Why winter sports cover may help to protect against medical nightmares
30th November 2011
This winter, many of us will be heading for the snowy mountains of Europe, Canada or America for a week or two of sun, slopes and skiing. Getting the right level of winter sports cover can, therefore, be important.
But many people will strap on their skis or snowboard and race down a mountain without adequate insurance to protect them in case of an accident.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office revealed that last year 31% of Brits who went on a winter sports holiday did so without the right travel insurance.
If you are skiing in Europe, you may be surprised to learn that your EHI card will not fully cover you in the event of an accident on the slopes. This is because the card only covers medical costs provided by the local country’s health service, and will not pay for things like an air ambulance or a ride down the mountain in a rescue sledge.
Standard travel insurance will generally not cover winter sports. So if you bought year-long travel insurance before a summer holiday this year, and are hoping to use the same policy for your ski holiday, double check you are properly covered.
Most travel insurance policies will offer winter sports cover as an added extra, (and you shouldn’t have to pay much more for it).
When choosing your winter sports cover you may wish to consider things like lost ski passes, damage or loss of equipment, avalanches, and piste closures can all be covered in a winter sports policy. A ski holiday is always more of a risk than other holidays, in more ways than one, so get covered for every eventuality.
As with any travel insurance policy, check the details before you purchase so you know exactly what you can and can’t do.
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