Ski insurance - recommendations if you have made a claim

A snowHead

Hi. I'm looking at ski insurance for our holidays this year and am interested in peoples' recommendations please.

Although it's always nice to get a bargain, I'm really after companies that people have recently made claims with and have been happy.

Cheers

A snowHead

@bambionskiis, we have claimed with MPI a couple of times in the last few years with no problems.
Definitely not at the lower budget end of things but we need quite a few weeks ski cover and we are also of the senior variety.

I missed out a ‘not’ there ...

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

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I’ve claimed with Virgin recently, and although the forms were painful they’ve paid out in full and with no fuss, including for loss of days from my season pass

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My Mum has the packaged bank account insurance and had no issues with them paying out. I can check with her which bank if you are considering this route, as opposed to single trip.

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I've already had a claim with Columbus Direct this year, but only for piste closure. It was all very straightforward, they paid very quickly and the insurance was inexpensive.

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I suggest that you check very carefully who underwrites the chosen policy and avoid anything underwritten by Travel Insurance Facilities. They were absolutely abysmal last year from answering the phone through to the final settlement 8 months later. I could go on but I won’t. I believe that they underwrite a number of firms’ policies.

After all it is free

We had a good (if you can call the need to claim good) experience in March 2016 with LV= who very efficiently managed the claim and transport of my wife from France via private air ambulance to the UK and then private road ambulance to our local hospital following an accident. UK based claims manager who organised everything for us. Financial part of the claim dealt with quickly and fairly.
We have since moved insurers to MPI due to needing more winter sports days covered who also dealt very efficiently and fairly with a health claim for me due to a pre-existing condition which hadn't needed to be declared.

I use skicover.

I recently booked a holiday and lift pass for myself and my son for 5/1/20, then just before Christmas I fell and broke my arm. Skicover directed my to the claims company (insurance companies use claims companies to decide on payouts) and, after submitting proofs of purchase, proofs of cancellation, and a doctor's letter (all electronically) I received a full payment.

Couldn't have been easier, all for £63 Premium Cover the pair.

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That’s great thanks. It’s a complex year as we’ve got a few things going on so we don’t want to take any chances really. Nearly £1000 for top level with MPI is a bit of a stretch really so will have to weigh everything up. LV and Columbus have gotten twitchy in the past about one of our medical conditions. My bank account travel insurance doesn’t cover us either. Thanks for the advice on TIF pat51; will do. We are currently with virgin ousekjarr and they have been competitive and inclusive so good To know you had a not-too-horrific experience with them.

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@bambionskiis, we found LV Insurance straightforward when claiming for an injury (broken wrist).

Their Family Annual policy, with optional Winter Sports cover, suits us well.

Several health pre-conditions noted, which affected price very little.

Also LV one of few general insurance companies rated 5 Star, by independent assessors Defaqto, for the high quality of their products.

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We made a small claim with Insure&Go a few years ago, when son needed antibiotics - they paid out immediately, certainly before we had even returned from our 1 week away! Other son is currently working as an instructor in Hirafu, on his gap year - over Christmas, he developed a severe throat infection and was admitted in to a Japanese hospital for 6 days. We had taken out MPI insurance, not cheap but recommended through BASI for instructors / seasonaires. Their service was outstanding - I had to deal with the claim from the UK and rely on them to pass on information to a local agent in Japan and to the hospital. When my son needed a document sent through to the hospital urgently at 1am UK time, I was able to phone their call centre in the UK and speak to someone who actioned it immediately. They dealt with the hospital, so that bill was paid without us having to be involved and apart from the excess which was £250 (wish we had paid a small amount extra to waive that), all other bills were paid. Japan is not a cheap country for anything - least of all for healthcare - it had cost around £250 for a single, brief doctor's appointment!

@bambionskiis, oh I see, LV twitchy on certain pre-conditions.

Maybe worth speaking to Ski Club GB about their membership with insurance options?

You know it makes sense.

A related question: When buying a winter sports package from a provider such as those mentioned above, do you also buy the additional optional 'assurances' that tend to be offered with lift passes for ~e15, or does this tend to be an unnecessary overlap?

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

@garyyb, unnecessary overlap...unless you don't have the wherewithal to perhaps have to pay upfront and reclaim costs

A snowHead

Ok tried everything everyone is suggesting but not much joy. Resigned to best quote of £856. Ah well if that’s what it is we’ll just have to suck it up.

As an aside if anyone is over 50 it’s well worth looking at Saga, which is my next poet of call. My elderly dad collapsed in Tenerife and was in hospital for all their week holiday, plus another week. He was operated on. Mum’s hotel costs were paid too. Dedicated contact for me to liaise. Then a private Lear jet back to the UK with medical team. It all cost them £60,000 and it was handled incredibly professionally. It was his last holiday as it turned out but at least they didn’t come back with a massive debt!!

Thanks all. Will try Saga and if not, will go for MPI or Virgin.

A snowHead

@bambionskiis, One of my members (at work) had to cancel a holiday with us due her son dying suddenly. That was September. Saga are still asking for more documents and have not yet paid out.

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

We had a bad experience with Covermore. We will never use them again. Back account add on travel insurance (NatWest) has a good winter sport cover and although we have been fortunate enough not to have needed it, we have heard good reports from others. Sorry to hear about your poor Dad....but what a good job he had fantastic insurance and thanks for recommendation!

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First Direct included with account £15 per month I think the cover also includes partner and dependants but not sure. Called them from the hospital they dealt with everything from then. Covered the hospital bill and arranged transport to the airport plus assistance through the airport. Also offered to collect my car from Manchester but I already had it sorted.

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Thanks for the heads up PS and your kind words. I'm with Lloyds but I think OH is with them so I'll ask. Good that you got satisfaction

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Good to hear about First Direct pistols though we don't have an account with them.

After all it is free

Hmm at that level for Europe self insurance looks more attractive at least with EHIC still in play. For US of course different ballgame although a friend who has nursed in hospitals for many years told me "worst case declare yourself homeless on admission to hospital and then we have to treat you under good samaritan laws/hypocratic oath anyway"

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@bambionskiis, have you tried Asda?

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Don't know how well it works with pre-existing conditions (assume that's why it's so much?) but the cover with my previous bank account (Nationwide) was excellent - paid out for smashed acl and tib plateau fracture with no fuss at all, all done on line. They even covered some UK physio afterwards too.

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@holidayloverxx thanks.

Mark Bates does travel insurance for people with pre existing conditions. Haven't used them for that but have dealt with them through work - mobility equipment cover.

Help!!

Ski insurance - recommendations if you have made a claim

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