UKH

Hi all,

I'm off to Everest in the Spring and just looking to get insurance cover.
Doing my research and was just wondering whether the policy would cover me for cancellation/curtailment costs if I was to pick up a major injury in my prior training? By selecting dates for the start and end of the trip I presumed that it would be restricted to this.

Has anybody had experience with this? Would I just have to extend the dates of the trip to the present, or has anybody used two insurance providers (one for rescue and one for general travel insurance)?

Thanks in advance.
Alex

In reply to Stani49:
Hi Alex, I think it's pretty much impossible for someone to accurately comment on whether an injury prior to departure would be insurable, without seeing the policy wording. Worth speaking to your expedition company and reading the policy documents throughly. Good luck!

In reply to Stani49:






You've got two different issues there, really. On the second one, yes, people get two policies as it's hard to get actual travel insurance that covers mountaineering - BMC is no good if you're not resident in the UK and AAC has its limits etc. So people buy Global Rescue for the medevac bit and regular travel insurance for the rest.

As to whether a policy that covers you for your Everest trip would cover you for a major pre-trip training accident, it would depend on the wording. I think many policies cover 'Cancellation' in general, at least the better, more comprehensive ones do - the budget ones may not. I don't think it matters what causes the cancellation, within reason.

But it may require your trip to be fully cancelled - not just delayed etc. I know from experience they can be strict on what constitutes a 'pre-existing condition' so I doubt you could claim a pre-trip injury on a policy then continue on the same policy. If the training is at home, won't regular medical coverage work? Is the training taking place overseas and therefore that's what you want the second, regular travel policy for?

You really have to read the wording of the main policy and double-check by contacting the insurer and asking very specific questions and preferably get the answer in writing.

In reply to Stani49:
Cancellation/curtailment cover will have a limit e.g. £5K on the BMC's policy. So would not cover you for the full amount once you've paid your final balance.

Lots of people who go to Everest have a standard travel policy and separate search and rescue cover. You'd just take out a single trip policy with the start date being your departure date for Everest.

As to whether the insurer would pay out, clearly if it's an injury (not a pre-existing medical condition) that prevents you from taking part in the trip/activity that you are insured for, then they should. You tend to get what you pay for with travel insurance, in my experience.