What insurance for trekking and mountaineering in the Alps?

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Justine1 01 Jul 2017
Hi all !

I'm french but living in the UK. So I don't have french insurance anymore and I am not used with the UK insurance system. As I work in UK, I pay all the NHS fees through by salary.
I'll go trekking in the Alps and climbing the Mont Blanc this summer. I have some questions about the insurance I should/could get. I already have a very good rescue/search coverage with my Credit card but the medical coverage is quite low. Therefore, I'm looking for a very good medical coverage (in case I'll go to the hospital, I want all the fees to be covered even if it s a long stay. I have check for french insurance but most of them limit the expenses to €2500 which is not enough in case of problem).

1) What insurance would you recommand me ? I have heard about the BMC, AAC or dogtag ones but I m struggling to understand the differences. I'm not looking for a travel insurance and already have a very good rescue coverage.

2) Will NHS cover the medical expences I could have in France (if I have an accident) ?

I'm a bit confused ...

Many thanks for your help !!!

Justine
 Takein 02 Jul 2017
In reply to Justine1:

If you are a UK resident then you should be eligible for free or subsidised emergency medical treatment in Europe. You should apply for an EHIC card which will confirm your eligibility...

https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/startApplication.do

Emergency medical treatment only. This doesn't help with the cost of search or rescue prior to arriving in hospital, repatriation after discharge from hospital or any ongoing treatment or rehabilitation after an accident. For this you would need insurance.

You say you have insurance and rescue already so maybe that's enough. Check the details carefully as most travel insurance policies do not cover anything remotely adventurous.

The AAC provides a basic level of cover to all its members. You just join the AAC for a year and you're covered. It's mainly geared towards covering the cost of rescue and repatriation in Europe. Read the terms carefully and if it covers everything you are planning to do then (along with an EHIC card) it's a good, cheap option.

https://aacuk.org.uk/p-mountain-rescue-search-insurance

The BMC are more comprehensive and have a several different policies that you can take out for a few days or up to a year. Only available to UK residents so not sure if you would qualify but give them a call and I'm sure they would be able to tell you.

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/modules/insurance/
 Martin Bennett 02 Jul 2017
In reply to Justine1:

Huwj has covered it there. The only thing I might add is that last time I checked the BMC insurance covered some of the things you already have - rescue and "standard" travel insurance - like me.

I've used https://www.sportscoverdirect.com/ in the past as they do a "top-up" policy that adds medical cover (including injuries sustained in hazardous pursuits) only. What's more you can buy it to cover just the days you'll be trekking or climbing, not the time spent travelling to and from home. This of course helps reduce the cost.

I should add that, happily, I've never had to claim on their policies so I can only vouch for their helpfulness when buying a policy, not in the event of a claim.
Justine1 03 Jul 2017
In reply to Justine1:

Many thanks for your answers. I think I now must figure out if I am a UK resident or not ... very tricky question ....
 nutme 03 Jul 2017
AAC membership will give you a discount in all alpine clubs huts. It's normally not a lot, but over a week it pays for the price of membership. Especially in more expensive huts like Cosmiques or Gouter. BMC does not in majority of cases.

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