The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU), with support from its title sponsor, the Iowa Farm Bureau, is offering the HeadStrong Concussion Insurance program for the 2018-19 school year.

“We appreciate the commitment that the Iowa Farm Bureau has made towards the well-being of the Iowa Girl. Offering concussion insurance, along with the already-available catastrophic injury insurance, to every girls’ high school athlete is another step in our initiative to improve awareness for girls’ health and safety concerns in our sports," said Jean Berger, executive director of the IGHSAU.

A recent study shows girls high school soccer has the highest per capita rate of concussions and traumatic brain injuries among high school sports. Nearly 27 percent of all injuries suffered by girls’ high school soccer players were traumatic brain injuries (TBI) while an estimated 23 percent of all girls’ basketball injuries were TBI-related. By comparison, 24 percent of football related injuries are TBI-related. 

HeadStrong provides insurance coverage for all girls in grades 9-12 participating in the practice or play in all of the sports sanctioned by the IGHSAU: cross country, swimming & diving, volleyball, basketball, bowling, golf, tennis, soccer, track & field and softball. Cheerleaders in girls-only sports are also covered. 

The Iowa Farm Bureau is sponsoring the premium expense for every IGHSAU participant in the program. Coverage runs from September 1, 2018 to September 1, 2019. The insurance carrier for this policy is Nationwide Life Insurance Company, with K&K Insurance serving as a third-party administrator. 

HeadStrong was developed to insure student-athletes from the high cost of concussion treatments and potential neurological follow-up appointments. It provides student-athletes with $0 deductible and $0 co-pay coverage for concussion assessment and treatment and serves as a secondary or excess policy to other primary and collectable insurance. It will become the primary payor if no other insurance is available. Over 285,000 high school students across the country are insured by the HeadStrong Concussion Insurance program. 

Further information regarding the concussion program is available by clicking on the links below:

IGHSAU Links: https://ighsau.org/coaches-administrators/athlete-health-safety/

Dissenger Reed: http://www.dissingerreed.com/high-school-programs/