 Poster: A snowHead
|
Arrived in Ellmau with partner and 2 boys aged 12 and 15 at our accomodation Chalet Hartkaiser by 1.30pm and promptly dumped luggage got changed and headed over to the slopes as lift pass activates at 3pm so 2 hours on the slopes on arrival day a bonus especially as it was a clear blue sky overhead.
As we got to the large nursery slope near to hartkaiser funicular I saw the Freaks on Snow snowboard school base and nipped in to see if they could take my two boys on a three day course. They are both reasonable boarders but having only been to cairngorm and glenshee a couple of times i wanted them to get some extra tuition to see if they could keep up with us by the end of the week. Phillipe and Peter could not have any more helpful and came out to the nursery slope to watch the boys go down a few times to judge their capability. First thing they pointed out was oldest needed a bigger board. So after a few runs it was off to Gunther's in the village to hire a 160cm board for him as his own 148cm was clearly to short.
Chalet was as it was two years ago when we stayed there and still needs an upgrade but it is warm, clean and comfy and the chalet hosts Jack and Ben from Crystal were excellent and provided superb food for the week.
Sunday morning and after breakfast took boys over to the nursery slope for a few runs before their lessons started. Oldest was like a new person on the bigger board and we left them in the capable hands of their Dutch instructor Michael as we headed off for the day. It had started snowing on the Saturday night and had not stopped yet and was also very windy so conditions were not ideal but loads of fresh snow to play in. We did not venture too far and after skiing into Going around 2pm found we were stranded as they had decided to close lift due to high winds. The only other lift that closed was the Scheffau gondola. We then had to cross country hike it along with many others along the lower slopes of Going back to Ellmau.
Went to pick up the kids at 330pm to be told youngest was off to hospital after a fall, after a laugh and assuming it was a wind up i realised he was serious and Phillipe ran us to the private sports clinic in Going where I found out that my youngest had fallen on the final run down whilst trying to put his binding in on a steep section. I am not sure quite how things panned out after that but he was taken off the mountain in an air cast and wrapped into one of these basket sledges before being put in a ambulance. He was sitting in the waiting area having had an x-ray and had his boot back on. I was told he had to come back tomorrow and was given a set of crutches for him which i could buy outright or rent by the day. Phillipe ran us back to our chalet where i thought the holiday was ruined. He was however weight bearing and able to walk and i could not help but think there had been a bit of an over reaction. A sports physio staying in our accomodation looked at it and said at worst it was a mild strain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Part 2
He stayed in chalet resting and icing it the next day whilst we went out in the deep snow, it was still snowing. had another fun day in the deep snow before heading along to the clinic to return crutches and tell them he would not be attending his 5pm appointment as he was fine. I had already phoned my very good insurance company who said they would settle any bill. The medical centre however told me i needed to pay 200 euros and claim back on return. I told them that is not how my insurance worked and she said she did not care they would not deal with travel insurance and i had to pay by credit card. Told them i did not have one (lie) and she said i could pay cash. Told her I did not have enough as only brought money to have family holiday (lie). Evetually she agreed to speak to my insurance company on the phone and after a heated debate i left leaving my phone number and accomodation address. She demanded my passport and my sons and i told her no and walked out. (can only assume they accepted payment as never heard another word)
From Tuesday onwards youngest was back out boarding with the rest of us and was doing jumps in funpark and careering down black runs. the rest of holiday was spent under cloudless blue sky and warm sunshine which left things a little slushy but still great fun. Enjoyed apres in Pub 66, pizza in Memory and by the final day I never had to wait much on them as they tore down every run at speed.
Love the ski welt area and love Ellmau. Will return in future but for now looking forward to Alpe D'Huez on 14th March
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
My understanding is that it's fairly normal to be asked to pay up front and then reclaim from your insurance co. Did you not get charged for getting him off the mountain and the trip in the ambulance?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
No it was never mentioned. Some companies do that normally but the one i am with deal with everything for you there and then. They asked the clinic to email the medical report and invoice and they pay the bill. I could have paid it and filled all paperwork in when home but why bother when it can be taken care of there and then. I was a little annoyed as i felt it was a bit of a scam. You would not get an xray in nhs if you attended and had no visible injury and were weight bearing And what is point of e111 card if they go direct to private clinic. Same with forcing crutches on us which he did nit need but incurred a daily hire charge or you could buy them outright.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Quote: |
Some companies do that normally but the one i am with deal with everything for you there and then.
|
it depends on the other end, really, how this works, not on your insurance company. And this, in turn, might depend on their experience of not getting paid in the past. I understand that it can sometimes take ages getting money out of insurance companies. I would expect to have to pay some bills upfront and get some settled by insurance company direct. In my case I just had to give the piste rescue people my insurance details (or rather, get somebody else to do it for me) to get my skis back, but had to pay the private ambulance costs direct. The private clinic bills, which were modest and included (essential) crutches were paid by the insurance company direct. I had to pay on the day for the drugs prescribed for me and claimed back from the insurance company later. My sister and brother in law eventually flew out to drive me and my car home - again, we paid upfront for all that and were reimbursed.
Yes, the EHIC only applies to public facilities - and even then you are not likely to get all the "free" services you do with NHS, though for major stuff where you end up in a big hospital it can be very good. Many "first aid" resort facilities and ambulances will be private.
And, of course, there's normally an excess, depending on your deal with your insurance company.
Glad the lad was OK - I guess instructors in a lesson have to be super-cautious.
If you told the clinic that you had no cash and no credit cards, no wonder they decided you were a dodgy customer. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
If he had been badly injured i would have reacted different. If he had been with us a quick drink of juice and a five minute rest would have sufficed. I just think they see an opportunity to make a few euros. My insurance policy is through the police so guess some may well think i am dodgy 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@mikeelsa, it was most likely a private clinic rather than a local supplier. But even then, so many hospitals and doctors have been left sitting on lots of unpaid bills, losing lots of their budgets as a result that they now seem to operate a pay up front basis for walki-ins and then claim back from your supplier at home (or insurance). The amount of money owed to doctors, hospitas and clinics at the end of a skiing season by non-residents is a mind blowingly high amount each year. Recovering it is extremely difficult and expensive, so the locals ended up subsidising the tourists. Natrally that situation could not continue, so now payment is upfront!
For in-patient treatment the clinics, hospitals and doctors deal directly with the insurers regardless of whether it is a private clinic or a state-supported supplier. I got stung a couple of Christmases back with a severe sinus infection and flu. I went to the nearest place as advised by my hotel and it turned out that they wanted payment up front despite me presenting my EHIC card. 3 days of out-patient treatment over Christmas Eve, Christmas and Boxing Day cost me over 500 Euros which I had to cough up before I left the building after the last treatment. They assured me I would be reimbursed by the health insurer in Germany as there is a recipricol agreement. It turned out that it was a yes with strings attached! My reimbursement was only about 150 Euro as the state health insurer I use decided that the treatment I recieved did not comply with their guidelines! My own stupidity, which I put down to my being so ill, was that had I presented my ADAC card, it would have been all covered by that insurance, but I simply forgot I had health cover with them. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ