Player hip ops proving costly for county boards

County Boards are providing financial assistance to players hit with five-figure medical bills arising from hip surgery.

Players going under the knife for hip ailments are being landed with medical bills in excess of €10,000, with the GAA’s player insurance scheme providing maximum cover of €4,500. The GPA insurance product provides an additional top-up of €1,500, leaving the player to foot the remaining costs totalling over €4,000.

GAA insurance officer Sinéad Quinn said many players did not have private cover given the current economic climate and turned to club and county boards for assistance. She added that there had been a considerable spike in the number of insurance claims for hip surgeries in the latter half of 2013.