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ski insurance

Old Mar 5th 2014, 1:39 am
  #1  
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Default ski insurance

We're about to go off skiing...

we have reasonably good health care coverage. Do people take out extra insurance for ski holidays? If so, any recommendations?

thanks
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Old Mar 5th 2014, 3:02 am
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Default Re: ski insurance

We do, because we have a very high deductible on our health insurance. We've used World Nomad the last couple of times. From memory it works out around about $100 for the family for a week. Includes skiing and snowboarding, but not off-piste or heli-skiing. We've had a couple of claims with them, and they have paid. Once it was a bit of hassle deciding which was primary, but they paid eventually.
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Old Mar 5th 2014, 4:57 am
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Default Re: ski insurance

You also have to remember that if you require treatment for an accident you are probably going to be out of network.

Therefore you will be paying for more of the costs - sometimes a lot more.
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Old Mar 5th 2014, 5:03 am
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Default Re: ski insurance

Originally Posted by SanDiegogirl
You also have to remember that if you require treatment for an accident you are probably going to be out of network.

Therefore you will be paying for more of the costs - sometimes a lot more.
And that the medical facilities at the ski resorts are pretty much monopolies, which gives them carte blanche to be even more ludicrously extortionate than the normal run of the mill scumbag rip off merchants that populate the industry around here...
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Old Mar 6th 2014, 1:56 am
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Default Re: ski insurance

I don't bother, but we ski fairly locally so we're in-network and the hospitals all charge much the same.

Instead of buying ski insurance you could buy accident insurance that pays out fixed sums depending what you break, then put it towards your co-pay.
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Old Mar 6th 2014, 11:23 am
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Default Re: ski insurance

Originally Posted by kins
I don't bother, but we ski fairly locally so we're in-network and the hospitals all charge much the same.

Instead of buying ski insurance you could buy accident insurance that pays out fixed sums depending what you break, then put it towards your co-pay.
Have you actually used any of the facilities? Not being funny here, genuine question because, where we ski in Colorado, the facilities actually at the bottom of the slope appear to be in network on paper, but in practice every single physician at the resort facilities is out of network (until you get down into the city).

Can you remember how much the accident insurance costs? And is it totally comprehensive to cover any medical costs, or just for breaks? We've racked up some chunky medical bills while skiing, but never actually had a broken bone! (Touch wood!!!) Wondering if this could be a cheaper option for us next time.
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Old Mar 6th 2014, 1:04 pm
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Default Re: ski insurance

My family and I skied all over the place for the past 25 years under our previous health care coverage and we never did get extra insurance. I ultimately did end up with an ACL recon and knee replacement simply because I ran out of knees and we were fortunate that our coverage was good. That was before the changes in health care so it helped in our case, and now I don't ski simply because I want to keep what is left. If your insurance is limited, it probably would be a good thing. I learned (via my son) that some health insurance policies have clauses denying, or limiting coverage for unnecessary (high) risk activities so you might want to check that out. My son has that with his current company insurance which was quite surprising to me, and it certainly has curtailed his skiing. He too will be shopping around for the extra coverage in the near future so keen to hear what others have done.
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Old Mar 6th 2014, 2:18 pm
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Default Re: ski insurance

Oh yeah, the other "loophole" we discovered was that the facility and our regular insurer (Humana) had a difference in what the agreed rates should be. Humana rated the slopeside facility as a Class 2 ER, and the facility charged as if it was a Class 5 (or vice versa...can't remember the scale) which made a massive difference to the costs. I don't think we ever got to the bottom of that one, because our travel insurance stepped in and picked it up. Not sure how it would have panned out if we had just been covered with Humana, as we were well below our deductible, so they didn't have a massive incentive to argue the case...
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Old Mar 7th 2014, 3:38 pm
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Default Re: ski insurance

For what it is worth the local rag did a piece about the difference in OCare costs in the State.The State is divided into regions for reasons not explained.

The highest areas by far all coincided with Ski Resort areas. Even though they might have a non ski population nearby.
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Old Mar 7th 2014, 7:07 pm
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Default Re: ski insurance

Thanks everyone for your replies..

AIG travelguard to the rescue again!! $87 for a week's coverage for a family of 5. Our Barclaycard would also have covered us but that would have meant paying for the lift tickets in euros which would've been a nuisance for us.
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Old Mar 8th 2014, 2:48 am
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Default Re: ski insurance

Originally Posted by Yorkieabroad
Have you actually used any of the facilities? Not being funny here, genuine question because, where we ski in Colorado, the facilities actually at the bottom of the slope appear to be in network on paper, but in practice every single physician at the resort facilities is out of network (until you get down into the city).

Can you remember how much the accident insurance costs? And is it totally comprehensive to cover any medical costs, or just for breaks? We've racked up some chunky medical bills while skiing, but never actually had a broken bone! (Touch wood!!!) Wondering if this could be a cheaper option for us next time.
Actually I used one two weeks ago - my son hurt his leg skiing so we got it X-rayed at the local hospital. But I'm in small town Maine, so not really much like Colorado I suspect.

I can't remember accident insurance costs I'm afraid, but their policies will state clearly what they cover. Usually it's a lump sum per injury as I recall, and the main injuries listed seemed to be breaks.
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Old Mar 8th 2014, 7:11 pm
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Default Re: ski insurance

I would check that any coverage includes air transport to the hospital. If you do more than stub a toe at my local ski resort, they'll call in the Air Lift helicopter. It's pretty much a $20,000 bill right there. I pay $125 per year for a membership that covers it if needed.
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