance has to offer

If a child has an accident, child accident insurance helps parents to cover the cost of medical bills and any ongoing treatment. It can also be used to recover upfront payment costs.

Accidents and injuries are generally covered unless caused by negligence. Insurers can sometimes make allowances for this, however, as children cannot be expected to exercise the same level of responsibility as adults. Injuries that are the result of sporting and recreational activities are insurable, and cover for critical illness, head trauma and accidental death can be included. Parental neglect is not covered. Check the exclusion clause of the policy to see what your insurer will and won’t cover as a standard.

After a particular age children may no longer be covered under their parents’ policy and may require their own. Furthermore, as the child gets older he or she will eventually outgrow their childhood policy. College and university students require student health insurance, which has its own set of requirements that differ from child accident insurance.