 Poster: A snowHead
|
I’m looking at alternative insurance options to cover recovery by ski patrol to cover myself for an exclusion in my winter sports policy due to an existing injury.
I remember seeing the option to buy additional insurance cover with lift passes in resorts in France and Andorra in the past that covered recovery by ski patrol.
I don’t remember ever seeing anything similar in Austria and can’t find any information on it online. Does anyone know if the Austrian resorts offer this, specifically Ischgl?
I have good winter sports cover but I ruptured my ACL playing Five-a- side football around this time last year and I’m on the waiting list for the ACL reconstruction Op (Waiting List in Northern Ireland is Horrendous) so I have had to declare this and as a result any knee related Injuries are excluded from the policy.
I skied last January after picking up the injury and managed to make it through 5 days skiing without any issues until my over exuberant dancing got the better of me and landed me in a heap on the floor. My injury was misdiagnosed last year and wasn’t picked up as being a ruptured ACL until 4 months after the skiing when I got the all clear from the Physio to go back to playing rugby, a comeback which lasted all of 30 seconds. I’d already booked to go to Ischgl by this stage but my knee is stronger now than it was last year so im quite hopeful that I can make it through the whole week this time without any knee related incidents especially since I know what the injury is now and can take it Into accountant when deciding if dancing on top of the table is really a good idea!
My only concern being that there is a high risk of aggravating the injury while skiing and not being able to make my own way of the mountain and facing a large bill.
Any Suggestions?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
First, get medical advice from a specialist as whether you should be skiing at all. Sitting it out this season might be a hard pill to swallow but better that than knackering your knee for the future.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Unless you are medically cleared to travel you could find other things excluded from your insurance too. And it's not just getting off the mountain - there might be treatment costs (possibly in a private clinic) and extra costs to get yourself home.
Given your history, if I were an insurance company's underwriter I'd want a LOT of extra money to take on that risk. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Medical advice from my experienced consultant was that you can ski with a ruptured ACL and that I’d been proof of that last year but it would be highly likely that I would aggravate the injury during a fall. His opinion was that I was just as likely to aggravate it in an après bar after a few steins as I would be on skis. As I have already completely ruptured my ACL his opinion was that I don’t face a high risk of causing any lasting damage by skiing.
The injury likely to occur would be my knee slipping as it did during last year’s trip and when I tried to play rugby a few months later. It’s painful and a terrible sensation but from the previous experiences no medical treatment is required other than the standard ice, elevation and no booze and after the last time it occurred I was able to get a flight the next day. So for any ACL related injuries my main concern is really getting off the mountain.
Until it all went pear shape in the bar last year I actually found skiing really helped my knee, it felt stronger every day and after 3 days I was skiing just as well and as hard as ever only 6 weeks after the initial injury. Bearing in mind that I didn’t know I had a ruptured ACL at that point and wasn’t giving it the caution and care required, I am hopefully that I can get through the week without any unfortunate events so I am not going to walk away from the holiday I think the risk is manageable. That’s why I’m hopefully a scheme like the additional lift pass insurance cover would be good protection for getting off the mountain if it’s something you flash at ski patrol and they Wisk you off to the bottom of the mountain no questions asked.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Austrian Alpine CLub do recovery insurance if you take out membership, but you'd have to read the small print.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
sparkyNI, a ruptured ACL does not necessarily require surgery.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. ACL Injury: Does It Require Surgery?
Some years ago, 2 friends in our chalet ruptured their ACLs on the same day.
(It was Day 2, self catering - both were good cooks, so we effectively got ourselves 2 "chalet-girls" for the rest of the week. Bliss  )
One (the rather younger male) had his repaired.
The other (rather older female) did not.
They both still ski.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| sparkyNI wrote: |
| ...Any Suggestions? |
I'd look at it the other way...
If you're riding at the resort, on the piste, then you're interested in the specifics of your ACL giving out in those circumstances.
Presumably then you would need a sled rescue. Someone here must know the cost of that, there. In lots of places rescue (including heli) is free: just ask them so you know. It's not life threatening so you don't need/ want a heli, you can probably hobble off depending where you do it, and you can get a taxi to the hospital if it's not right here.
You probably don't need any local treatment other than Codeine (take some with you, or check dispensing costs there). If you take local medical services, then Austria's in the EU so take an EHIC card or just claim it back later. They're mandated to provide emergency care at no cost by law. Assuming you stick with the state provided stuff (which from what I've seen is excellent).
You could probably get a refund on your lift pass, but you'd obviously lose whatever was left of your holiday, and if it's a tour then you may have to sit on your back bottom until the time's over, or take additional cost to switch your flight to get home.
You could tot up the likely maximum cost of that, and determine if you can afford it or not.
One guy I was riding with trashed his ACL in Tignes and just went home at zero cost to anyone other than the NHS (and I can tell you the price of that if you really want to know, once I look up the ICD10 code).
I don't know how the patrol works in Austria (which is why I suggest checking), but they're going to take you off and they're not going to bother checking your paperwork, they have to take you off the hill. They're also not likely to be clinically qualified, so they could not judge if your rescue was due to a pre-existing injury. Assuming you don't get it diagnosed and treated out there then that's not a piece of information your insurance company would have much right to know, I'd say.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Thanks Olderscot that thread was helpful. The Alberg safety pass appears to be similar to the Carte Neige scheme in France it would be great for me if Ischgl offers something similar. I see ski Alberg sell the safety pass on behalf of Heli Ambulance Team GmbH & CO KG, so hopefully they offer similar schemes in other areas. If not I think ill join the Austrian Alpine Club for a bit of added protection.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Isn't sledge rescue by pisteurs covered by insurance that can be bought together with a ski pass?
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
@never summer, Carte neige covers rescue from the piste. It is not restricted to sledge and if necessary a helicopter will be summoned. It also covers repatriation home, once again if required. Incidently this is available because most locals will not normally have winter sports insurance and of course their health insurance will be handled by the state medical insurance.
@sparkyNI, May I recommend buying a decent knee brace, they cost about £3-400 but will make your trip more enjoyable. But remember to wear it while dancing and walking about the resort. My small sample of skiing related incidents shows these activities are just as likely to result in injury than skiing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
I know I risk being asked to resign from this forum but dare I suggest you ski well within your own abilities (you will still be in the mountains and on the snow), drink well within your own capacity and confine yourself to the handjive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
