Ryan Tocicki, president of Los Angeles-based Premier Insurance Services, is an expert in event cancellation insurance who works with major professional sports leagues. Tocicki does not have direct knowledge of the NHL’s insurance coverage, but said most leagues opt to pay for coverage for “communicable disease-related losses.”
To what extent depends on how the policy is worded, which endorsements or riders are purchased and what policy limits are set.
“Once a communicable disease has been declared an epidemic or pandemic by the WHO [World Health Organization] or a federal government agency, certain policies exclude coverage,” said Tocicki. “Most event cancellation insurers offer a Communicable Disease Endorsement that can be purchased for an additional premium that would provide specified coverage for losses arising from an outbreak of communicable disease, regardless of declaration of epidemic or pandemic – such as when a government entity orders the cancellation, postponement or relocation of a scheduled game.
“It is important to note, however, that losses resulting from ‘threat or fear of communicable disease’ are typically excluded under event cancellation policies.”
In other words, insurance coverage may be one factor why the NHL has not acted on recommendations from local health authorities so far, waiting until they are ordered. The threat of communicable disease may not trigger coverage alone, but being ordered to cancel, postpone or relocate would allow the NHL to potentially recoup losses through insurance.
/img-s3.ilcdn.fi/65b9e7c95bedf1132ce94b1434cd6885ff2bced51f3b43563436f45822769c20.jpg)
www.iltalehti.fi
www.tsn.ca
yle.fi
www.euractiv.com
