Insurance help?

[Skittl1321]

I am a basic skills instructor and for the past 3 years have only had the insurance offered by USFS for the basic skills program. I do not teach private lessons (though our rink has designated all freestyle/public sessions as "basic skills" sessions - I think because they think this means we are covered under the umbrella of our insurance, but I do not take advantage of it, because I'm not sure that would hold up...)

Anyhow- we have had a string of accidents at our rink lately and I'm getting a bit worried about the fact that I do not carry private insurance.

Here are my questions:
-Is private insurance really necessary for me? Is the basic skills insurance enough?
-What options are available to me? I know the ISI has some sort of program for it's coaches (I am no longer a member there, but was a professional member for a year and remembered seeing mailings.) Does the USFSA have insurance for coaches? The PSA?
-If I were to be insured through the USFS or PSA would I need to be a registered coach? Could I purchase through either of these just as a registered instructor? (I am not currently a full USFS member and wasn't planning on joining this year.)

What do you recommend? I'm not a "coach" really, so I'm just looking for the least expensive way to make sure I'm covered if something happens in my class. Our skate director assures us the basic skills coverage is all we need- but I worry.

[kayskate]

All of the rinks that I have worked at require private insurance even if I am only teaching groups. You can get insurance through PSA, USFS, ISI.

PSA has a membership option for part time coaches. It is cheaper. As I understand, you have to be sponsored by a senior coach (someone who passed senior level tests). It is worth doing. As your skating director to sponsor you. It does not cost him/her anything.

Bottom line: get private insurance. Cover yourself.

Kay

[Skittl1321]

When you say senior level tests do you mean skating tests or the PSA written tests?

I'm not sure any of the coaches at my rink are PSA members. I know a coach at the other rink I sometimes go to is one- since she takes kids to qual comeptitions. The skate director definetly isn't though. She's the one who tells us that the basic skills insurance is enough.

I'll look into the lower membership option though- I hadn't heard about that.


Edit to add: After an insane amount of looking at USFS's worst website ever, I think I can purchase insurance here https://appsrv4.amerspec.com/pls/portal/USFSA.ENTRANCE.show for $94 with just my basic skills membership, and not need to be a PSA or full USFS member.

Is there any difference between this insurance and the PSA's? (It appears to be the same place).

[Clarice]

Is there any difference between this insurance and the PSA's? (It appears to be the same place).

To register as a USFS coach, you need to show proof of insurance. They accept either their own or PSA's insurance, so I would think it's the same thing.

[Isk8NYC]

Sorry, I usually do an analysis of this, but I've been too busy lately.

The ISI and USFSA group lesson program insurance for instructors is okay as long as you're actually teaching a group. If you whack a dope while practicing your camel on a freestyle, I doubt the Director's creative contract writing is going to protect you from a lawsuit since you weren't teaching one or more Basic Skills students at the time. AFAIK, the instructors' liability insurance only covers you when you're teaching or coaching, not when you're skating for yourself.
(We have a few lawyers on this board who could probably confirm that much more forcefully, lol.)

The USFSA's site links to American Specialty. You have to be a USFSA member (Basic Skills or Regular) to qualify. The cost is $94. No additional membership because you're already a Basic Skills member (I think?).
https://appsrv4.amerspec.com/pls/portal/PORTAL.wwa_app_module.show?p_sessionid=438449

The PSA also uses American Specialty. You have to be a USFSA member as well as a PSA Member, which adds to the expense. The cost is $84 plus extra membership.
http://www.skatepsa.com/Insurance-PSA.htm

The ISI form doesn't tell you the carrier; I might have it in my notes. You have to be an ISI Professional member, which is more expensive than an ISI Individual membership. The insurance cost is $75 plus the membership.
http://www.skateisi.com/site/main.cfm?membertype=coaches

The three organizations revamped their membership and insurance schedules so that they all lapse at the same time. (My husband *loves* :roll: seeing the credit card statements come in during my low season for teaching, lol.) The current insurance year began July 1, 2009 but your coverage will only begin after they receive your payment. All policies expire on June 30, 2010. (In other words, they won't prorate the cost/extend coverage for a full year if you pay late.)

IMO, it's better to have too much insurance, rather than too little, as long as it doesn't break the bank. The peace of mind is worth the extra expense. If you can teach a few privates (since you have the insurance now) to cover the cost, even better.

Since you're not planning to be a full USFSA or ISI Professional member, your cheapest option is to have the Director register you as a Basic Skills member/instructor and purchase the $95 policy through the USFSA.

[Skittl1321]

If you whack a dope while practicing your camel on a freestyle, I doubt the Director's creative contract writing is going to protect you from a lawsuit since you weren't teaching one or more Basic Skills students at the time.

LOL- No, I was only worried about if something happened to one of my students while I was teaching, not if something happened to me or another skater while I was skating (do most skaters have some sort of coverage for that? Is that the sport accident insurance part of the USFSA membership? I wonder if the Basic Skills sport accident insurance goes beyond LTS classes for the students practice time?) And yeah- I don't think the fun little designation will mean much anyway.

I am a registered basic skills instructor (she forgot one year and was a bit taken aback when I refused to teach until she gave me the card. I know the insurance is minimal, but even then I wanted something.) I think I'm going to go with the USFSA policy - $95 really isn't too bad at all.

So does this cover accidents I may have with my own skating? (Would I have to sue myself? Or say I did wack someone with a camel spin...) Or just teaching?

Thanks for the advice.

[Isk8NYC]

I bet sk8atty would know the answers to that for certain, I might have her email address in my contacts.

I believe that:


The Sports Accident insurance covers your own injuries when you are not teaching.
The Liability insurance covers you if you injure someone else while teaching.
I know of one rink where they thought believed that just HAVING a Basic Skills program with registered instructors was enough; they didn't have to insure each student as well. I don't know if that's true though.

[Skittl1321]

I can tell you from the drama happening at my rink (where someone got hurt in the "interim" between when it expired to when it was redone) that students need to be registered to have their injuries covered. If they are not registered the option exists to sue the rink or the instructor, but of course, they may not win.


(And I've emailed USFSA to find out if the Basic Skills Sports Accident covers my own skating during none LTS times- or if I need to be a full member to have "unsupervised" time covered.)

[dbny]

PSA has a membership option for part time coaches. It is cheaper. As I understand, you have to be sponsored by a senior coach (someone who passed senior level tests).

You can join PSA as a part time member without sponsorship by a senior rated member, but "A sponsor is REQUIRED for ALL TYPES of membership except Patrons. (https://www.skatepsa.com/forms/membership_application/index.php)" This just means that a PSA member must sign the application.

I think you were had in mind the Intern Membership option, which is for supervised coaches from the ages of 16 to 18. "The Intern member shall regularly confer during their Intern Membership with a member in good standing of the PSA who is a senior rated coach or higher. (http://www.skatepsa.com/Categories-and-Fees.htm)" Which means PSA rating, not USFS proficiency tests.

To register as a USFS coach, you need to show proof of insurance. They accept either their own or PSA's insurance, so I would think it's the same thing.

I believe you are confusing the new coach registration requirement (for those putting students on the ice during sanctioned events) with the simpler "membership" as a coach (which can be through a Basic Skills program).

Skittl - If all your teaching is exclusively through the Basic Skills program and you are on the ice teaching a group during regularly scheduled LTS time, then you are covered and do not need your own insurance. I know some rinks/schools are hoping to get away with covering their coaches beyond that time frame by designating public sessions as Basic Skills time, but if their own brochures do not show that as a group lesson time in their program, it may not hold up when it comes right down to it, and I, personally, would not trust it.

[Clarice]

II believe you are confusing the new coach registration requirement (for those putting students on the ice during sanctioned events) with the simpler "membership" as a coach (which can be through a Basic Skills program).


No, I wasn't confusing anything, but I can see that I wasn't very clear. I was just trying to demonstrate that the USFS insurance and the PSA insurance must be basically the same thing, since both are accepted for the registration process. I wasn't trying to imply that Skittl needed to be a registered coach.

[Isk8NYC]

No, I wasn't confusing anything, but I can see that I wasn't very clear. I was just trying to demonstrate that the USFS insurance and the PSA insurance must be basically the same thing, since both are accepted for the registration process. I wasn't trying to imply that Skittl needed to be a registered coach.
That's what I thought you meant, although I didn't compare the coverage options to see if you were right.

[dbny]

No, I wasn't confusing anything, but I can see that I wasn't very clear. I was just trying to demonstrate that the USFS insurance and the PSA insurance must be basically the same thing, since both are accepted for the registration process. I wasn't trying to imply that Skittl needed to be a registered coach.

On re-reading, in the light of your reply, I see what you mean.