Hitting the slopes? Make sure your ski insurance is up to scratch

If you are planning to hit the slopes this year have you thought about what happens if things go wrong? Thousands of us head off on ski holidays each year but a huge proportion aren’t adequately insured.

Here’s what you need to think about.

Are you insured?

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You should never go on holiday without travel insurance. Without it you could end up facing huge medical bills, hefty cancelation costs, or be out of pocket if your belongings are stolen. This is particularly important if you are going skiing as your risk of injury is vastly increased.

If you have an annual policy make sure it covers winter sports – many don't – and if it doesn't, or you don’t have a policy, take out a specialist policy that covers all the activities you plan on doing.

Do you need specialist cover?

If you are planning on skiing off-piste or taking part in particularly adventurous winter sports including snow-mobiling or heli-skiing you will need to get specialist cover, as most winter sports policies only cover basic skiing and snow boarding.

Are you covered for theft?

Ski insurance isn’t just about protecting yourself in the event of injury. You will also have a lot of expensive equipment on you so make sure your policy covers you for theft, and that the cover is high enough to reflect the value of your ski gear.

Comparison website Gocompare found that only one in five travel insurance policies offered theft cover of more than £1,000, with half offering less than £500.

Also, take steps to protect your stuff. If you are leaving your skis outside a restaurant split them up on the rack so it is harder for a thief to grab them.

Don’t choose the cheapest policy

Choosing travel insurance isn't simply a case of tapping in your details on a comparison website and going with the cheapest policy. You need to make sure the cover levels are adequate.

“Most people purchase travel insurance based on price and only when they come to claim do they discover the limitations of their cover,” says Fiona Macrae, from Travel Insurance Facilities in The Mail on Sunday.

"Cheaper policies are likely to have restricted cover and higher excess levels."

As a rule of thumb you should go for a policy offering at least £2m of medical cover, £1m of personal liability cover (in case you injure someone else on the slopes), at least £1,500 for belongings and £2,000 of cancellation cover.

"Even the most competent of skiers are injured in collisions every day," says Kate Niven, travel underwriting manager at Avivia, in the Mail on Sunday.

"The cost of medical treatment can run into the thousands of pounds, and then there are repatriation fees on top.

"The cost of bringing someone with a damaged spinal cord home to the UK by air ambulance could be in the region of £20,000 from the European Union, or even as much as £80,000 from the US."

Are you accidently invalidating your insurance?

Once you have a travel insurance policy, don’t think that means you can do what you like: there are loads of ways you can accidently invalidate your insurance, so make sure you read your policy carefully and understand what you can and can't do.

It's a good idea to wear a helmet when you are on the slopes, and many policies these days may require it. Also, think twice before you have that extra wine with lunch, if you could be considered drunk when you have an accident your insurer could refuse to pay out.