Medical Insurance Coverage for Youth and Adult Volunteers
Each year the council sends a Unit Accident Insurance brochure/registration form to each unit with their recharter packet. It is up to the unit to apply for this medical coverage. The plan provides coverage for accident medical expenses and accidental death and dismemberment while participating in any approved and supervised Scouting activity, including going to and from meetings. New members added during the year are automatically covered until the renewal date without additional premium. For claims involving hospital and surgical expenses, the plan pays the first $150 for covered medical expenses, regardless of other benefits that may be available under other forms of insurance (often taking care of any deductible outlay). Even though this insurance is optional, it is recommended that you look into unit accident coverage for your unit because each person must have insurance to attend camp and there may be some boys or adults in your group that do not have other insurance options available to them. It is very affordable.
What every volunteer needs to know about personal automobile insurance
All vehicles MUST be covered by a liability insurance policy. The amount of this coverage must meet or exceed the insurance requirement of the state in which the vehicle is licensed. You may want to carry higher limits of automobile liability if you feel you need them for your own personal protection. Any vehicle carrying ten (10) or more passengers is required to have limits of $100,000/$500,000/$100,000 or $500,000 single limit. In the case of rented vehicles the requirement of coverage limits can be met by combining the limits of personal coverage carried by the driver with coverage carried by the owner of the rented vehicle. The council’s automobile liability insurance is excess of the insurance the owner of the auto carries, providing insurance protection above the limits carried on the auto up to the council’s multi-million dollar limit of coverage. A tour permit or a council short-term camping permit is required when units travel overnight or outside the district. The council asks that you file a tour permit when you transport children to a location other than your normal meeting place.
Broader liability insurance coverage for volunteers
If you missed this wonderful piece of news in last January’s Compass Points, Heads UP!! Effective March 1, 2001, the Boy Scouts of America broadened its liability insurance coverage for all volunteers. Previously, the liability insurance coverage was on a secondary basis (above/beyond the limits of whatever personal insurance you might have carried, usually a homeowners, personal liability, or auto liability policy.) Now Scouting volunteers will be covered on a primary basis from the first dollar of lawsuit with respect to any official Scouting activity. Liability coverage arising from automobile claims will continue to be covered on a secondary (excess) basis. Up until now, only the chartered organizations had primary coverage. I hope this news is helpful when recruiting new volunteers that may have concerns in this area.
Also, if you are having an event and the owners of the property asks you to provide a certificate of liability coverage (proof of insurance), just call Gail Olson at the Portland office, 503-225-5755, and she will see that you are provided with the proper certificate of insurance.
