Summary: Because participation in sports carries the risk of injury, some students who lack health insurance may be unable to participate in school-based athletic programs. GAO found that 28 percent of high school students in Texas and six percent in Massachusetts are uninsured. GAO could find no national, state, or local data on uninsured students who have been prevented from participating in sports. Although 10 states and the District of Columbia require student health insurance before joining an athletic program, 39 other states leave the decision to the local district. Sixteen of the 18 school districts GAO reviewed provided free catastrophic athletic accident insurance to all students. Two districts were self-insured. All school districts reviewed had adopted strategies to provide access to low-cost athletic insurance. In eight school districts, free supplemental athletic accident insurance was automatic; in nine school districts, parents had the option of buying low-cost athletic accident insurance. One district covered all medical costs of an athletic-related injury. Private hospitals and clinics sometimes help local school districts by offering free medical services for sports-related injuries.
