Here
at Freedom Ski we are well aware of the potential risks to which Skiers and
Snowboarders may be exposed to when planning their trip and whilst on the
slopes. Whether you fall ill or are involved in an accident, it is essential to
obtain good Travel Insurance cover.
Freedom Ski
is an introducer of
MPI Brokers and under UK government
regulations we are not allowed to recommend a policy but we are happy to
introduce you to the comprehensive cover available from MPI.
MPI Brokers is a specialist insurance provider with many years experience providing good
quality travel Insurance cover for the winter sports enthusiast. Below is some
useful guidance from Michael Pettifer of MPI for navigating the insurance
minefield.
For a quotation for yourself, your family or group please follow the link to
Ski and Travel Insurance
Message from Michael Pettifer, Managing Director, MPI Brokers.
When choosing your policy; I must emphasise the importance of always reading the
policy wording. There is a misconception that Travel and Wintersports Insurance,
like Motor Insurance, has been commoditised. It has not, and there is a world of
difference between providers.
Get your motor Insurance wrong and you could loose your car, get your travel
insurance wrong and you could loose your house, especially with the high costs
associated with a ski injury and rising with a falling pound. So don’t always go
for the cheapest.
Below are a few points to watch out for.
Medical Expenses following illness or injury
If this is sudden and unexpected
travel insurance will cover the ancillary costs of local emergency medical
expenses and return home costs if necessary.
Providers have varying degrees of
exclusions relating to medical conditions, which exist prior to buying
insurance.
Some insurers make pre-existing medical conditions an exclusion, which means you
can still buy the policy and travel with the condition excluded, or you can
declare the condition for consideration.
Others make it a requirement that you advise insures of any pre-existing medical
conditions usually within certain parameters.
There are specialist polices available
if you can’t satisfy the above. However skiers are by and large relatively fit
but surprisingly we still get 2 and half in every 100 making a claim for injury
which represents the largest proportion of all claims under a Wintersports
policy.
So watch out for some annual policies
especially the ‘free’ ones with banks as they may not cover skiing.
Mountain rescue also comes under this
section and many policies are silent on this subject nevertheless they seem to
pay out. Make sure it covers the threat of exposure.
Cancellation
With a holiday there are conditions
that should you cancel there are penalties to pay. These rise the closer you get
to the departure date. Travel Insurance will usually include a clause to cover
this should you fall sick or are injured before travelling.
The pre-existing medical conditions
explained above also applies to this section. Check that the sum insured (the
maximum pay out) is sufficient.
Personal Liability
All travel insurance covers this.
However, there are some exclusions to watch out for:
damage to holiday accommodation (most cover this but some don’t). It’s the law
in France that you have this cover when renting an apartment.
being sued by a travelling companion (a lot of policies exclude this). We
suggest you chose one that doesn’t.
There is no cover for driving, motorcycling, skidooing, etc.
Off Piste
This is one of my pet subjects as so
many polices exclude this, either outright, or you must be with a guide. There
is no legal definition of on/off piste so I don’t see how this can be excluded
and what about a nice patch of soft snow between 2 pistes, ring up a guide!
dream on. Do check this out before buying.
EHIC (European Health Insurance Card)
This was formerly the E111 and pays a
proportion of the costs of emergency medical treatment in National Hospitals in
the EU. In France for instance it pays 80%. Without it insurance premiums would
be double so it is doing its job in aiding travel and tourism.
It’s biggest failing is the word
‘Insurance’ in the name, it is not, it compliments Wintersports and Travel
Insurance which covers the whole risk including repatriation, other medical
costs, Liability etc.
Carte Neige
So you have your EHIC and Carte Neige
what more do I need?
Carte Neige is not travel Insurance it
is a sports injures cover as part of a local discount card. The cover is
limited; ski injures only, no cover for ‘travelling’ risks, cancelation etc. and
you are dealing with an overseas insurance company, so no protection under UK
FSA rules.
So buy it for the discounts but always
obtain a suitable
UK Wintersports Insurance too.
These are the main areas to consider when choosing Wintersports Travel Insurance
and there are other parts to a typical policy which would include baggage,
delays, legal expenses, Wintersports equipment and so on.
I
Some other tips
Cars Abroad
If driving your own car, advise your
motor insurance company; some charge extra, some just wish to be notified. If
you don’t, you may only get Third Party cover (the legal minimum). Check it
covers towing a trailer if you are.
Take out a holiday breakdown cover. A
normal UK breakdown policy may not cover travelling abroad.
If you are hiring a car consider
taking out collision damage waiver in UK it’s usually cheaper than the car hire
company.
Please call
MPI Brokers
on 01428 664265 for more information.
Travel Provider Failure - Booking direct
If you book any part of your trip direct, e.g. a flight, you have no come back
if the provider goes bust. Research shows that 60% of the public are under the
impression that travel insurance provides this cover under the cancelation
section. As described above cancelation is if you cancel. If your trip is
cancelled due to the failure of a provider that is a different matter and it is
advisable to seek a policy that covers this eventuality.
