Insurance for more than 90 days

A snowHead

Hi folks, first post and I hope you'll forgive it being one that's likely been covered before, at least in part.

We (family of 3, son is 8.) are spending 3.5 months in kitzbuhel from Jan and need appropriate travel insurance for skiing (on & off piste / touring) and belongings.
Annual policies seem to be out of the question as most only do 30 day trips, some up 90. So probably single trip for the approx. 100 days.
We've used ski club of gb insurance before for our normal one week trips (never had to claim but the level of cover looks pretty good) and I've seen MPI mentioned on here from searches of previous threads. I've also used BMC for climbing trips.

Anywhere else I should be looking or recommendations (with reasons!) to avoid any of those mentioned?

Your collective wisdom is appreciated!

Thanks,
Steve

A snowHead

What do the insurance adminstrators say if you ask to buy 2 annual policies to cover a longer period?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@BandySteve, I think snowHead ClaudeB uses MPI for his longer trips.

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A lot of us non working middle aged seaonaires use MPI.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Can I ask why MPI over SCGB? I thought the level of cover was a bit higher with SCGB and I think cheaper. Although not yet confirmed pre-existing medical conditions.

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Join the AAC (they have a UK branch) to cover actual mountain rescue and medical cover for any sport anywhere in Europe (pretty much world wide if not at Poles or above 6000m). Costs under £50. Take out 90 day policy cheaply for belongings etc and self cover for the last weeks of the trip.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Also look at ERV

After all it is free · Last edited by After all it is free on Mon 5-11-18 3:34; edited 2 times in total

@BandySteve, Pre-existing conditions are very simple with MPI. If the conditions are stable and not needed either a change of medication or hospital visit then they pretty much cover everything without additional cost. Check their policy documents online and then when you find them difficult to believe give them a ring to confirm. If stuff has changed then you will need to do a medical questionnaire.

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Thanks for the advice so far.
@tatmanstours, that Knox option looks like it could be ideal, I'll take a closer look at the cover. I was aware of AAC membership standard insurance cover (in fact have been a member previously for the included mountain rescue aspect) but thought it had a duration limit, which it does, although quite generous.

One of the aspects I was keen to include in the policy is for some belongings cover when out and about but also to act as contents cover for our rented apartment. We won't have any cover from our home insurance as it seems we have to cancel our standard policy and take out an 'unoccupied' property. On that not does anyone doing seasons have recommendations for unoccupied house insurance that also includes some contents cover? Or is that a new thread in itself...?

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Towergate Insurance for unoccupied property.

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Of course, the other alternative, would be to buy a policy with a shorter number of days and count the number of days you ski. Then buy another one when you have used up the policy according to its terms and conditions. That would probably be more acceptable than buying 2 at once, as it would fulfill the terms and conditions.

@Bigtipperyou usually have to purchase the policy before you travel though. Certainly this is the case with MPI, unless you are renewing an annual policy. If you are injured while using the second policy you would have no proof of leaving the UK.

You know it makes sense.

@Hells Bells, I was about to say something similar. Plus I would prefer to be confident that everything was clear cut, knowing how picky insurance companies can be.
@skier52, Towergate come up near the top of Google searches so I tried their online quote tool. I need to follow up with them as the contents cover I put in was the default from my current house policy which was significantly too high and therefore not something they would cover.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

@Bigtipper, many insurers do require that their policies are purchased while you're still in the UK. I don't know why.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Bigtipper, no I am not confusing it.

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@Bigtipper, snowcard require you to be in the UK when you purchase the insurance

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

what about the insurance which is sold with lift pass, or the annual insurance you can buy in the lift pass office? Surely you can only be in resort to buy these insurance products, which you could buy after your insurance expires because of the number of days skiing?

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@Bigtipper, yes but we are talking about travel insurance policies - this is for Austria not France (I don't think Austria does carre neige equivalent)

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@holidayloverxx, but the only extra insurance you need when your winter sports coverage expires due to too many days skiing, is medical insurance which is generally covered by the lift pass insurance or the annual policy you can buy at the lift pass office. (although it may not integrate fully with your EHIC insurance)

Anyway, who skis for 90 days out of 90 holiday days? The weather is unlikely to be good enough for me. I would only do 2 or 3 days a week if I was there for 90 days. That would make buying lift pass on sunny days only with insurance, much more economical, especially if you are moving around resorts where you cannot buy an annual lift pass.

The annual policy you buy at the lift pass office in France, covers skiing in the EU not just France.

After all it is free

Ah, @Bigtipper, I think we are talking about slightly different requirements. I want travel cover for belongings (theft/damage etc) as well as accident/emergency cover whilst skiing.
The 90 day limit I was referring to was an annual policy with a 90 day trip limit as opposed to a 90 ski-day limit. You've made me wonder whether this is such a thing so I will check but I'd still want normal cover as well as ski cover.

As for skiing every day... this is a once in a lifetime (to date anyway!) opportunity for us so we will be skiing as regularly as our bodies will allow wink

@Bigtipper, So in the event of something serious happening even as bad as death, who is going to pay to have the body repatriated? You hear of this happening quite a lot. And every time, I think, why no Insurance ? Overall its not a major addition

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BMC Alpine and ski policy, choose single trip that covers the start and finish date of your hols, then you can ski, climb ice, snow shoe etc etc every single day with no limit to the amount of day - If you take out an annual policy the cap will be 30 days in any one trip abroad.
Edit, My policy for 5 months this season for a couple was £610 total including me notifying of existing knee injury.

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@BandySteve, when I went travelling around the world I had an annual policy which covered me every day I was out of the country. After 9 months, I returned and got some money back for the unused proportion of the year.

That was some time ago, however with some research you might find such a policy. I had a round the world ticket with BA, bought through trailfinders. I suspect the insurance might have been obtained through trailfinders, or possibly from a university travel agent which specialises in annual round the world trips.

A quick check on the internet suggests you might try backpacker insurance which covers you for 365 days of the year (although in a leap year you may be short of a day). The Post Office policy for example says this provided you are under age 61 at the date of purchase (although if you are over this age the policy documents say you can still purchase a longer policy just not that particular one)

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@Bigtipper,

when I went travelling around the world I had an annual policy which covered me every day I was out of the country. After 9 months, I returned and got some money back for the unused proportion of the year.

I`ve been in the insurance industry for 29 years, and NEVER have I ever heard of anyone getting money back for an unused period of Insurance on an annual travel policy. That smacks of fraud being involved somewhere. And yes I`ve come across that many times, where Brokers have been issuing cover note after cover note, and not ever set a policy up. Even Professional Indemnity for a structural engineer paying nearly 10k and he was never actually on cover with an Insurer. This was 20 years ago mind when these things were happening

FWIW when I arranged an MPI policy a couple of years ago, with cover to commence on the day after my AAC cover expired (i.e. 8 weeks after starting my trip), I did specifically ask MPI whether there was a requirement for me to be in the UK at the start of the policy, and they said no. I explained my situation clearly and was assured that already being in the resort would not pose a problem.
On the basis that hundreds of pounds spent on insurance is usually for peace of mind, but otherwise down the drain, my aim will be to secure cover for the emergency essentials at the lowest possible price. I am happy to take the risk that Ryanair might cancel my flight, or that I might lose an item of property, and I imagine that the burglary rate in Saalbach is pretty low.

You know it makes sense.

@jafa, I am absolutely certain I got money back. I also did not not go via a broker, and probably obtained the insurance direct from the insurer.

I have also had money back on unused car insurance before, where I paid annual premium up front. Also AA cover was suspended, and the unused portion held for when I returned to UK.

I do not see this as unusual. Perhaps it is because backpacker policies cover you for every day, not just on days when you go on holiday.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

holidayloverxx,

wink

A snowHead

@holidayloverxx, It sounds as if the kind of policy that @Bigtipper, is referring to is France’s answer to (or equivalent of) the AAC cover, which also extends to the whole of Europe. I have friends in Saalbach who have mentioned that they have some kind of local basic mountain rescue and emergency medical policy. I’ve never bothered to dig deeper, as it sounds essentially similar to the AAC insurance, and may in fact be affiliated to Knox, who provide the basic policy as well as the optional upgrades.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@holidayloverxx, Ange mentioned a policy they had on FB when Ben had his mountain bike accident in the summer which sounded very reasonably priced.

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@tatmanstours, is the Knox upgraded version of the standard AAC cover also just mountain rescue and medical cover (albeit extended coverage) or is there also an option for 'travel insurance' cover that I've missed somewhere?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@BandySteve, When I looked at the policy summary last night I didn’t see any reference to the usual extra frills, such as loss/damage of/to property and equipment, cancellation/curtailment of flights, etc. It’s basically the same as the AAC insurance, but without the 8 week trip limitation on medical cover, and with the medical cover increased from EUR 10,000 to EUR 500,000. Note that it also requires you to use your EHIC card and aims to cover anything not covered by that, which seems entirely reasonable. (I wonder what impact Brexit will have?)

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Brexit will likely mean that a 3 month holiday visa is all you can obtain, so such issues with insurance longer than 3 months will not be a question which is asked.

The USA only issues 3 month visas when UK citizens visit, as does Canada, NZ and Australia. Some such as Thailand only give you a 15 day visa, similarly in Malaysia.

I suspect unless you have a job arranged in advance, you will be limited to a 3 month visa which you would have to extend when it expires (like your insurance policy)

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@Bigtipper, Thinking of moving over there - Brexit permitting - thus solving that problem.

After all it is free

Towergate Home Insurance - their standard Annual policy allows 60 days unoccupied for about £260 (for us, for buildings and contents, including accidental cover) but does restart the clock if you return home for a day or two (most insurers will not do this). If you want to be away for more than 60 days then they will give you a specific quote which will have provisos depending on whether you leave heating on, how often someone goes in to check out the property, increased excesses etc. etc. and the premium could then be up to £450. We decided to go with std policy and come home for a couple of days mid-season.

@tatmanstours, it never caused me a problem before and so I cannot see it being a problem in the future.

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Insurance for more than 90 days

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