10/23/2011- Saw Snow on the Mountains a Few Hours from the Home Base last weekend!
Won't be long until it's snowing here too! Welcome to the New Winter Season!
WHY SNOWBOARDERS NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE
Insurance is now a necessary part of traveling and snowboarding these days... I speak from personal experience!
TWO BAD EXPERIENCES...AND ONE HAPPY ENDING!
#1... I am 20 yrs old, just out of college and it's Christmas Eve day...We are SKIING the backside of Mammoth Mountain,California, we are jumping catching some "BIG AIR" and a novice gets in my way causing me to miss a turn and hit the ramp too fast. I overshoot the landing by 10 yards, hit the flats and blow out my knee broken bones torn ligaments...Ski patrol sled ride,followed by a ride to the hospital...The @sshole surgeon in MAMMOTH HOSPITAL finds out I got no medical insurance and ...
he says he won't operate on me ...BUT he says I DO NEED surgery...
The trouble was I had to WAIT OVER A WEEK to get into the welfare program
back in my hometown and wait ANOTHER WEEK to get into the "Guinea Pig" program...Then I agreed to become a guinea pig for some famous surgeon who wanted to try a new experimental technique on me,it didn't COST me any CASH...The surgeon did a killer job and my knee is good as ever...BAD START...GOOD ENDING...
#2...My first winter in BC Canada SNOWBOARDING.... I took a bad spill and slightly injured my ankle... or so I thought...By that night, my foot was swollen double size and I was sure it was broken...I decided to go to the local hospital in the small town of Trail... Long story short, American in Canada, no travel insurance...
I paid BIG $$$$ from my credit card to get the doctor out of his house and over to the hospital...Turned out I only badly sprained it...But I was on the injured list for over 4 months...Maybe longer than if I had had a simple break...
My HMO (KAISER) back in good ole USA made it so hard to recover the cash that I finally gave up...In addition I had to wait so long to see a specialist that the injuries had half healed so they didnt want to send me for surgery even though my doctor said it might be necessary to restore my ankle back to 100%. My ankle still bothers me on occasion even today VERY BAD ENDING
#3...NEXT winter I bought Canadian travel insurance for cheap...I didnt use it that season...
But the next season I had to use my travel insurance when I got suddenly got sick with a strep throat, a secondary bacterial infection plus a high fever late one afternoon ...LUCKILY I HAD TRAVEL INSURANCE!!!
We called a doctor, who came to my hotel room, he gave me some meds and I paid the doctor cash...He fixed me up overnight and I didn't even miss a day on the slopes...When I returned home the insurance company paid up 100 % really fast...VERY GOOD ENDING... NOW I ALWAYS BUY TRAVEL INSURANCE WHEN I LEAVE MY HOME TURF !
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN YOU BUY TRAVEL/MEDICAL INSURANCE
#1... Make sure you read all the policy and especially the fine print...
Here is a good example... "OFF PISTE snowboarding covered" !!!
............YAH right!!!
Now check out the fine print and it says, "If you are within the ski area boundaries, in open areas that are patrolled ...If you duck the rope ,even in bounds...YOU ARE OUT OF LUCK...If you are on that excellent traverse about a mile away from the ski area boundary where the BEST powder is...YOU ARE OUT OF LUCK...Unless you can get your buddies to haul your sorry @ss back inbounds, then call the ski-patrol. So be careful and READ the fine print... #2...Check to see if it is primary or secondary insurance,secondary insurance only pays AFTER your regular insurance company pays...In the case of International travel/health insurance thats usually not a problem because your primary insurance wont cover you outside your home state or country...
YOU need to read your regular health/accident insurance policy or contact your insurance agent for the info on the coverage outside your state or country...
#3...Is there a Deductible ??? ......What's the deductible amount?..... The cost of the insurance is based on how much of a deductible you are willing to pay...You need to decide what you can afford to pay if you get slammed and end up in the ski-patroller's sled and on your way to the hospital...
TRAVEL INSURANCE RESOURCES FOR US RESIDENTS
Squaremouth.com Compare travel insurance is owned by Squaremouth Insurance which is a travel insurance search engine that sorts through over a hundred different plans by the top companies and brings up the best product for your situation has ski and snowboarding insurance policies for domestic and international travel...
This is one company I have personally used for international travel insurance with good prices and fast service,although they don't specifically sell insurance for snowboarders, they do have sports riders to add on for snowboarding, but read the fine print carefully...
I have purchased international travel insurance from them two times , but never needed to file a claim...YET...
So when your health insurance doesn’t travel with you, get Travel Insurance provided through Travel Guard.com Travel insurance starting at $30 Travel Guard.com can provide you with coverage for unexpected medical expenses while on a vacation or trip.
So here is a company called BoardSure.com based in the UK that sells nothing but insurance for snowboarders including "off piste" as part of the policy BOARDSURE.com Ski And Snowboard Insurance. I personally have never used them but a few of my friends from the UK have and they said easy no worries on that ... BoardSure.com is part of Jade Stanley Group that also provides other types of travel insurance...
TRAVEL INSURANCE RESOURCES FOR AUSTRALIAN AND NZ RESIDENTS
Downunder Insurance offers travel insurance to travellers and residents in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Their cover ranges from basic to highly comprehensive, with affordable policies aimed at backpackers and gap-year students, but with cover available to travellers and holiday makers up to 55 years of age.
I HOPE YOU REALLY ENJOY YOUR TRAVELS
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