Winter sports break insurance warning

Britons have been urged to make sure they have the necessary cover if they go on a winter sports holiday.

Travel Insurance News - 06/01/2006

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Britons have been urged to make sure they have the necessary cover if they go on a winter sports holiday.

In the 2004/05 UK winter season, of the 1.2 million UK people who went abroad to the slopes around one in seven did not take out any travel insurance.

Even some of those who do get insurance only purchase a standard policy and so they could end up having to pay if they suffer an accident on the mountains which requires serious medical attention and mountain rescue services are needed to rescue them.

Brian Brown from Defaqto, an independent financial research business, told the Daily Telegraph: 'People have been financially ruined by not having insurance when on a skiing holiday.

'The bills for mountain rescue, medical treatment and repatriation by air ambulance can be enormous - easily enough to wipe out the equity in your home, for example. It's vital to have the right cover and to read the policy document thoroughly so that you know what the exclusions are.'

In some cases, people treated in hospitals without insurance will be made well enough to be discharged but will not be well enough to travel home, for example they could be in a wheelchair or need a nurse in attendance during the flight.

In addition, the Ski Club of Great Britain recommends that your policy should include medical cover of at least £1 million if you are going on a winter sports break in Europe or £2 million for elsewhere.

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