Coverage for Varsity (and Club Rugby) Student-Athletes

Student Health Plan (SHP) Coverage

The Princeton University SHP covers immediate treatment for emergency care, medical and surgical treatment, diagnostic procedures, lab tests, specialty consultations, and hospitalization while you are a student at Princeton University. This plan also provides coverage for athletic injuries, illnesses, and some screening tests (e.g., echocardiograms).

Private Insurance Coverage

If you have other coverage and opt-out of the Student Health Plan (SHP), check that your plan will cover:

  • injuries resulting from practice or play of intercollegiate athletics at Princeton 
  • athletic injuries and illnesses sustained at other (out-of-state) sites of competition
  • medical care, including but not limited to all diagnostic tests (i.e., echocardiograms, EMG-NCV, MRI, and bone scans) and specialty consultations

Check with your insurance carrier to be sure that your insurance coverage is effective on your official arrival date. You must come to campus with your medical insurance ID and prescription ID cards.

Catastrophic Coverage (not applicable for Club Rugby student-athletes)

After eligible medical expenses exceed $90,000, you are covered by a separate catastrophic injury policy under the NCAA for eligible expenses, associated with injuries resulting from the practice or play of NCAA Qualified Intercollegiate Sports.

File your claims for catastrophic coverage under the NCAA Plan by coming to Athletic Medicine during business hours. Along with your claim, you must provide:

  • copies of all bills and Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statements from your insurance carrier showing that total expenses exceed the maximum allowable amount;
  • written notice of potential claims within 30 days of the accident. The actual claims must be made within two years after the date of the injury/illness.

You are responsible for ensuring all medical claims have been processed and for paying any amounts not covered by your private/family insurance plan or the SHP (e.g., ineligible charges, charges over UCR, etc.). Failure to read and understand policies and procedures could result in paying significantly higher out-of-pocket medical expenses.