In spring and summer demand rises for two kinds of insurance at once: tick bite cover — among dacha owners, hikers and parents — and sports cover — among those who are starting to run, cycle or are planning a hike. These are different products with different logic. Let us look at what each covers and how to avoid buying what you do not need.
Tick bite insurance
This is a medical policy with a narrow programme: it pays for care related to a tick bite and tick-borne infections. The programme usually includes:
- a doctor's consultation and removal of the tick at a clinic;
- laboratory testing of the tick for infections — if the programme provides for it;
- emergency prevention — administration of immunoglobulin against tick-borne encephalitis as prescribed by a doctor;
- treatment of tick-borne encephalitis and ixodid tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease), including in hospital;
- in extended programmes — rehabilitation after the illness.
What is usually not included: routine vaccination, treatment at clinics outside the insurer's list without approval, expenses incurred without calling the 24-hour line.
Who needs it
- people who live or holiday in regions where tick-borne infections are common;
- dacha owners, mushroom pickers, hikers;
- parents of children going to a summer camp in the countryside.
Insurance does not replace vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis. Vaccination protects against the disease, while the policy pays for medical care if a bite occurs.
What to look at
- Start date. With many policies cover begins not on the day of payment but a few days later. Buy in advance, before heading out into nature.
- The list of clinics in your city and where you holiday.
- The sum insured — whether it is enough for hospital treatment.
- The claims procedure — whether you must call the insurer first.
Sports insurance
For athletes and amateurs the main product is accident insurance specifying the type of sport. The policy pays money in the event of injury, disability or death resulting from an accident. The payout for an injury is usually determined by a table: a percentage of the sum insured for a specific injury — a fracture, a dislocation, a torn ligament.
What matters in a sports policy
- The type of sport must be stated in the contract. If you insured yourself as a runner but were injured on a ski slope, there may be no payout.
- Training and competitions — check whether both are covered. Competition organisers usually require participants to have an accident policy.
- Amateur or professional — tariffs and terms are different for professional athletes.
- Exclusions — alcohol intoxication, extreme disciplines, breach of safety rules.
An accident policy pays a fixed sum but does not arrange treatment. If access to good clinics and rehabilitation matters to you, consider DMS (voluntary medical insurance) as well.
Sports abroad
Skiing in Europe, diving in Egypt, trekking in Georgia — this is the domain of travel insurance with an "Active leisure" or "Sports" option. Without such an option, an injury sustained during sports is often not covered even by a basic medical policy. The option extends cover for treatment costs and, in some programmes, for search and rescue operations. You can calculate the cost with a sports option in the travel insurance calculator.
Comparing the options
| Situation | Suitable policy | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Dacha, forest, hiking in Russia | Tick bite insurance | Medical care after a bite and treatment of tick-borne infections |
| Fitness, running, football, cycling | Accident insurance specifying the sport | A cash payout for injury according to the table |
| Competitions | Accident insurance for competitors | A payout for injury and compliance with the organiser's requirement |
| Skiing or diving abroad | Travel insurance with an "Active leisure" option | Payment for treatment abroad after a sports injury |
| A child at a summer camp | Tick bite policy and accident insurance | Medical care after a bite and a payout for injury |
A policy for a child
Children are most often insured in two ways at once: against tick bites for the summer and against accidents for the school year — taking sports clubs into account. In a child's accident policy it is important that sports are listed if the child attends training and that cover applies around the clock, not only during classes. Many insurers offer family programmes in which parents and children are insured under one contract.
Can they be combined?
Some insurers include tick bite cover in DMS programmes or offer it as an option to an accident policy. If you both play sports and are often out in nature, compare a combined policy with two separate ones: sometimes it is cheaper, sometimes the combined programme has lower limits.
What to do when an insured event occurs
Tick bite
- Call the insurer's 24-hour line — you will be referred to a clinic on the list.
- If you removed the tick yourself, do not throw it away: put it in a tightly closed container.
- Follow the doctor's instructions and keep all documents.
Sports injury
- Go to an emergency room or hospital on the day of the injury — you need a medical document with the date and diagnosis.
- Notify the insurer within the period stated in the rules.
- After treatment, submit a claim with discharge summaries and X-rays.
Summary
A tick bite policy is about medical care after a bite, sports accident insurance is about money in case of injury, and travel insurance with an option is about treatment abroad. Work out where and how you are at risk and choose for that situation. Polis Re specialists will help you choose a programme — send us a request.