The Best Insurance for Skiers
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A few years ago, a friend fell off his bike on the final descent of one of Crested Butte, Colo.’s storied trails. The hospital did some tests, took x-rays, and sent him home. Within 24 hours, he owed $13,000.
Watch: How to Ski Steep and Technical Lines Safely
His health insurance policy, for which he paid $6,000 a year, and had a $7,000 deductible, ultimately paid $5,000 of the bill. But between his deductible and out-of-pocket expenses, that bike ride left him with $8,000 of debt, not to mention broken ribs, a concussion, and a separated shoulder.
My friend, unfortunately, was a classic case of someone who was underinsured.
Whether you’re biking or skiing, an unexpected tumble or crash can hurt your wallet as much as it hurts your body. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people around the world participate in human-powered sports that insurance companies consider high-risk, including pastimes such as mountain biking and resort and backcountry skiing. And many of us are out there while uninsured or underinsured.
Still, plenty of people decide to risk it and pass on expensive health insurance. It’s a gamble. Most Americans aren’t prepared for a $1,000 emergency let alone one that could cost $25,000 in transport fees to get you from a backcountry ski mishap to the hospital—and that’s before the emergency room and medical expenses start racking up. What’s more, many of us with health insurance don’t realize that our expensive policy has a huge deductible, often with an equally substantial out-of-pocket max, which is money you may have to pay even after you’ve met your deductible.
If you don’t want to have to rely on the kindness of others via a GoFundMe, supplemental insurance can help you be prepared when your last run of the day ends in a sled.
Types of Supplemental Insurance
In addition to traditional medical coverage you might have privately or through your employer, if you participate in a sport like skiing that could result in unexpected injury, you might want to consider accident insurance, travel insurance, and/or a medical extraction policy.
Accident insurance covers harm to your body up to a certain dollar amount. It can close the gap until you meet your insurance deductible, and it can also serve as stand-alone insurance for a skier who doesn’t have other coverage. Accident insurance won’t cover you if you get sick, but it will cover you if you’re hurt while engaging in a “high risk” activity like skiing. Many accident plans are annual, so they cover you whether you’re at your home hill or traveling, though there are always policy-specific restrictions on where you’re covered and where you’re not.
Travel insurance is short-term insurance intended to cover you on a vacation or trip. Most travel insurance has provisions for flight delays, lost or damaged luggage, and cancelled flights and hotels. It also covers you if you get sick or injured on your trip. But not all travel insurance covers you if you’re skiing or riding—and policies that do cover it likely have restrictions based on how risky they deem your trip to be, i.e. what elevation you’re skiing at and whether you’re in the backcountry or other off-the-grid destinations.
Extraction insurance is short- or long term insurance for adventurers who travel to remote or politically unstable locations where if something goes sideways, whether that’s an accident or life-threatening political turmoil, you’ll need help getting to a safe place or adequate medical attention. Extraction insurance is great for skiers who veer far off the beaten path, set out on an expedition, or have their eye on a first descent.
How To Choose Supplemental Insurance
Where you’ll be skiing, what you can afford, and what insurance you already have (or don’t have) will determine what supplemental insurance is best for you. Supplemental insurance is surprisingly affordable and could save you significant money if something goes wrong.
If you have health insurance, read your plan and/or call your insurance customer help line to help you understand your policy’s fine print. Ask how much you may spend out of pocket, and any limitations your policy may have for ski-related injuries. Share details of any upcoming trips to verify coverage–those calls are recorded and could protect you later.
If you’re planning a bucket-list expedition with high risk factors, an extraction and medical support policy may be worth the investment.
If you’re a skier without medical insurance, an affordable accident insurance policy is a must.
If you injure someone else skiing, your homeowners or renter’s insurance “no-fault” medical and liability coverage typically pays for injuries you cause to someone else. And if you’re injured skiing due to someone else’s negligence, their homeowners or renter’s insurance may cover your bills.
We researched the different types of supplemental insurance skiers should consider. We break down the best options below. That said, we’re not lawyers and we don’t work for an insurance company, so double check your decisions by reading through the fine print on any policy you have, and by calling a company’s customer service line to ask specific questions about any policy you’re considering. If you compete or race, be sure to ask if you’re covered for events.
The Best Insurance For Skiers
Best Accident Insurance: Blister+
Blister+ is outdoor accident injury insurance developed by a skier for skiers and riders. It’s valid worldwide, provides $25,000 of coverage per incident, with a $0 deductible. In addition to human-powered, snow-sliding sports, Blister+ covers accidents that happen while snowmobiling, cycling, running, hiking, camping, rock climbing, bouldering, and climbing.
“We got rid of the loopholes,” said Jonathan Ellsworth, Blister+ founder. “If you get injured, Blister+ will pay $25,000 of benefits per incident towards doctor and hospital expenses, medical transportation and physical therapy, no exceptions.”
Blister+ is accident insurance, but you don’t need to have a major medical policy to qualify. And while $25,000 may seem like a lot of money, a severe accident can result in medical bills that far surpass what Blister+ covers. From $395/year
The Bottom Line
This is a good option for avid skiers without health insurance, or with high-deductible plans. It covers you for doctor-recommended treatment plans, including surgery, hospital visits, MRIs, medical transfers, and any post-injury physical therapy. But this isn’t traditional health insurance. Get appendicitis, and this policy won’t cover you; break your ankle on a blue run and it will.
Best for Travel Insurance: World Nomads
When World Nomads, a travel insurance company that caters to active adventurers, surveyed its followers and customers, 78 percent said their biggest fear was getting injured on a mountain. And while many travel insurance policies exclude “extreme” sports like skiing, World Nomads embraces it.
World Nomads offers a variety of travel insurance plans based on trip length and location. The most basic includes emergency medical coverage ($125,000) for in-bounds skiing. For backcountry and other adventures outside of the resort, upgrade to the Explorer or Epic plan (the Epic plan covers activities up to 26,000-plus feet.)
In addition to covering medical expenses, World Nomads pays for lost or damaged gear, and reimburses you if you need to cancel your trip. All destinations are covered except for places in the world that are on the U.S. State Department Level 4 “Do Not Travel” list.
“When someone calls our emergency assistance, we can help get that person to the right hospital or other facility,” said World Nomads’ general manager Christina Tunnah. “We’re there to support you. And in most instances, we can keep you from having out-of-pocket expenses—we guarantee payment.”
Historically, travel insurance rates increase with age, but World Nomads is age-agnostic. Pricing is based on your destination and length of trip. Use World Nomads’ online quote calculator to price individual trips or annual coverage if you plan to take multiple trips over the course of the year. From $97.60 for a week
The Bottom Line
Vacations are expensive, and World Nomads makes sure you don’t lose money on yours if you have to cancel, if your gear gets damaged, or if you get hurt. But this coverage is short-term only, so it’s best for a big, bucket-list trip. It won’t cover you if you get hurt on your home hill.
Best for Extreme Skiers: Global Rescue
A member of the U.S. Ski Team broke her pelvis in three places, and landed in a clinic in a small, French mountain town that had such limited facilities she had to get out of bed and walk to the bathroom. In short, she wasn’t getting adequate care. Global Rescue deployed a paramedic and they medevac’d her to a larger hospital near her home in the U.S.
That’s an example of how extraction insurance works. While travel insurance is good at covering you for on-slope injuries, and canceled flights and hotels, if you’re headed somewhere remote, high, or dangerous, extraction insurance like Global Rescue is a worthy investment.
Global Rescue is an intermediary that manages and pays for expedition and travel rescue when you’re sick or injured. They call themselves “ the red button you push in an emergency.” Global Rescue’s services include field rescue for serious illness or injury and medical evacuation to your hospital of choice from anywhere in the world. Security membership–an add-on–puts a network of military special operations veterans at your service for consultation and evacuation if there’s a natural disaster, terrorism attack, or life-threatening civil unrest whether you’re skiing or not.
Global Rescue isn’t just for international travels. Global Rescue CEO Dan Richards says that many of their one million customers use Global Rescue in the U.S. when they need a medivac.
“A lot of times when something goes wrong in the mountains, having someone who can advise you or your family takes the stress level down a notch,” said Richards. “Global Rescue is an expert in organizing rescue resources. And when you’re stuck in a little mountain town and need more medical expertise and services than the local clinic can provide, we can help you get the right care.” Rates start at $139
The Bottom Line
This is for extreme adventurers. You don’t want to be marooned in a remote location—home or abroad—without proper recourse. Keep in mind, though, that you do have to go through Global Rescue’s network for rescue; you can’t call the local search-and-rescue and expect to be covered.
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