 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
Apologies if this has been covered before:
I am male, 61yrs competent skier with some off piste ski-ing. I have Asthma and a lung condition called NSIP (Non-specific interstitial pneumonia).
Does anyone know of a good reputable insurance company that would cover me? If the worst happens I want to know that I will be covered. I certainly do not wish to incur hospital costs in the USA! I am planning a trip to Breckenridge early February. Would appreciate some advice? Thankyou.
Take care.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Gregl, don't know if you've been to Brek before but the accommodation is at 9,600 feet and the ski terrain well up into the 12s - lots of people suffer. Obviously, I'm not a doctor so no idea if your condition affected by altitude, but I'd guess it's a possibility.
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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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Many thanks for your reply - appreciated.
I have not been to Brek' before... first time to USA and things are already booked. You are absolutely correct the altitude does affect the condition. I am hoping that my current level of fitness will suffice: Marathon 3hrs 49m, 10mile 75minutes and the 10k in 45minutes. I guess I'll find out...
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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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Gregl, the BMC has a long list of allowable conditions, don't know about nsip though. Things not listed maybe ok after you speak to them.
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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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Fitness isn't any guarantee even a perfectly healthy person won't be affected by altitude, it can affect the fittest and not affect the weakest seemingly without much rhyme or reason. I think you need to speak to your doctor to see what the medical advice on going to altitude with your condition is then go to any of the decent winter sports insurers with whatever the doc says.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Gregl, Greg!
I'm a GP, and a keen skier, have skied Brek, and also taken an oxygen saturation meter skiing with me to different altitudes. Which is fascinating and scary.
Things you need to know:
1) Ability to tolerate altitude has very very little to do with fitness
2) Most of us can get on well at up to 4000m for brief periods. Sleeping at altitude is altogether different... Very few tribes sleep above 5500m. But people climb >2000M above that.
3) If you really do have a form of pulmonary fibrosis/pneumonitis, I would want you to have a near-perfect transfer factor and perfect O2 sats at a normal respiratory rate. Lots of people with interstitial lung disease do have significant difficulties extracting O2 from the air, and as the partial pressure of O2 drops with altitude, would be one of the likeliest groups to become ill.
4) I've stayed in perhaps 40 or 50 resorts, many in the US and Canada, Brek is the only one where I have felt ill sleeping and coughed up blood, even when I was a fit 30 year old.
5) I cannot think of many big resorts I would feel less happy you going to unless 3) applies.
6) Insurance companies understand risk, and the quickest way to lose your house is to be admitted to a US hospital with insufficient cover.
Above all... Please please please do not confuse fitness with ability to withstand/tolerate altitude, especially if you have a tendency to desaturate or O2 transfer impairment. Marathon runners are tough, but that really doesn't necessarily matter here.
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| Gregl wrote: |
Hi,
Apologies if this has been covered before:
I am male, 61yrs competent skier with some off piste ski-ing. I have Asthma and a lung condition called NSIP (Non-specific interstitial pneumonia).
Does anyone know of a good reputable insurance company that would cover me? If the worst happens I want to know that I will be covered. I certainly do not wish to incur hospital costs in the USA! I am planning a trip to Breckenridge early February. Would appreciate some advice? Thankyou.
Take care. |
Greg,
After my brain tumour and the resulting cranitotomy I found getting insurance problematic to say the least.
I found a company that does offer me cover at reasonable rates and will do the screening by phone (usually).
They are INSURE AND GO.
www.insureandgo.com
0800 781 7292
I've used them for the last 7 years - I pay an inflated premium but get reasonable annual cover for about £120 including wintersports and that deal is for worldwide cover inc the USA.
Hope this helps
Pete.
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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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Many many many thanks to all respondents – really appreciated!
I take on board what you are saying about fitness levels. I did insure with the BMC – about 9 years ago climbing Elbrus. This was when I noticed things were not too good. I was sleeping at 12,500ft – OK – but climbing up to 18,500ft was a bit of a struggle. I did reach the summit.
I subscribe to the Huff-n-Puff web site (Excellent site!) and I even know one the posters on the forum. Small world.
I have a fingertip pulse oximeter. It will make for interesting reading... My sats at rest are 100%. I will be visiting the Royal Brompton in January so will check out the Pulmonary Function results. And I certainly don’t want to go without sufficient insurance cover.
Marathon runners – well they just keep on going... completed 5 marathons this year and one ultra run – 50 miles over the Lakeland mountains in 14 hours. But, I do take your point concerning ‘fitness’ being no respecter of tolerating altitude.
Pete: I sincerely hope that things are going well with you and I appreciate your suggestion of INSURE AND GO.
I just don’t want to end up needing any kind of hospital treatment and then the insurance company refusing to pay up. Hope everyone understands and once again thank you all very much.
Take care.
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Gregl, understand completely. You are very wise to sort it out before any unforeseen events occur.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Gregl, +1 for Insure and Go as I have recently taken a policy out with them and found the staff very helpful when I phoned about medical conditions, can't remember the premium off hand for three of us but I was happy with it.
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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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Hmm. From the Insure and Go policy
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| Whilst taking part in off-piste skiing and snowboarding, you must make sure that the areas in which you ski or snowboard are considered to be safe by the resort management. |
Not clear how you'd stand with that if you went back country in the States (and heaven knows what cover you'd have if you ducked the ropes and went off piste in Europe - or went outside the resort area).
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