Travel Insurance: am I covered for skiing/snowboarding?

Planning on skiing or snowboarding during your trip? Read on to find out how your policy can help if something happens to you on the slopes.

Yes, there’s cover to ski or snowboard overseas on both the Standard Plan and the Explorer Plan when you upgrade your adventure sport cover. Cover depends on the type of riding you'll be doing and where you're doing it. 

What’s covered

If you upgrade your policy to include skiing/snowboarding, you're covered to ride within resort boundaries:

  • On all open and safe runs on marked trails
  • On piste and off piste
  • In terrain parks (excluding acrobatics)

Plus, skiing/snowboarding outside resort boundaries:

  • Cross country
  • Nordic skiing on marked trails
  • Heli-skiing/boarding, snowcat or back country riding as long as you're with a professional, qualified and licensed guide or operator. 

What you need to do to be covered:

Simply add the winter sports activity that best matches what you plan to do while on your travels when getting your quote

Restrictions apply to certain winter sport activities, so do read the Policy Document carefully for full details.

Just be aware that it’s NOT possible to upgrade to a higher level of sport and activity cover mid-way through your policy.  

How it works

If you’re unfortunate enough to have an accident and hurt yourself while skiing or snowboarding, there’s cover for:

  • Evacuation if urgent and medically necessary (by the most appropriate means, including helicopter when necessary and available).
  • Emergency medical expenses, for treatment at the hospital or local medical centre.
  • Repatriation home if you’re seriously injured and unable to continue your trip

If something does happen to you and evacuation is medically necessary, you or someone with you must contact our 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team as soon as possible.

Who pays for the medical treatment (and by this we mean either you pay upfront and claim later or we pay) depends on what’s happened to you and the necessary treatment required.

What’s not covered

The policy isn’t designed to cover everything. Take the time to read the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions in the Policy Document for what is and isn’t covered. That way there are no surprises if you need to use it.

Here are the main things that aren’t covered:

  • Ski/snowboard racing and ski/snowboard acrobatics;
  • Ski joring
  • Search and rescue if you get lost on the mountain or at any other time;
  • If you don’t follow local authority warnings;
  • Skiing/snowboarding into closed or restricted areas (they’re closed for a reason!);
  • Any on-going medical expenses once you return to your home country;
  • Anything mentioned in the General Exclusions or section specific exclusions.

This is only a summary of cover and does not include the full terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions of the policy. You should read your Policy Document in full, so you understand what is and isn’t covered. If you are unsure about your level of travel cover, please contact us for help.

 


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