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Insurance for a zillion pre-existing conditions for old people!

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I have tried to search through but there are so many hits I thought what the hell, start a new thread!

My parents would like to go skiing again but are really struggling to get insurance - why?

well

Dad - 78, cancer (in remission), colostomy op, irregular heart beat, glucoma, depression (following op, under control) - those are the ones I am aware of!!!!

Mum - 76, cancer (cured), both knees replaced 4 years back

Despite this they are both very fit and well - regularly walk 10-15 miles at weekends - but the conditions just mean they are laughed out the room asking for cover for skiing

My suggestion of "sod it just go in any case" doesn't seem to meet the bill, yes I know it could be costly! Saga sort of implied they would cover them for a normal holiday, so I wondered about Carte Neige to get them off teh hill!

Any suggestions gratefully received - as they get free lift passes then seems a shame not to use them!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Boris, Stay in France carte or carre neige and Ehic, the only forseeable then is repatriation, if something serious occurs, which I'm guessing would be ££££ Sad
I assume EHIC doesn't cover repatriation ???


Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 9-10-13 14:12; edited 2 times in total
ski holidays
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I skied with 5 years with just basic travel insurance (no medical cover) following cancer. I figured it wasn't such an issue in Europe with an EHIC card and I wasn't paying almost the cost of the holiday again for full cover. Do either of them have travel insurance packaged with their bank accounts? That's basically what I used, they told me they would withhold medical cover due to cancer but all other cover would remain.
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Boris, this is from the cancer research page. I have not used any of them.

JD Travel Insurance Consultants
29 London Road
Bromley, Kent
BR1 1DG
Phone: 0844 2474749
Email: mail@jdtravelinsurance.co.uk
Website: www.jdtravelinsurance.co.uk

Orbis Insurance Services
Provides cover for people with pre existing medical conditions for single and annual policies. They may ask if you are on a clinical trial.

Orbis Insurance Services
17 Eversley Road
Bexhill on Sea
East Sussex
TN49 1HA
Phone: 01424 220 110
Website: www.orbisinsurance.co.uk
Email: cover@orbisinsurance.co.uk

Insurance Choice
Insurance Choice are an insurance brokers who offer travel insurance to any UK or EU residents with pre existing medical conditions. There is no upper age limit.

Insurance Choice
2nd Floor St Albans House
Portland Street
Royal Leamington Spa
Warwickshire
CV32 5EZ
Phone: 0843 2278284
Website: www.insurancechoice.co.uk

Insurance agencies
Freedom Travel Insurance
Freedom Travel Insurance offer specialist travel insurance for people with cancer. Their cover is underwritten by a very large insurance company called AXA. They offer European and worldwide policies including the USA.

Freedom Insurance Services Ltd
Richmond House
16 - 20 Regent Street
Cambridge
CB2 1DB
Tel: 01223 446 914 (8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturday)
Email: information@freedominsure.co.uk
Website: www.freedominsure.co.uk

InsureCancer (Medi Travelcover Ltd)
InsureCancer will cover people with cancer for all destinations, including the USA. They will consider cover for people who are in treatment and people with advanced cancer. Their main requirement is that your consultant gives approval for you to make your trip, and will need to submit a form saying this.

InsureCancer
76 Crooksbury Road,
Farnham
Surrey
GU10 1QD
Phone: 01252 780190 (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday)
Email: Enquiries@InsureCancer.com
Website:www.insurecancer.com

It's So Easy Travel Insurance
Provides travel insurance for people with pre existing medical conditions, including cancer.

It's So Easy Travel Insurance
27 Old Gloucester Street
London
WC1N 3XX
Phone: 0844 357 1315
Website:www.itssoeasytravelinsurance.com

AllClear Insurance
Specialises in providing travel insurance for people with pre existing medical conditions.

AllClear Insurance Services Limited
AllClear House
1 Redwing Court
Ashton Road
Romford
Essex
RM3 8QQ
Phone: 0845 250 5350 (9am to 7pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm Sat, 10am to 4pm Sun)
Email: info@allcleartravel.co.uk
Website:www.allcleartravel.co.uk

Free Spirit
Free Spirit is a specialist travel insurance policy for people with pre existing medical conditions, including cancer. You may be able to get a quote online, but if they need more information about your current health status they might ask you to ring them instead. If your cancer is advanced, and you're no longer having active treatment, phone for a quote rather than trying online.

Free Spirit
Stansted House
Rowlands Castle
Hampshire
PO9 6DX
Phone: 0845 230 5000 (8am to 6pm Monday to Friday)
Email: contact@freespirittravelinsurance.com
Website: www.freespirittravelinsurance.com

World First
World First provides insurance for people in the UK with medical conditions if they have not had treatment in the past 6 months. They do not cover advanced cancer. For an individual quote they provide a medical screening phone line.

World First
Tourism House
Woodwater Park
Pynes Hill
Exeter
Devon
EX2 5WS
Phone: 0845 90 80 161 (Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6pm, Saturdays 9am to 4pm)
Email: info@world-first.co.uk
Website: www.world-first.co.uk

Staysure
Staysure provides cover for those travelling who have or have had cancer, and has a 24 hour emergency medical help line.

Staysure
McGowan House
Waterside
The Lakes
Bedford Road
Northampton, NN4 7XD
Phone: 0844 692 8444
Website: www.staysure.co.uk/travel-insurance/cancer
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
If you can get cheap basic travel insurance, as queen bodecia suggests which excludes pre-existing conditions but includes winter sports then that, with an EHIC and Carré Neige (or Carte Neige, can never remember which is which) should be fine. Anything which DOES include the conditions is likely to be be phenomenally expensive. My OH skied for years without cover for his heart condition; had he dropped dead in France (rather than, more conveniently, in Hampshire) I figured that Carte Neige would get him off the mountain and that there was nothing wrong with being buried in France (there are plenty of honorable precedents...)

I had a silly house insurance package which included travel insurance but only for people under 64. Plus a lot of other unnecessary frills. I have now pared that down to essentials (I have never, in 40 years, dreamt of claiming for a new carpet because I dropped a glass of wine on it) and cut the price by 50%.

Age UK travel insurance has no upper age limits.
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My son broke his leg a few years back and the cost of the helicopter was 4.500e, however, if it was me that had broken my leg and didnt have correct travel insurance then I would have made do with the skidoo lift to the bottom station.

BTW, EHIC doesnt cover repatriation.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Cant help with the insurance issue which I hope you find a resolution too, but i'd certainly like to doth my cap to your parents going skiing at there age Smile
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
eddiethebus wrote:
Cant help with the insurance issue which I hope you find a resolution too, but i'd certainly like to doth my cap to your parents going skiing at there age Smile

There's so many people over 70 skiing, many north America ski resorts no longer give them free lift pass any more!

Both of them eating cancer is impressive. Skiing would be a great reward to celebrate it!


Last edited by After all it is free Go on u know u want to! on Wed 9-10-13 15:17; edited 1 time in total
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Id second trying your bank. Ive had a couple of spontaneous pnumothoraxs and cant get an all clear from the hospital so anytime I go on holiday and it involves airplanes my insurance is between £300 - £400 for a week. Spoke to my bank and got it covered on their plus account for no extra charge
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pam w, It is Carre neige when bought daily or weekly and Carte Neige with the season pass I think.

boredsurfin,
Quote:

I assume EHIC doesn't cover repatriation ???

I thought the carre neige covers repatriation, at least to EU countries - http://www.carreneige.com/en/the_guarantees_carre_neige_repatriation.php

I haven't looked in too much detail but that was my impression when I bought the Carte neige last season.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
pam w wrote:
If you can get cheap basic travel insurance, as queen bodecia suggests which excludes pre-existing conditions but includes winter sports then that, with an EHIC and Carré Neige (or Carte Neige, can never remember which is which) should be fine.
"Should be fine" is terrible advice. There's the huge issue of repatriation. Technically Carte Neige includes repat (not altogether clear though) but I guess they are assuming it would be for a "new" ski-related accident and not for a pre-existing medical condition. Repatriation for a very ill person from the alps is eye-wateringly expensive and these are things that need to be established for certain before embarking on a trip. A "should" really isn't good enough.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
skichampcouk, Carte Neige repatriation says "in the event of an accident" - a complication due to a pre-existing medical condition isn't an accident.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
The most important insurance cover you should have is Third party liability.

This is compulsory in many european countrys.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Boris, Hope you manage to find insurance for them, and I really hope your parents enjoy getting back on the slopes again. Respect! Cool
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
stanton, no, it's not the most important.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Bode Swiller, True,

But if Saga are going to cover Boris's parents for a normal holiday that insurance should cover them in case of medical complications.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Bode Swiller wrote:
I guess they are assuming it would be for a "new" ski-related accident and not for a pre-existing medical condition. Repatriation for a very ill person from the alps is eye-wateringly expensive and these are things that need to be established for certain before embarking on a trip.

But that's not skiing specific. So could be covered by normal travel insurance.

Do people having ANY kind of illness travel at all? If they do, what's to do when those "pre-existing condition" flares up and needs to be treated? Diabetic, high blood pressure, heart condition... which just about most above a certain age have one or all of!

I do see plenty of people in their 70's and 80's travelling all over the world. So there must be insurance that covers such conditions. And no, those 70-80 year olds aren't rich so I would guess their insurance aren't astronomically expensive either.

I would logically conclude a regular travel insurance plus Carte Neige would be able to cover both ski-related and non-ski-related medical bills & repatriation.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
skichampcouk, There's that word "should" again. You might be right but Saga could argue that the complication was brought on by the activity.
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Quote:

claiming for a new carpet because I dropped a glass of wine on it

Is that even possible? Laughing
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Lizzard wrote:
Quote:

claiming for a new carpet because I dropped a glass of wine on it

Is that even possible? Laughing


Oh yes. Lucozade better.
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Bode Swiller wrote:
... There's the huge issue of repatriation. Technically Carte Neige includes repat (not altogether clear though) but I guess they are assuming it would be for a "new" ski-related accident and not for a pre-existing medical condition. Repatriation for a very ill person from the alps is eye-wateringly expensive and these are things that need to be established for certain before embarking on a trip. A "should" really isn't good enough.


Your comfort level and mine are different. I'll present the other perspective.

Insurance is eye wateringly expensive and people over-insure all the time without even computing the risk/ benefits.

If it's Europe and you're seriously ill/ injured, I'd stay there and get fixed up.
If I was dead, my family could burn me there or pay for my body if they want to give it to charity in the UK.

I have costed evac and also repatriation from the various back country places I regularly ride without insurance; I can afford it and it's extremely unlikely, and if it happens then the cost is the least of my worries.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
philwig wrote:

I have costed evac and also repatriation from the various back country places I regularly ride without insurance; I can afford it and it's extremely unlikely, and if it happens then the cost is the least of my worries.

I have close friends who are insurance actuators. What you're doing is basically self-insured.

When one work out the likelihood of something happening, and the cost when it does happen, it becomes clear to many of us a lot of the insurance aren't worth the cost of the premium. Catastraphy that would wipe out one's entire estate is worth insuring no matter how unlikely it may happen. But a few thousand quid? Unless it has a high likelihood of it happening, it's often less expensive to NOT bother with insurance. The saving in premium, over many years, will simply pay for the cost if it does happen!
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Must admit, I've never had a 'Carré Neige' or whatever the Austrian/Italian equivalent is. My bank (travel insurance provider) assured me that all usual winter sports risks were still covered, they just wouldn't cover me for medical treatment relating to any of my pre-existing conditions. This was a risk I chose to take, otherwise it meant never going on holiday again. I think now that I am over 5 years clear of cancer, I am covered for developing a 'new' cancer, but since cancer is not a sudden condition, I figure this is not something that would cause an emergency on holiday.
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
philwig, abc, my sentiments exactly. A holiday is meant to be a break from all the stress of ailments and medical gubbins. I never feel more alive than when I'm skiing...
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Quote:

I never feel more alive than when I'm skiing...


love that, as its exactly how I feel. Now where is that "why I ski" thread!
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Shimmy Alcott, I went skiing against medical advice 11 months after surgery, 7 months after finishing radiotherapy/brachytherapy and 10 weeks after breaking my arm in three places. I could barely move, let alone ski, but I had a fabulous time and never regretted a minute of it.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
queen bodecia, yes, I agree with them and with you! All insurance exists to make money for the insurers. It makes sense to insure against things you couldn't pay for (like a huge third party damages bill or your house burning down) but those risks are low, and therefore cheap to insure. We figured that if my OH became ill in France, because of his heart condition (which wasn't economical to insure) then he could stay in France till he got well enough to come home. If he died in France that didn't seem likely to be all that much more expensive than dying in the UK. The alternative - never going anywhere - wasn't much of an option. It makes sound financial sense not to insure against risks you can afford to run.

In the case of Boris's parents as long as everyone understands the issues, and they are not going to have to pay megabucks for helicopters off the mountain, everything else is manageable. French health care, with the EHIC, is fine (probably better than in the UK a lot of the time). They are not proposing to canoe down the Amazon or trek across the Andes.

We paid for my OH's triple bypass operation ourselves, as the waiting list, at the time, was horrendous. It cost a lot of money (we extended the mortgage) but not nearly as much as having paid BUPA for the last 40 years would have done.

I think it's great that they are hoping to go skiing; I hope I'm still up for it at 78. snowHead
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I had my prostate removed because of cancer exactly 2 years ago (I was 63). I recovered just in time to go skiing (pre-booked holiday) 3 months later, but couldn't get insured on my old Ski Club of GB insurance but got insurance from Saga Travel Insurance which included off piste. I had to have a note from my doctor that I was fit to travel and I have a feeling that the fact I was not having radiation- or chemo- therapy was a factor - though my memory on this is not clear.
A month later, 4 months after the operation, for my second ski holiday, the SCGB insurance took me back but only by specifically excluding any effect of my operation and cancer from claimable things. (No problem). This included off-piste without a guide, as usual.
The next year, with no treatment during the previous year, I was back to normal with SCGB insurance.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Thanks all - some really really useful advice in here. Will explore the options for them
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
pam w wrote:
All insurance exists to make money for the insurers. It makes sense to insure against things you couldn't pay for (like a huge third party damages bill or your house burning down) but those risks are low, and therefore cheap to insure....
It makes sound financial sense not to insure against risks you can afford to run.


^ +1
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Boris, not much to add, except we have had success with Saga, hubby goes through this regularly with his parents with a list of ailments longer than yours (though not for skiing just general). Good luck, it's not an easy task.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I found Age Uk were the best for my 88 year old relative last Xmas and will hopefully use them again this Xmas for her for our trip to Les Arcs. I could not believe how little extra information they needed re existing medical conditions so I phoned them to ensure I was understanding the online process correctly. In conversation they said that those elderly folk going on overseas holiday were less likely to claim than youngsters, conditions and medications were well managed and they did not go if they thought they would be ill!
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I found Age Uk were the best for my 88 year old relative last Xmas and will hopefully use them again this Xmas for her for our trip to Les Arcs. I could not believe how little extra information they needed re existing medical conditions so I phoned them to ensure I was understanding the online process correctly. In conversation they said that those elderly folk going on overseas holiday were less likely to claim than youngsters, conditions and medications were well managed and they did not go if they thought they would be ill!
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Quote:
if it was me that had broken my leg and didnt have correct travel insurance then I would have made do with the skidoo lift to the bottom station.
A bit more difficult for someone with an **existing heart condition who has a heart attack on piste though?


**As opposed to pre-existing which surely nonsensically means 'existing before existing?' Then there's pre-book....and pre-order....AAAGHHHH!! Mad
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
mountainaddict, and pre-release
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
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mountainaddict, I suspect that if the usual piste rescue people were called to somebody who looked like they had had a heart attack they would whistle in a helicopter - it's their shout. That's what Carte/carré Neige is about. The prognosis would probably be no worse than if someone had a heart attack walking in the Cuillins. Better, probably, because the rescue team would be on the spot more quickly.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Lizzard wrote:
Quote:

claiming for a new carpet because I dropped a glass of wine on it

Is that even possible? Laughing


yes indeed (although does vomiting up port on a cream carpet count as "dropping a glass of wine? same effect....)
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
My son's mother in law claimed for a cream carpet on which she had dropped a serving dish of peas, nicely tossed in butter and black pepper. The stained carpet was subsequently chopped down and fitted to one of her kids bedrooms.
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Boris, try MPI Brokers.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
http://b2c.mpibrokers.com/dontstopmenow.html
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