Scout insurance

[Abel Magwitch]

This year our troop for the first time registered online. After all the paperwork was printed out, it was turned in to the Scout office. But I noticed that the total fees did not include the customary supplemental insurance fee. The additional $1 insurance fee was always added to the total in the past when we received our re-charter packets.

 

When our Scout office clerk was questioned about this, she stated that since online re-chartering was a national thing, the insurance was not included. We would have to pay the additional monies for insurance separately if we still wanted it. She also stated that insurance was an individual council matter and not every council across the country offers the supplemental insurance.

 

This is the first time I have ever heard this. Any thoughts?

(This message has been edited by abel magwitch)

[skeptic]

It has been that way for years. You simply write two checks, or one to cover the two together, but ring them separately. We have done it that way for the past 3 years, even adding in the Quality Unit patches; just rang them separately. Not really sure what your question is.

[Eagle92]

Yes that blew my mind when I found out that making insurance part of registration varies from council to council. My original council did this, and I was shocked when I joined another council, and insurance was an option for units.

 

But it's been an option for a very long time.

[moosetracker]

I am unsure what our council did this year, I know people had to bring and write two checks, but one was for the recharter, the other was for the quality unit patch award (which most units can achieve without blinking). There was no third check mentioned about insurance.

[Abel Magwitch]

I guess I was a bit stunned to find out that some councils do not offer insurance.

 

It was never an option in the past, we were always required to purchase the supplemental insurance.

 

When things were done the old way, (not on-line), the insurance fee was always included on the paperwork. This year it was not. I wonder how many newer units when they re-charter this year will completely miss this altogether. I know the clerk did not offer the insurance to us until we actually questioned the issue.

 

(This message has been edited by abel magwitch)

[Twocubdad]

As Scoutmaster, one of my major goals every year is to stay out of rechartering, but what you describe is the way it's been here for years. I seem to recall a yellow sheet in the recharter packet with big type reminding everyone to add $1 per Scout to the total.

[Beavah]

Yah, Abel, that's nothing new, eh?

 

The supplemental accident (health) insurance coverage from Health Special Risk (HSR) has always been optional. National negotiates the contract but it's up to individual councils or units to choose to participate.

 

In some councils, the council pays for it for everyone out of council operating funds / Friends of Scouting.

 

In some councils, the council more or less makes everyone pay for it at recharter.

 

In some councils, the council leaves it up to the unit, and just includes a form to fill out and send your check into HSR if your unit wants to participate.

 

National started pushin' councils to have it in place for Camporees and other outdoor council events some years ago (it can be purchased by councils on a per-event basis as well as yearly). That was when some councils started requiring it of units just so they didn't have to deal with it in event fees. At least that's my memory of it.

 

Lots of units opt out when it's made optional at the unit level, eh? For suburban units, there's decent odds that families have health coverage for the kids through work (or in some other way), so da supplemental coverage really isn't worth it in those cases.

 

I mostly recommend units spend the couple bucks a person for it, myself. If your unit wants it, Abel, you should look for the HSR form in your recharter packet and it'll have instructions on how to purchase the coverage.

 

REMEMBER: All this applies only to the low-limits (i.e. cheap-and-cheesy) supplemental accident insurance. The high-limits primary liability insurance is completely unrelated. That's automatically provided with your $20 unit recharter fee.

 

Beavah(This message has been edited by Beavah)