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The winter 21/22 insurance thread

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
CEGA (the LV= claims handler) managed my wife's broken arm ski accident extremely well. For example, it hadn't occurred to me, but they said it was vital to get a formal Discharge Report from the A&E when first contacted. Which we did, sent to them, and they translated and their specialist medic reviewed: this so that we could be sure she wasn't just being jettisoned out of A&E without proper treatment. CEGA then issued the appropriate 'Fit to Fly' Certificate which airlines demand after a serious accident. CEGA got her three adjacent seats on a busy return flight, plus one for me. They organised my car hire at GVA (or would have arranged transfers) and covered the cost of my flights out as an 'assistant'. If she'd been in rented accommodation, and needed time to recuperate, the LV= cover would have paid for rental and subsistence for me and her until she was Fit to Fly. It wasn't just that the policy covered the overall £7-£8K of costs (at £100/minute, heli-evac is an expensive way to see the mountains) but they helped us streamline the whole process of repatriation. Also have to say the NHS was brilliant as well - we got a GP appointment the morning after returning, and the GP got an appointment at the local fracture clinic the same afternoon. Mind you, they were impressed with the travel brace the Swiss A&E had provided: it was a feat of engineering.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@195062, I have been happy with it and no cause to complain. Got it really for the travel and the breakdown cover.

The travel and its winter sports component suits our needs when I last checked (pre Covid days so need to re-check what it says now). I have called to clarify an question to my satisfaction and added my mother for a week when she came with us on our last skiing holiday. But I have not tested claiming on the travel insurance.

Otherwise, I've used the breakdown cover twice in the UK with no problem. Never used the mobile phone cover, but I recall its terms didn't look that great.
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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?
Just took the plunge with LV=. Great price and, on the face of it, great cover. Fingers crossed.
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@ster, thank you. May well go for this - cheaper than separate travel and breakdown, and have other accounts elsewhere which could generate a bonus for switching. Will look at the mobile cover. Currently would probably need to pay someone to steal my venerable Nokia, which is as smart as Matt Hancock and Gavin Williamson's lovechild. With pass sanitaire requirement for France, though, a replacement is looking necessary.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@195062, no need to ditch your Nokia quite yet. I spent three months recently in France with my trusted old Nokia with no problems. Simple to print out the nhs covid record / QR codes. Accepted at all restaurants / hotels. Sometimes just visually looked at and other times scanned by mobile smartphone. Just remember it is the second dose QR code that works and certainly on my printout it was the one on the left which was counter intuitive to me at the start.
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What about a standard provider policy and carre neige or that country's equivalent?
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
pateman99 wrote:
@195062, no need to ditch your Nokia quite yet. I spent three months recently in France with my trusted old Nokia with no problems. Simple to print out the nhs covid record / QR codes. Accepted at all restaurants / hotels. Sometimes just visually looked at and other times scanned by mobile smartphone. Just remember it is the second dose QR code that works and certainly on my printout it was the one on the left which was counter intuitive to me at the start.


I wonder what they'll do when some of us have third jabs ....
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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!
@boredsurfin, just show your second dose qr
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I've just had a new quotation from my previous, lapsed, annual multitrip policy which cover trips up to 60 days including 45 days wintersports. From 2016-19 price was about £185 and this year the price was £255 which I thought was ok, we are aged 63 and 61 (cover for up to 75 years old, but over 70 trips limited to 31 days).

Travel Plus Annual Multi-trip Premier Plus for (all) Europe through https://www.hbinsurance.co.uk/

ps. Snowboarders take note that whilst researching other policies I found one where snowboarding cover required 2 levels higher cover than skiing and another that excluded public liability for snowboarders!
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Has anyone found a decent annual policy that provides cover for Covid (including cost of cancellation in the event of catching Covid just before the trip; and medical cover in the event of catching it abroad on holiday)?

We are just about to look for an annual policy and have read that SCGB's new insurers don't provide any cover for Covid-related claims... Sad
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@Bergmeister, https://www.lv.com/travel-insurance/coronavirus/coronavirus-update

I believe that covers what you are asking for.
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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.
I thought it might be helpful to copy people in to an email I've just received from someone I've dealt with over the years at MPI, which includes a few of her thoughts on LV (I had told her that quite a few snowHeads were going with LV).

"We are really sorry, however we are still not ready with a new insurer yet and do not have any firm date to give you.  You like many others have asked the same question and it is paining us not to be able to help currently.  We will get there, but just don’t know when!

Looking at the LV policy these are our findings, if that helps…

Off-piste and snow park covered as long as within ski boundaries, following ski patrol guidelines
No cover for ski racing, ski touring, mountaineering, ski jumping, heli-skiing
Single trip 366 days if under 65, 90 days if 65 -79, 31 days if 80 or over
Multi trip 17 days maximum ski days under ‘Essential’ for the year and 31 ski days under a ‘Premier’ policy for the year

You could try a single trip to begin with, in the hope that we will be up and running by your second trip?  But we can’t promise anything.

We will of course let everyone know when we do have an insurance to provide."
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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
holidayloverxx wrote:
@LaForet, my 'free with' has been excellent on both incidents. Smashed knee (me) head injury (him). Got everything we could have wished for and needed...everythingyou list and more. Lloyds gold account


Same here - Lloyds Premiere Account and they were excellent. Sorted all French expenses direct, repatriated me and organised private ambulance from UK airport to home. They rang me regularly when I was in hospital in BSM, to check everything was OK and to ask if they could help with anything. Even paid for my girlfriend's taxi fares, for when she visited every day (around £100pd).
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Does Carre Niege cover off piste?

I'm beginning to wonder whether this and my bank policy will be sufficient.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@bar shaker, yes
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Just gone with LV for Premier following the advice on this thread, hope I have interpreted the information correctly! Had to start 17/11/21 as that was the latest they would let me book.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
So I’ve been looking for insurance cover and thought I would share my findings so far.

Please note this is a summary as I have lost the will to live several times just getting the quotes and would be the last straw to have to type everything in here and you would get very tired of reading the many restrictions. As always, I would advise you to do your own research and check that the small print meets your own requirement.

I wanted Annual Multi Trip insurance for my partner and I (both <65), looking for off-piste cover. Most had similar cancellation and medical cover limits. The big variables are how long you can go for as a single trip and how much winter cover in total number of days. I’ve only put the comments I feel were relevant.

SCGB (Diamond) - max 45 days winter cover in year, 24 days each trip - £332
LV (Premier) – max 31 days winter cover – no Heli - £197
ERGO (was erv) – max trip 31 days - £580
MPI (Partner insurance company, Travel Plus) – max winter trip cover 45days - off-piste with guide/instructor - £243
Saga – 21 days winter trip cover – limited off-piste cover - £264
Harrison Beaumont (Platinum) -31 days trip max - £237
BMC – 45 days max trip - £464
JS Platinum (ski-insurance.co.uk) – 24 days winter trip max – off-piste with guide/instructor - £268

Nearly all (including SCGB) have a statement similar to below:

Emergency Medical Expenses (due to COVID-19) - Our policy provides cover for Emergency Medical expenses if an insured person contracts Coronavirus whilst abroad.
Cancelling & cutting short your trip. If it is necessary and unavoidable to cancel or cut short your trip because an insured person tests positive for Coronavirus within 14 days of your trip departure date, or is admitted to hospital due to testing positive for coronavirus after the purchase of this policy.
There is no cover under this policy if the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises you not to travel, for example where the FCDO advise against all, or all but essential travel.


Thought I would share but please do your own research, you may have different needs.


Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sun 31-10-21 18:35; edited 1 time in total
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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?
@BFG_Skier,
I was with MPI until they temporarily (hopefully) stopped offering cover. We are currently with Barclays Travelpack.

Barclays (Aviva) - max 31 days per calendar year (1/1 to 31/12). Days are participating days not total holiday days - no off-piste without a guide - helmet. £12.50 per month with no surcharge for multiple pre-existing medical conditions. Aged 69.

FCDO statement
This policy provides cover should you book a trip and then need to cancel the trip or return home early as a result of the FCDO advising against all travel or all but essential travel, or where British nationals are advised to return home.
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I've got Barclays Travelpack which gives me 31 days. Looks like I might need around 45 (three trips total). Does anyone know how it works if you have more than one policy, e.g. Barclays Travelpack plus a separate single trip cover for one 14 day trip?

So I could use existing Travelpack for the first two trips, and then single trip for the last 14 days. But then might single trip insurer say "you already have insurance with TravelPack, so claim off them", and then TravelPack say "sorry, you've gone over the 31 days".

Other scenario (depending on how dates fall) might be using a single trip policy early in year, and relying on TravelPack for later trips. Could see claim on this basis being more problematic with TravelPack saying "you may have had another policy for that January trip, but your *could* still have claimed on us, so get lost..."

Any wise words?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@kerb, Barclays/Aviva have a contact page https://workplace.aviva.co.uk/partners/barclays/travel/ where you could ask them your question and then get the reply in writing (always useful).
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I also have a nationwide flexiplus account for £13/month includes annual travel for whole family breakdown winter sport used car breakdown service in France excellent service . excellent value
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
anyone has any opinion on the one that comes with HSBC premier account? I've read the small prints which look ok, but just don't know if anyone has actually dealt with them before?
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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!
What about Insurance provided by Revolut Account ?
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garricw wrote:
anyone has any opinion on the one that comes with HSBC premier account? I've read the small prints which look ok, but just don't know if anyone has actually dealt with them before?

Often worth looking at who is the underlying insurer and/or who handles claims and what their customer service and reputation is like.

In many cases the financial organisation is just an introducer/salesman for the actual insurer. For example HSBC's provider is Aviva.

And in many cases the company who provide the insurance use a third party to handle claims. For example LV's claim handler is CEGA.
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Spoke to MPI at the NEC Ski Show today, the still don't have anyone to cover them, so only taking details from people.
They hope to have something arranged soon.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Seahoob, thanks for the update - (if not the contents!)
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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.
Hi all, I'm busy wading through insurance policies for a trip in January, usually takes me about 5 mins, and boom it's done..... but this year it's so hard to choose the "right" cover.

BHas anyone found a single trip policy, that would cover the holiday should the country be added to the red list, or the FCO advise against travel there? We are off to Austria, and this kind of back up insurance would be good for peace of mind. I realise we wouldn't be covered anywhere if we simply decide not to go, but if either government decides to advise against it, or puts a lockdown on we're still pretty screwed with most policies.

I did have Nationwide insurance, but it's been pulled and ski was always an extra anyway (I was on feee account, not paid).

Any suggestions?
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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
Eurotunnel now offering Travel Insurance with winter sport cover...
https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/insurance/winter-sports-insurance/
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@micheleperry, I have recently been looking at this as well, just in case it really goes belly up, as the T&C's in my accommodation reservations for both ski trips only allow free cancellation 28 days prior to arrival.
even though i have a family annual multitrip insurance, it does not cover cancellation due to FCO advice to not visit countries added to a red list at a later date.

i have tried both "compare the market" and "money supermarket" but none of the quotes covered the above

however, Direct Line does have this option automatically added to their travel policies, I just did a few different quotes, all with the same excesses etc. strangely, a single trip (solo traveller) was £82, but multi trip (solo traveller) was £62?

a family multi trip (myself, and 2 daughters) quote was £112

I am going to go for the policy above, and see if I can get some sort of partial refund for my existing policy, but TBH it only cost about £60, so not the end of the world compared to potentially losing out on the lion share of the holiday cost.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
anyone any experience with insurefor . com ?
Comparison website is coming back quite cheap
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@Terrygasson
Thanks for that. The ski company seem to have a good policy, but like you, I like to be covered for everything if possible! I'll have to call them tomorrow, can't get an online quote as I have asthma - their phone line is shut today when I tried. But def worth a try for me.
I did an online quote, minus the asthma and you're right, an annual policy is cheaper than a single trip. I'll try calling after 10, as I may have been too early for Sunday hours,
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@micheleperry, no worries, hope you have success today.

am going to purchase mine today, for cover to start from 1st day (19th nov) from when I cannot cancel the apartment without incurring costs.
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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?
Mr.Egg wrote:
anyone any experience with insurefor . com ?
Comparison website is coming back quite cheap

Reviews aren't great

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/rockinsurance.com
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bar shaker wrote:
Does Carre Niege cover off piste?

I'm beginning to wonder whether this and my bank policy will be sufficient.

Someone earlier in the thread said that carre neige would only repatriate you to your accommodation. I've not checked if this is correct. If it is right, and you were injured off piste, would it mean you didn't have cover for repatriation to the UK?
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@sugarmoma666, https://carreneige.com/en/nos-offres/carre-neige/
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sugarmoma666, not sure about Carre Neige, but Carte Neige comes in 3 levels of cover: https://www3.ffs.fr/licenceclubffs/?utm_source=nws-a
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Layne wrote:
Mr.Egg wrote:
anyone any experience with insurefor . com ?
Comparison website is coming back quite cheap

Reviews aren't great

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/rockinsurance.com


Think I will go back to having a managed bank account then.
We only need Europe for the next 12 months, but would need worldwide for 2023
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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!
Struggling to sort this for the coming year - would welcome any further thoughts: - used to be easy, but now a lot more expensive and more limitations. Made me rethink no insurance and using GHIC and Carre Neige - that is OK but doesn't cover for: Having to cancel holiday last minute (eg covid), repatriation to UK after accident (could be expensive - but need to confirm CN doesn't cover this, it used to - can anyone confirm?) nor baggage (you can take the risk, and household insurance provides some cover). Anything else essential is misses?
To add to the notes above (which are very helpful thanks) - I too am leaning towards LV, although note they don't cover breakage of sports equipment in use (skis). I may though pick a single trip cover for now. Given offpiste cover and 21 days++ are given's for me quite a few rule themselves out: a few other observations after many searches:
Insureandgo (my previous go to, they do cover offpiste and used to be cheap, and have paid out for me) - 17 days skiing cover, not enough, no way to increase
MPI: Excellent cover previously, designed by a skier for skiers, especially in groups: Still have nothing to offer, which is concerning
Staysure: Looked good and cheap, and apparently cover off piste BUT they have an avalanche risk level clause - you wouldn't be covered if 3 or above - BEWARE! Wonder how many others will add this trap (or already have it?)
Otherwise I note many insurers insist you follow safety advice, and some are explict that this includes wearing helmets. Many also include the totally unhelpful clause about resort authorities deeming the area safe ... which of course they would never do, so you can't ski anywhere.
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re does carre neige cover repatriation:
+1 When I looked into this in the past you would be repatriated to the UK - but perhaps not?
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There is another thread currently running about insurance with some valid points:

https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=4846025#4846025

I am now looking at BMC who seem to provide good cover and was quoted £278 including membership (I am over 50)
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