seasonal skiing insurance

this site explains it all quite well

http://www.french-property.com/guides/france/public-services/health/getting-health-cover/european-visitors/

I have my EHIC and my travel insurance and don't really think I will buy a Carte Neaige

If skiing in France, the reason for purchasing Carte/Carre Neige as an extra, is due to many of the mountain emergency and healthcare providers in the Northern French Alps running private businesses. They are there to make money, and as everyone knows, Insurers like to drag their heels for as long as possible before paying out.

My experience in France.....

EHIC? Non = Private Clinic, you have Cash?
Travel Insurance? Non = We want Cash now, before we treat you
Credit Card? Non = Cash only.

I was left untreated with a broken collarbone for 2 hours, in shock, with no painkillers, until I found a way to get them their "cash" (€500+). My collarbone subsequently took 16 weeks to knit. I'm not qualified to say if the delay in treatment affected my recovery time.

If you are unlucky enough to be injured, paticularly, (but not exclusively, in the 3 Vallees) if you have the French Card, you won't end up with your skis being snatched away by the Blood Wagon. The only Insurance card they accept up front is the one sold with the lift ticket.

I used this company:

http://www.ski-insurance.co.uk/activities/ski-seasonaire/

They were reasonably priced and covered off piste without a guide. I also had a Carte Neige which covers getting you off the mountain in the event of an accident. But probably didn't need it as the insurance covered that too.

I have known quite a few people who did not have the Carte Neige and were still taken off the mountain. I remember a friends ski's were retained until they could show proof of insurance.

Luckily for me, I've never had to claim on my travel insurance, or the Carre Neige.

What paperwork do you need to produce? I assume they ask for receipts for skis and the police report etc. if they're stolen, and that form the French doctors give you after they've treated you. Do the piste rescue people sort out witness statements etc.?

AllyG wrote:Luckily for me, I've never had to claim on my travel insurance, or the Carre Neige.

What paperwork do you need to produce? I assume they ask for receipts for skis and the police report etc. if they're stolen, and that form the French doctors give you after they've treated you. Do the piste rescue people sort out witness statements etc.?

From my experience:

No Police report despite a Gendarme attending the Clinic and asking me about being hit by another skier.

Bills and receipts from the Cabinet Medical

Bill and receipt after I'd paid to recover my skis from The Piste Patrol office.

Despite faxing all bills and receipts ahead of my return, it was many weeks before refunds were made, and then only after lots of form filling and photocopying on return.

No refund on Lift Ticket from the resort, because I'd not purchased "their" Insurance. This loss was recovered from UK Insurer.

No refund on losses from coming home early. I was unable to dress, eat or bathe by myself. The worst bit was being unable to open the door of the rental apartment. UK Insurer not interested in safety aspect of this.

As "walking wounded" I was largely left to fend for myself, by my travel Insurer.

Oh dear Bandit, that sounds like a truly terrible experience. I'm so sorry :cry:

So, they never found the person who was responsible for causing your injury? I mean, here in the U.K. if you hit another car and it's your fault then their insurers will make your insurers pay for any injury to the passengers of the other car, like whiplash etc.

Did your U.K. insurers eventually pay up for everything that was on cover with them?

And if it all happened again (which hopefully it never will), what would you do differently?

Thanks Ally :thumbup: The woman who ran into me, hung around and said sorry. She got a cut thumb. Because the French law that would cover on slope collisions is not precise, I opted to not pursue a case of assault, which was offered by the Gendarme. Could not face heading back to France and into court at my own cost.

We did not recover our extra travel costs, I shrugged "mentally", we moved on.

We found it a struggle to get paid out our bills from our Insurer as they used a Claims Handling company, and they were obstructive. I eventually wrote to the Chief Exec of the Insurer to advise them of the situation. Our bills were then paid.

If I find myself in France and on skis these days, I buy the Carte Neige.

I tried to address my concerns about my experience with the Mayor of the resort. It was a waste of a stamp. They wrote back, really happy with the status quo.

Sorry to hear about your experience Bandit..it sounds a nightmare.

I think the most important point about insurance is often you don't find out how good or bad it is until you need them.
We moved last year. Car insurer tried to increase my sons car insurance by £561 for moving 9 miles!
Luckily I had asked if a house move changed the policy and was told No.

I insisted they listen back to the call with me on the line.

They had to back down!

Anyway - not really on topic, but it just shows you have to check, check, check again...they'll do anything to get out of paying out and in my case make an initial sale.