 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all
Does anyone know what the position usually is with regards travel insurance and previous injuries?
I have recently had shoulder surgery and been cleared by my surgeon to ski again this season. If I were to dislocate the shoulder again through a fall for example, it would basically be a new dislocation. But does the fact that I've had surgery on it in the past mean no insurer will now cover me for injuries relating to my right shoulder? The thought of being stuck on a mountain with a dislocated shoulder and $1000s racking up if I needed to be air lifted for example is pretty scary...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Depends on your insurer I think - some want to exclude, others are relaxed if its been fully discharged. Like a previously broken leg, you don't expect to never be covered for that leg again. A quality insurer will probably have an in hoiuse nurse or medical screening agency you speak to before they accept the cover. I view this as a good thing as they can't subsequently deny a claim for non-disclosure. At least for a shoulder you can take a large dose of WTFU and ski out 
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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?
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fatbob, not with a dislocated shoulder you can't! Last time i dislocated it i was unable to get up off my bed to unlock the front door to let the paramedics in - the police had to break the lock...
I have an annual travel insurance policy that started pre diagnosis and auto renewed about a month after my surgery. Should I contact them to disclose it at this stage? If they won't cover I'll need to shop around for another policy.
I'm hoping that it won't be a problem as there are next to no exclusions in HK policies - the only thing i can't do is pilot a commercial jet. Off piste without a guide - not a problem! It doesn't even mention skiing - you don't get ski policies here as such. On the downside this means they don't cover for things like piste closure.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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beanie1, I'd have thought you would be best to let them know, especially given the surgery was just before the renewal.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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beanie1, don't know if my recent experience will be of relevance, but I've just taken out travel insurance after open heart surgery. I had the choice of a rather bizarre collection of four random exclusions (which, taken together, I figured would have had me without cover for any kind of cardiac episode whatsoever) or having those random exclusions covered for a extra £50 (for a year.) Since that is the approximate cost of a meal in a London restaurant, it was a no brainer! I am now fully covered, even for the bit which went wrong and had to be replaced.
In case this is helpful, I took out a policy through MPI Brokers, recommended on here for very robust off-piste cover.
I don't think there is any doubt but that you should disclose your injury to your current insurers. It's relevant to your cover and you knew about it before the renewal. (I'm sure you know that an insurance contract is one "of the utmost faith" in law.)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I have recently had shoulder surgery and been cleared by my surgeon to ski again this season
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Good - so get the surgeon to write you a letter to this effect and then send a copy of this to the medical screening agency that your insurer will ask you to go through when you declare the surgery.
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quinton, didn't need that myself, they simply accepted my statement that I'd been discharged by the surgeon. Actually, the screening wasn't very clever since, if my memory serves, they didn't ask me whether I was on anti-coagulants (which I'm not, but would be a big no-no for ski cover.)
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Pedantica, I agree, it shouldn't really be necessary, but I found that things went much smoother when I produced a surgeon's letter after my broken leg.
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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.
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It's prompted me to wonder about my ACL. I'll be about 6 months post op when I find my way to the Alps but I won't have been discharged by the surgeon as I have a follow up appointment in March.
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AndAnotherThing.., You can however have a conversation with your surgeon prior to that along the lines of "is there anything which would prevent me doing activities I would normally do?" and tell the insurance company the conclusion to that.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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fatbob, yep, an email is in the offing. To be fair I'm working more closely with the physio who's probably in a better position to judge. It will be interesting to see what the companies say.
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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.
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beanie1, I've had surgery for a dislocated shoulder, & reinsurance has never been an issue. I think if your surgeon declares you fit to ski, you should be ok.
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genepi, thanks. Did you get a letter from the surgeon to give to the insurer?
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