If you plan on skiing or snowboarding this year – even inside your own country – please take a look at these statistics and understand the range of your health insurance or purchase ski travel insurance.

What is ski travel insurance?

Ski travel insurance is just a fancy name for a travel insurance package, which can be purchased for a single trip or on an annual basis. If you are planning a number of ski or snowboard trips, and you know you’ll be outside the network of your own health insurance, please consider purchasing a travel insurance package to protect yourself (and your family) from the high cost of medical care outside your network.  This is especially true if you will be outside your home country (where your health insurance does not extend).

Another important coverage to verify in your travel insurance package is medical evacuation. If you have to be airlifted off the mountain and taken to a hospital, you can bet those costs won’t be covered by the ski resort. You’ll have to pay those costs.

Important! Check the travel insurance policy to be sure it covers skiing or snowboarding. Sometimes, these activities are excluded from coverage and require the addition of an adventure or hazardous sports rider to be added to the plan.

Lets look at some ski and snowboard stats

According to the National Ski Areas Association, the 2009/2010 ski season was an average year for fatalities and serious injuries.  Out of 59.8 million skiers and snowboarders, there were:

1. 38 fatalities
   • 25 skiers (18 male, 7 female)
   • 13 snowboraders (12 male, 1 female)
2. 39 serious injuries
   • 16 skiers (11 male, 5 female)
   • 23 snowboarders (16 male, 7 female)

Of course, as a yearly average, these deaths, while tragic, don’t reach nearly the number of Americans who die in motor-vehicle accidents, bike riding, or even drowning. Plus, the overall rate of reported skiing injuries has declined by half since the early 1970s, partly due to change in the structure of ski boot binding systems.

We were recently asked this question by a travel insurance consumer, who was advised by his father’s doctor not to take a planned trip because of his father’s illness. He canceled his trip, but the insurance claim was denied for two reasons:

1. The father’s condition was the result of a pre-existing medical condition.
2. The insurance plan had not been purchased within the required number of days from the initial trip payment.

Obviously, the consumer was frustrated and it is unfortunate, but many travel insurance buyers simply don’t understand that travel insurance, just like any other type of insurance, has rules and exclusions. The problem is, in part, because travel insurance is a relatively new product on the market and people are just getting used to how it can help them and how it works. We’re all much more familiar with our life insurance, which also has exclusions. Life insurance doesn’t pay out if the insured commits suicide, for example.

All travel insurance plans automatically exclude pre-existing medical conditions.

A pre-existing condition waiver is called that because it is a waiver that overcomes the pre-existing medical condition exclusion listed in travel insurance plans. So, if you or a traveling companion has a pre-existing medical condition that you’ve seen a doctor for – headaches, cancer, any illness at all – during the look-back period then a trip cancellation for that reason would automatically be denied without this waiver.  This rule also applies if you cancel your trip due to the illness of a family member, as it was in this case.

Travel insurance coverage with a pre-existing condition waiver has to be purchased within a certain number of days after making the initial trip payment. This is to reduce the travel insurance company’s level of risk and to give you the longest range of trip cancellation and interruption coverage.

Review the full details of pre-existing medical coverage, including examples and terminology. The table at the bottom of the page will tell you how much coverage each company and plan provides, including the time frame for purchase, the look-back period and the policy limit.

Reviewing your policy documents during the free review period and using the pages on this site will help everyone better understand their travel insurance and cut down on the frustration due to denied claims.

As we head into the winter season, some schools are already predicting they may have to cancel breaks because of snow days. When school is canceled due to severe weather, that time has to be made up somehow, and schools typically make up those days by extending the school year through breaks.

If you are thinking about upcoming travel plans, how do you protect your travel investment if school breaks you counted on are canceled? If the school year is extended, you’ve got a couple of options:

• cancel or reschedule your trip (if you can)
• take the kids out of school and go anyway

Take a look at our explanation of schedule conflict coverage, which is a covered reason (in some plans) for trip cancellation. That’s the travel insurance protection that reimburses you for your pre-paid trip costs in the event you have to cancel for a covered reason.

On that page, we describe the types of schedule conflicts that are sometimes covered by travel insurance companies. There are a few plans that provide coverage for trip cancellation in the event of a school-year extension, and we’ve listed those for you as well.

Note that school extensions due to extracurricular or athletic events are not covered.

Many of you take cameras, e-readers, laptops, smart phones, MP3 players, and other electronic gadgets along when you travel, and you may wonder whether travel insurance protects those items. The short answer is yes, but only to a point.

As you well know by now (if you’ve been reading this blog for awhile), the only way to really understand the benefits of a particular travel insurance plan is by reading the plan documents. You can find those online at the travel insurance provider’s website, while you are purchasing insurance with our comparison tool, and when they’re sent to you as a result of a travel insurance purchase. So, to be sure what exactly is covered (and how much), you’ll need to review the policy documents.

What are the limits?

Most travel insurance plans limit the reimbursement of any single item lost as part of the baggage and personal effects coverage. This includes losses to jewelry, watches, cameras, camera equipment, and more.

For example, the Travelex Select plan documentation includes text that reads like this:

Items Subject to Special Limitations
We will not pay more than $600 (or the Baggage and
Personal Effects limit, if less) on all losses to jewelry;
watches; precious or semi-precious gems; articles
consisting in whole or in part of silver, gold, or platinum;
cameras, camera equipment; digital or electronic
equipment and media; and articles consisting in whole
or in part of fur. Items not included above are subject to
a $300 per item limit.

Notice the $300 per-item limit? All travel insurance companies have limits usually ranging from $300-$600, but two plans from Seven corners have higher limits for specific item losses. Review a complete list of policy, item, and specific item baggage limits provided by each company and plan.

What can a traveler toting lots of electronics do?

The baggage coverage offered with your travel insurance plan is what you’ve got to work with, but some travel insurance companies offer a baggage upgrade or additional baggage coverage for particular types of travelers, like sports enthusiasts.

1. Carry and guard your electronics. While baggage coverage protects bags even if they’re not checked luggage, your safest bet is to keep the expensive stuff close to you.
2. Be prepared. If you have to file a claim, you’ll be expected to show a receipt for the purchase of the lost or stolen item.
3. Check into alternatives. Your home insurance provider may offer coverage for special items like jewelry, computers, cameras, etc. There is often a minimum purchase price to qualify, but this is a great way to cover the electronics that qualify.

It’s important to be clear, that travel insurance isn’t going to cover you for data losses, computer crashes, or general equipment failure.

The U.S. State Department recently confirmed the kidnapping of a U.S. citizen in northern Somalia, and called for his or her immediate release (no name is provided due to privacy laws). Here at Travel Insurance Review, we extend our sympathies to the concerned family members and hope for the best possible outcome in this latest hostage-taking.

Let’s take a minute to review the foreign policy for kidnappings.

It is the U.S. government’s policy to deny kidnappers the benefits of ransom, prisoner release, policy changes, or any other acts of concession. In the event of a kidnapping, the U.S. policy is to pursue investigation leading to the apprehension and prosecution of hostage-takers who illegally capture and detain U.S. citizens.

U.S. policy is a similar stance as that of the UK, which was recently criticized by a British couple who felt their Foreign Office could have done more to advise their family after their own kidnapping by Somali pirates and their subsequent 388-day hostage ordeal.

The reason for the harsh stance? Ultimately, it’s for the protection of the citizens. If the U.S. or any government automatically conceded to the requests of kidnappers, no citizen would be safe from kidnapping ever again. While Western governments could perhaps do more to contain the situations and assist the families, the long-standing rule of no compromise remains.

What can vacation travelers do?

Vacation travelers are encouraged to review the current travel warnings on the U.S. State Department website and understand the risks of their intended destination. In the circumstance of an American citizen being reported missing, the government will help locate the individual using the information provided by their family or friends. They can work with local authorities in the foreign country and very whether the missing person has been hospitalized, arrested, or otherwise unable to communicate with those looking for them. Read more about the U.S. State Department’s role in a missing person crisis.

In all situations, the more information provided, the better the chances are for locating the missing person’s whereabouts. This is another reason we recommend leaving your itinerary and passport with someone you trust back home when you travel – so they have the information necessary to aid authorities.

What about business travelers?

Business owners and business travelers may find it helpful to look into corporate kidnap and ransom insurance, often called K&R insurance, which gives corporations some funds for ransom and extortion payments. In some cases, the travel insurance will cover other costs, such as experts to help negotiate the hostage’s release. This is highly specialized insurance, however, and designed to cover high profile or critical employees.

As the holidays get closer, many of us will be preparing for winter driving trips. As families prepare to travel sometimes long distances to be together, being prepared is essential to having a safe driving trip.

Even if you don’t need these, chances are someone else on the road might.

Put these in your emergency kit:

• flashlight
• flares or reflective triangles
• first aid kit
• basic tools
• extra oil
• extra windshield washer fluid
• strips of carpet or cat litter (to create traction)
• ice scraper and brush
• towing gear
• jumper cables
• bottles of water and a few snacks
• phone charger
• several large thick trash bags (one for each person)

Why the trash bags?

Sounds crazy, but if your car slides off the road and is buried in the snow and you have to wait for rescue, you and the occupants of the car can get inside these for warmth. Trash bags are easy to fold into compact squares and slide into a zip lock bag. They don’t take up much room, but they provide more warmth than a heavier blanket.

Of course, tossing a blanket in the emergency kit isn’t a bad idea either, if you have the room.

Program local safety numbers into your phone

Also, do a little research for the local road safety numbers and program them into your phone. If you’re traveling across multiple states, look those up and put them in your phone too. You may not have adequate service to look them up if you’re traveling in a no-service area, so having them pre-programmed into your phone can be a boon if you need rescue.

It’s important to remember that the local laws are the rule when you travel and your government is not likely to come and rescue you.

1. Driving – the driving rules vary from country to country, and if your student can’t stick to public transportation or you simply want to drive while abroad, the U.S. State Department offers some useful information about overseas road safety. You may also want to obtain an International Driving Permit before you go. If you’re a woman, driving (even as a foreigner) in some countries (Saudi Arabia, Iran, etc.) may not be allowed, so be aware of the local laws to avoid trouble.
2. Drinking – while the legal drinking age in France is much different than in America, it’s important to remember that while your student may be able to obtain the stuff, they need to be aware of their responsibility. Drinking reduces inhibitions and can blur a person’s judgement. Public drunken behavior is a punishable offense in many countries. In some countries, alcohol is prohibited. So, again, be sure to re view the local laws.
3. Drugs – even the legal ones can bring you trouble in some countries, but drug laws vary widely. If you’re bringing drugs with you, keep them in their original prescription containers and have a copy of the doctor’s prescription just in case you’re questioned at the border. Remind your student not to bring anything back too.

The answer to that question likely depends on who you are and even where you’re headed. If you’re a parent taking the kids to Disney World, your emergency travel kit looks a lot different than that of child-free backpacker headed to Bangladesh. Some time ago, we noted that emergency kits are just one method of being a prepared traveler and recent disasters: earthquakes, floods, and more have prompted us to remind travelers of the necessity.

• Some kind of light. If the electricity goes out or you’re in a subway accident, a flashlight, microlight, even a headlamp can make being stuck in the dark a whole lot less scary. The fact that many light devices come in highly compact profiles only makes it easier to take them along. Put this item near where you sleep so you can find it in the dark.
• Water purifier or water purification tablets. Most travelers take these only when traveling abroad, but again, there are a number of small profile options, including objects as small as a pen that make it easy enough to toss them in your bag just in case a natural disaster strikes.
• Copies of your passport and credit cards. While keeping your passport and credit cards on you at all times is best, if they are stolen, you can get these critical items replaced.
• Duct tape. There are an infinite number of reasons to travel with a small roll of this. On a recent trip, the door of our hotel room had an odd rattle when people walked by in the hallway, and it kept waking us up. We used the duct tape to secure the door each night and slept much sounder!
• Nail clippers. Most of the time, even the smallest knife or scissors will be collected by security, so rely on nail clippers to cut small things.

Travelers should also take a basic first aid kit to handle minor injuries like cuts, burns, stings,  and splinters not to mention medicines to alleviate common symptoms of a cough, cold, nasal congestion or fever. To have one at home and hone for travel, you can purchase the individual packets and repackage the labeled items in zip-lock bags.