It must be emphasised that the ARENA insurance only makes up the difference between the reimbursements provided by the Belgian social Security System (the Mutuelle) and the ceiling fixed on medical expenses. The ceiling is regarded as the maximum cost at which adequate treatment can be received, so any private niceties an injured player may wish to have (private hospital room etc.) are payable out of his own pocket or through his own insurance scheme.

The 'Mutuelle' is the basic scheme, of course, and many players will have more comprehensive cover under systems operated by their company, international organisation, etc. Nevertheless, insurance companies are never too eager to pay out for sporting accidents if they think someone else may be footing the bill, or part of it, and often require all details of any ABSSA/ARENA intervention. Consequently, the procedure indicated below must be followed, even if you feel you are covered for any eventuality.

When an injury occurs, a form (déclaration d'accident) must be filed with ARENA within two weeks. These forms are available from your team captain or the Club Secretary (ABSSA). It is essential to meet this deadline, even if not all the details are available at the time. Any bills must be paid personally by the player concerned and copies must be kept, together with all receipts, to be passed on to the Club Secretary. Once the player is declared fit again by his doctor, the latter issues a 'certificat de guérison'. This is also to be given to the Club Secretary, who will forward the dossier to ARENA for processing and reimbursement (which may take some time!!).

Important : If any physiotherapy is recommended by the doctor, this must be approved in advance by the ARENA insurance scheme. So be sure to get a certificate to this effect from your doctor and give it to the Club Secretary so that the necessary approval can be obtained.

Remember, if you are unfortunate enough to need treatment for an injury, make sure an accident form is filled in immediately and keep copies of all bills. The RBBFC will deal with the administrative work as far as possible, but cannot accept liability for any financial shortfall suffered by a player due to late submission or loss of relevant documents or failure to comply with the procedures laid down.