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Insurance - Carte Neige (France)

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
PG wrote:


Honest, you can't beat the system over here, it's leagues ahead of the UK's NHS.


Huh? but when I visit the doctor here in Bournemouth it doesn't cost a penny up front, okay I pay a few quid for a prescription but in France we were left well out of pocket at the chemists. My local medical center seems to be well equipped and has its own pharmacy. One of the doctors is even French! He told me that the whole medical service in France is overstretched and underfunded and on the verge of breakdown. He much preferred the UK. That certainly seemed to be the picture we got here in the UK last summer with images of people stacked up in hospital corridors because all the medical staff went on holiday.

Certainly in my town things seem much better (although they were never bad) with the money Mr Brown has pumped into the system.

The doctor in les Arcs 1800 had a bare room and a stethoscope, he couldn't even give my mate an injection. I don't call trailing around an icy ski resort with a bronti (sore-back bottom) looking for painkillers an integrated and efficient medical service or even miles better than the UK.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
sherman-maeir, A couple of years back the World Health Organisation had France in the no 1 spot for health care. There's a reason for that! Take my word for it - I've spent a long time here and there's just no comparison. A doctor's appointment here is 15 minutes minimum. The cost is fully reimbursed. There are virtually no queues, even for minor ops. My dad had a hernia in 1993, in the UK he was put on the wait list. He arrived in France one year later, still with hernia. Saw specialist day 2 after arrival, operated on day 3. You need to see a specialist? No bother, ring him/her up yourself, make your own appontment. Disappointed in your GP? Go see another, no form to fill in, no application, just change. Dormitory style wards in hospitals? they don't exist - two beds at most to a room.

Sure we pay high taxes for it, sure it's stretched with ever-increasing costs, but ask yourself why the NHS pays for patients to go to France for ops if it's so wonderful! They seem to have room to fit the Brits in, despite your description of the summer problem.


Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 17-03-04 17:05; 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?
When I left the UK (only 2.5 years ago) they were still Medical Centres - now it seems it really is the 51st state of the USA!
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
sherman-maeir,
Quote:
I don't call trailing around an icy ski resort with a bronti (sore-back bottom) looking for painkillers an integrated and efficient medical service or even miles better than the UK.


One phonecall, and for 30 euros I would have had a doctor call round complete with painkiller to my apartment within the hour.....
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
PG wrote:
Should have realised.... as usual David of pistehors.com has a succinct and infrmative article on this very topic....

http://www.pistehors.com/articles/avalanche/insurance.htm



I wrote that back in 2001 so some bit may be out-of-date. If you get any information from Mondial I would be interested.

regards
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Quote:
If you get any information from Mondial I would be interested.


Second reminder sent this morning. No acknowledgement received as yet.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
pg wrote:

At the start of the season you can buy an annual carte neige. However you need to be a member of a French club

U don't need to be a member of a French club: I've had an annual Carte Neige the last 3yrs.
ise wrote:

The insurance you'd buy with Crystal etc will cover travel and other things, whereas Carte/Carre Neige only really covers time on the slope.

Exactly: Travel insurance of the type normally offered by tour ops, covers things like missed planes, lost/damaged baggage and repatriation in the case of bad weather/ resort or road closure etc. A good case is the dozen tourists who were helicoptered out of Tignes on 21st Feb because excess snow had blocked normal routes - the costs were covered by travel insurance but would have been way outside Carte Neige's remit. Some travel insurance has winter sports cover bolted onto it but one needs to be very cautious as the extent of this cover varies widely between policies. ie. Limited number of days per year/ no off-piste etc.
Red Dave wrote:

does the insurance include off-piste skiing? Or do you need to drag yourself onto the piste?

The Carte Neige is the "catch-all" winter sports bit, guaranteeing extraction from anywhere on any mountain and delivery to the medical services. Allowing a fairly standard travel insurance policy to cover the rest of your insurance needs.
pg wrote:

I'm looking into whether the carte neige covers you on visits to any other countries.
It does: worldwide mountain rescue. Every time I buy it, someone makes the point that 'it is even good if U ski in Chile in the Summer'.
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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!
Good summary U. Cool
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 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.
pg wrote:
Quote:
At the start of the season you can buy an annual carte neige. However you need to be a member of a French club


U wrote:
Quote:
U don't need to be a member of a French club: I've had an annual Carte Neige the last 3yrs


Sorry but you do if you want to have the advantages I described in terms of discounts etc. Perhaps I didn't make that clear.

As I said, when I get the full terms and conditions I'll publish them. (And what's travel insurance got to do with the price of fish? We were talking about winter sports cover.)
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