Unfortunately, accidents on the slopes can happen very quickly. If you’re abroad and need to be hospitalized, how can you make sure everything goes smoothly? How much does health insurance abroad cost for your ski vacation?
Your ski vacation in Europe
When traveling in Europe, always carry your European Health Insurance Card with you. This gives you easier access to medical care, and means you’ll be reimbursed at the same level as the French social security system. It is strongly recommended that you take out additional foreign health insurance for your trip, which will include extra cover such as repatriation assistance. The EHIC or your traditional mutual insurance company will probably not cover repatriation costs if you are immobilized. It does not cover all your medical expenses and does not cover repatriation or transport to a hospital. To cover this care, you need travel insurance such as Travelpass.
The European Health Insurance Card is valid in the European Union plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia and Australia. You can obtain the card by requesting it from your Social Security.
Vos vacances au ski hors Europe
If you’re planning to discover the snow in more exotic countries like Canada or Japan (you can ski in Japan…), you’ll need travel insurance to cover medical expenses and repatriation assistance. Civil liability cover is also essential if you cause damage to another skier on the piste. Make sure you stay on the official trails and don’t go off-piste; no travel insurance will cover you in this situation.
What happens in the event of an accident?
In general, you should first contact the local emergency services, who will always be the quickest to come to your aid. Depending on your situation, you will be taken to a doctor or directly to a hospital. You will then need to contact the assistance platform as soon as possible, so that medical treatment can be arranged if, for example, you need surgery. In general, foreign hospitals are very familiar with this procedure, and usually wait for insurance approval before continuing medical treatment.
How do I choose the right travel insurance for my ski vacation?
Mondassur advises you on the best travel insurances to cover you worldwide during your ski vacations. It’s important to adapt your coverage to your destination. If you’re going to Canada, you’ll need high medical expense ceilings of around 500,000 euros, as medical costs are among the highest in the world. You can request a free quote for travel insurance directly online, and contact our advisors according to your situation.
