 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi everybody
I'm 76 yrs old and have just come back from a great week skiing in Les Arcs. I got a free lift pass for the Les Arcs area (10 Euro admin fee and didn't cover Le Plagne ) for being over 75 yrs. I get my winter sports insurance free through my bank account but I now pay a £100 extra because of my old age health - two broken bones in last 5 years, blood pressure, cholesterol. All under treatment. Not complaining of course because I am still Quids in.
My question here is, is there an age limit cut off, pure and simple, for winter sports insurance, irrespective of actual health and fitness? Anybody have any experience or knowledge of this?
I think I still have at least a couple of years skiing left in me.
Cheers!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Never heard of one though I don't doubt some providers may decline cover. There are others who clain to specialise in travel insurance for older customers. No doubt higher premiums
You're looking for Off Piste cover I guess by the section and title. I guess there'll be another hike for that too.
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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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@TCSC47, @TCSC47, It depends a lot on the insurer, some will increase the premium some will decline. As an example, Snowcard will not cover anyone 76 or older, ie you, but as far as I can see the BMC has no age limits. They used to say you must be under 70 but this has changed.
I have friends who use the Austrian Alpine Club and EHIC for all their travel insurance requirements. I realise that many snowheads will scorn this, but in 50 years of travelling I have only made one claim on travel insurance and that was for a few hundred pounds yet I have spent thousands on travel insurance, much of which, such as cancellation insurance, wasn't really worth it. When I did have to cancel a trip at short notice the airline allowed me to rebook for a small fee (less than the insurance threshold) and the hotel simply cancelled the booking. Now I simply untick all options apart from rescue and health and accept a high excess.
You will still have to do all your research on insurance policies to find the one suitable for you.
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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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Thanks Adi and John.
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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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| Quote: |
I realise that many snowheads will scorn this
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Not really. It makes no financial sense to insure against risks you can afford to run. Having a pair of skis nicked? No. Being rescued by helicopter from the top of a mountain? Yes. Missed departure? No. Having to be flown home from France flat on your back after an injury treated well under EHIC in Chambery Hospital? Yes. Especially as arranging that yourself could be quite a challenge.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Lloyd's premium accounts cover up to 80...I think, but I've moved to nationwide now and its lower
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I now pay over £300 a year for my "free" premium insurance with Nationwide. Or, more accurately, I'm not paying it as when it came up for renewal in January I had no plans to travel abroad so decided to get insurance when the time came. I think I had to pay just for my age, over 75, but the big hit was because I take 6 prescribed meds. I had to answer questions about the way heart failure affects me, too (e.g. I can lie flat, which a lot of people with HF can't).
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Just prior to knee replacement surgery the anaesthetist phoned me on my mobile phone. Fortunately, I had a hand free and was able to extradite the appliance from my pocket. He asked "can you walk 100m on the flat?" At the time I was 20m up a rock climb after walking uphill to get to it. It was the walk down I was dreading.
I was once puzzled why my doctor asked how many pillows I used to sleep. I replied one. My wife explained to me that the number of pillows is an indicator of cardio vascular trouble.
It is the number of medical conditions you have that affects your insurance premiums or even whether you can get cover at all rather than your age. But as you get older you tend to build up these problems.
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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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I think insurers go a bit weird over age.
For setting rates and exclusions actuaries have available
- use of objective data on claims risk
- anticipated changes in risk
- models of individuals
- prejudice
- commercial interest
Which gives the possibility of very different premiums over time and from different companies
Sigh….
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| johnE wrote: |
@TCSC47, @TCSC47, It depends a lot on the insurer, some will increase the premium some will decline. As an example, Snowcard will not cover anyone 76 or older, ie you, but as far as I can see the BMC has no age limits. They used to say you must be under 70 but this has changed.
I have friends who use the Austrian Alpine Club and EHIC for all their travel insurance requirements. I realise that many snowheads will scorn this, |
Not scornful but wary of this route to happiness. I have a feeling AAC doesn't cover repatriation? That can be a biggie if you need air ambulance with a medical team. GHIC works best if your resort is close enough to a state facility - eg Chamonix is a good choice for this reason. Lots of resorts are a bit of a distance to their nearest and your chosen resort might only have private facilities. What if your injury means you can't be moved?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| Lloyd's premium accounts cover up to 80...I think, but I've moved to nationwide now and its lower |
I'm with Nationwide and have their insurance ..I do pay an excess for being over 75 (which I am) but having read the terms I cannot find any cut off date for skiing ..
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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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| DaveD wrote: |
| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| Lloyd's premium accounts cover up to 80...I think, but I've moved to nationwide now and its lower |
I'm with Nationwide and have their insurance ..I do pay an excess for being over 75 (which I am) but having read the terms I cannot find any cut off date for skiing .. |
They probably do that to avoid taking risks with clients whose chances are a high probbability to sue their asses
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| Avabrunch wrote: |
| johnE wrote: |
...
I have friends who use the Austrian Alpine Club and EHIC for all their travel insurance requirements. I realise that many snowheads will scorn this, |
Not scornful but wary of this route to happiness. I have a feeling AAC doesn't cover repatriation? That can be a biggie if you need air ambulance with a medical team. GHIC works best if your resort is close enough to a state facility - eg Chamonix is a good choice for this reason. Lots of resorts are a bit of a distance to their nearest and your chosen resort might only have private facilities. What if your injury means you can't be moved? |
Have you checked? Seems to me it includes rescue, medical bills, repatriation and (within Europe) third-party liability.
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You know it makes sense.
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| ecureuil wrote: |
| Have you checked? Seems to me it includes rescue, medical bills, repatriation and (within Europe) third-party liability. |
This the one that's all in German? I guess it does cover repat:
| Quote: |
Exclusively for members of the Austrian Alpine Club:
Expansion of the Alpine Club Worldwide Service included in membership
- to cover medical treatment costs abroad up to EUR 500,000 and
- transport home
- search and rescue
for a trip
- up to 4 months |
It just quoted me 25 Euro for one week and didn't ask my age. Seems too good to be true 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| valais2 wrote: |
I think insurers go a bit weird over age.
For setting rates and exclusions actuaries have available
- use of objective data on claims risk
- anticipated changes in risk
- models of individuals
- prejudice
- commercial interest
Which gives the possibility of very different premiums over time and from different companies
Sigh…. |
Actuaries in my experience do not use prejudice in assessing rates. However, you may find less actuaries and more statisticians setting rates for general insurance. Actuaries may be more involved in reserve setting, it depends on the company (size and breadth). Small companies would outsource statutory requirements (like reserving) to consultancies.
Someone called an underwriter is probably officially using prejudice, and it is an underwriter who will assess your premium if it is non standard. (some actuaries are underwriters, but this is not a mutually exclusive arrangement: in other words underwriters are generally not actuaries, but an actuary could also be an underwriter; probably involved in more esoteric risks than travel insurance like hurricane and tornado damage)
In the case of elderly skiers I am afraid data will be very limited, and so any premium quoted is determined by an underwriter (an actuary would not be able to give rates as there is no statistically significant data).
I know my parents free travel insurance with bank account stopped when they reached 80. So they switched to a non fee paying current account, but they did not do winter sports. So the data will be limited above 80 mainly because travel insurance has age restrictions too, not just winter sports insurance.
If there was a significant market of elderly over 80 skiers requiring extreme sports insurance I would suggest that they join a club and set up a with profits company where the policy-holders own all the profits. Then charge them high premiums for a while until some reliable data appears. Premiums can start to come down once you have the data, if the company is not busted. Reinsurance companies may offer to take a cut of the risk for a cut, reducing the chances of one claim wiping out the company completely.
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