Latest posts for the topic "SKI INSURANCE"

SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 10:20:07 GMT

Hi to you all
I don't take out ski insurance normally but after reading some of the posts on here it has made me consider taking out a policy.One reason for not insuring myself is access to free emergency treatment entitled with the EHIC card,so has anyone got any advice on companies,costs & what's covered,in other words who do you use & why.
I realise insurance of any kind is minefield,perhaps if the guy who sold you the policy dealt with the claims it would be easier.

Thanks in advance for any info.
Brooksy

Re:SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 12:45:07 GMT

I just use Compare the Market for ski insurance, and use one that gives me cover for whatever I need i.e. cancellations, loss/theft of money etc...

http://www.comparethemarket.com/ski-insurance/

I thought you were supposed to have some sort of liability insurance when on the piste? i.e. incase you cause an accident.

Re:SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 12:55:53 GMT

Having seen an article recently about a guy who broke his neck in a foreign country and is now completely paralysed, but doesn't have adequate insurance to get him flown home by air ambulance, I am surprised that so few people that do dangerous sports don't have proper insurance.

It is always the case of "it'll never happen to me" but three years ago it did happen to my mum. She broke her neck in Kenya and had to spend 4 weeks in intensive care before being flown home by a private air ambulance. It can happen to anyone, thank goodness she had suitable insurance which paid for everything.

The EHIC card, if I am correct, only entitles you to free basic treatment in a European hospital, so if you hurt yourself skiing it does not cover the cost of getting you off of the mountain, and if you need to go to a major hospital you'll be waiting hours for an ambulance to get to the resort to take you there, as I believe most in resort medical and ambulance services are private. and therefore very expensive.

It cost GBP600 for my girlfriend to be brought down the mountain in a "blood wagon", driven 200m to the resort dr's and then treated, all for a minor tear of a knee ligament. All we had to pay was the excess on our insurance. Our insurance was found on MoneySupermarket and we chose something like the 3rd cheapest policy which cost about GBP60 for both of us including world wide and winter sports cover.

[MaccA]

P.S. Do my family sound like a calamity or what!

Re:SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 13:14:03 GMT

You can take Insurance to get you off the mountain and cover any treatment you may need when you buy your lift passes but spend your money on a good annual travel insurance. The only down-side with this is you have to get your credit card out if you have an accident on the slopes...I know...I got helicoptered from around 3000m off-piste and with medical charges etc etc it cost me GBP1,250 which iI will get back but I'll have to wait!

So, if you have a good credit limit you'll be ok - If your upto your card limit then take out lift pass insurance too.

What ever you decide, take out a good annual travel insurance. It's worth It!

Huard

Re:SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 16:56:02 GMT

[quote
02/02/2010 12:45:07 Subject: Re:SKI INSURANCE
I just use Compare the Market for ski insurance, and use one that gives me cover for whatever I need i.e. cancellations, loss/theft of money etc...

http://www.comparethemarket.com/ski-insurance/

I thought you were supposed to have some sort of liability insurance when on the piste? i.e. incase you cause an accident.

Thanks for the replies,the site above will only give quotes if you reside in the UK,as I don't I will
need one that does.Any ideas?
Thanks
Brooksy

Re:SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 16:58:54 GMT

brooksy wrote:[quote
Thanks for the replies,the site above will only give quotes if you reside in the UK,as I don't I will
need one that does.Any ideas?
Thanks
Brooksy

several but it makes a difference where you're going, where is it?

in France you can get carte or carre neige and in Switzerland you can sometimes buy insurance with the lift ticket or via Air Glaciers or REGA

Re:SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 17:12:30 GMT

Only a fool would Ski without insurance.
Sorry to be blunt mate.

Re:SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 17:13:16 GMT

Hi ise
I'm going to Engelburg on 6th March for a week.

Re:SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 17:17:35 GMT

Hi Snapzz

Thanks for your comment but not helpful,post says I am looking for insurance not avoidance.

Re:SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 18:05:11 GMT

brooksy wrote:
Hi ise
I'm going to Engelburg on 6th March for a week.

That's simple enough then, you can get REGA or Air Glaciers. This is rescue insurance, so they come and get you and take you to the the road and an ambulance in simple terms, so you want other medical insurance and if you want your travel insurance insured you need that.

If you're living in Europe you probably have that cover so this would be ideal.

It could well be that Engelberg will sell another insurance with their lift ticket, you'd need to ask them about that.

Re:SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 18:30:51 GMT

Thanks for that ise I will look into it.

Re:SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 20:28:22 GMT

Sorry Brooksy, but if you have skied uninsured, I agree, you've been a fool. )

A major part of having ski insurance is to get you repatriated in the event of injury. Carre Neige and the like won't do that, and nor will an EHIC.
Without insurance you are likely to have to get your credit card out to get off the mountain, to get into the ambulance, to get into the doctor's surgery, to get into the ambulance to go to the hospital where you'll need your card for a bed.

Add on the ambulance to the airport and the special flight home (or extra seats) and it's a no brainer unless you're a millionaire.

you could try Fogg Travel - www.fogginsure.co.uk who insure the British ski teams. They may be able to help.

Re:SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 20:38:13 GMT

brooksy, J2skier 4x4 is also a Spanish resident. A keen skier, he lives near Barcelona. You could try contacting him through the forum and asking who he uses for ski insurance :D

Re:SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 20:40:21 GMT

Dorset Boy wrote:Sorry Brooksy, but if you have skied uninsured, I agree, you've been a fool. )

A major part of having ski insurance is to get you repatriated in the event of injury. Carre Neige and the like won't do that, and nor will an EHIC.
Without insurance you are likely to have to get your credit card out to get off the mountain, to get into the ambulance, to get into the doctor's surgery, to get into the ambulance to go to the hospital where you'll need your card for a bed.

Add on the ambulance to the airport and the special flight home (or extra seats) and it's a no brainer unless you're a millionaire.

you could try Fogg Travel - www.fogginsure.co.uk who insure the British ski teams. They may be able to help.

I don't think you quite understand how insurance works for those people who don't live in the UK, just because health and accident insurance works in a particular way in the UK doesn't mean it's same elsewhere.

Insurance like carre neige or REGA exist for a reason and the reason is most of us, ie all of the rest of Europe, are automatically covered for all the things you think are missing.

Re:SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 20:50:41 GMT

yeah, i agree - i wouldnt go without insurance. Too risky if anything happens, the last thing you want is a delay in getting medical attention.

I have used the usual sites like money supermarket, compare the market etc in the past but now have worldwide travel insurance, including winter sports, through my bank account.

WOrth checking whether your bank account provides any cover, but i know that a lot of them wont cover winter sports

Re:SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 20:58:50 GMT

Ise - the Carre Neige contract certain has changed since I last looked. Repatriation outside of France used to be excluded for example.
However, I think you'll find that unless you also have private medical insurance (which I accept is semi compulsory), not all the items listed will be covered automatically for residents of all EU countries without some form of insurance.

I am not niaive enough to think that there is an EU wide standard health service offering.

Re:SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 21:14:12 GMT

Dorset Boy wrote:Ise - the Carre Neige contract certain has changed since I last looked. Repatriation outside of France used to be excluded for example.
However, I think you'll find that unless you also have private medical insurance (which I accept is semi compulsory), not all the items listed will be covered automatically for residents of all EU countries without some form of insurance.

Insurance that we all have. I understand people think they've uncovered a glaring gap in insurance cover with things like carre neige or the rescue insurance that's available but it's purely because they're not aware of the insurance we all have to carry. For example it's the law in the Switzerland that you have to have accident insurance, it's the law here, like most European countries apart from the UK, that you have public liability insurance and so on.

Most Europeans ski without specific insurance and they're not fools, it's just insurance works differently from the UK. That's why someone living in Europe would be surprised to find all of you Brit's have to take out insurance to go on holiday, if you try asking a broker for an insurance for your ski holiday they'll simply not understand what you're talking about.

Re:SKI INSURANCE

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 22:53:16 GMT

Hi
I would like to say thank you to all the people who have replied,it seems there is more to this ski insurance than first thought.I usually ski 6 days each year & for the first number of years I had worldwide multi trip insurance which covered me for my summer holidays as well when I lived in the UK.
I have lived in Lanzarote for the last 6 years & TBH insurance for skiing has not been in my mind,but reading posts on here brought my attention back to it.
Finally I will check with brokers on the island ( hope they know what skiing is )as its a bit third world here,also try Bandits suggestion.

Thanks again
Brooksy