Insurance

[gazzoom 0]

I will be over in the USA doing some skydives and also a FJC fairly around april time, my question is i will have skydiving insurance. BUT, Will i need base specific insurance, and is this possible to get?, if so could i get it in the US, or would i have to buy the policy in the UK, as im not a US resident.

Thanks in advance

Gaz

[gus 1]

Gaz, check out this thread, I recently went to the US for an FJC and was looking for insurance. In the end I got it through Marks and Spencer but I've since been told that they will no longer explicitly cover BASE. My policy was pretty useless anyway since one of the exlusions means they won't pay if you were doing something illegal at the time. If your FJC is at a legal site it might make things easier.

Gus

OutpatientsOnline.com

[riggersam 1]

There was a discussion about this on the UK board not long ago...

http://www.basejumper.org/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi?s=3ff987a63e5cffff;act=ST;f=1;t=120

[motherhucker 0]

To my knowledge, there are still very few places that BASE jumping in and of itself is illegal. You never tell an insurance company about BASE. You refer to it in terms of "parachuting." Ask if they have any parachuting exclusions, not BASE jumping exclusions...

[gus 1]

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To my knowledge, there are still very few places that BASE jumping in and of itself is illegal. You never tell an insurance company about BASE. You refer to it in terms of "parachuting." Ask if they have any parachuting exclusions, not BASE jumping exclusions...

Do you think that an insurance company would happily pay your medical expenses following a (not explicitly illegal) BASE jump where access to the object involved (illegal) trespass? I always assumed that it was a given that they'd use the trespass to avoid paying out.

Gus

OutpatientsOnline.com

[TomAiello 26]

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Do you think that an insurance company would happily pay your medical expenses following a (not explicitly illegal) BASE jump where access to the object involved (illegal) trespass? I always assumed that it was a given that they'd use the trespass to avoid paying out.

I know of three cases in which US health insurance companies paid for injuries sustained on an illegal jump. In two of them, the jumpers did their best to characterize the accident as something else. In one, everything was up front, and the insurance paid without blinking.

I think it's going to depend on your insurance company. The HMO's I've had tend to pay without too many questions (that said, all my BASE related injuries have been on legal jumps).

I also think that they will take a different view if you are buying the insurance for a limited time (one trip) and happen to get injured on that trip.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[Faber 0]

i were 100% honest to my incurance compagni and told them i wanted to be incured while BASE jumping. and that i might fall off ilegal objects.

heres what i got.

They made me an ekstra police saying that they see BASE as the same as parachuting.

im incured even as i jump off ilegal objects,as loong i dont have alkohol or other drugs in my body as i jump.

My incurance will only pay out if i survive an acsident,this mean that if i get hurt they pay but not if i die.

when i dont do "extreme sports" the incurance also covers if i die(ie if im on your load and i go in,then pull the gear off me,so my kids get some mony)

hope i never gonna use that incurance.

ps. i have asked and they ONLY make it for DK citicens sorry

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[TomAiello 26]

Disclaimer: I haven't tested this out (by getting hurt). You might want to call Thrifty corporate headquarters before you rely on it.

In December, I flew into Boise, where I rented a car from Thrifty.

The salesman offered me the standard insurance options. The top level option was for coverage of "everything". I asked what "everything" included. He told me:

"Well, three guys flew into here and rented a car for a skiing trip. One of them broke his leg skiing, and our insurance covered his medical care and transport home."

I was intrigued, so I asked specifically about parachuting off a bridge. The salesman said that should be no problem. I then asked about breaking the law. He said he wasn't sure, but he had heard of cases where the coverage paid for drunk driving (hence illegal) accidents.

Anyway, since I had health coverage that would kick in if I was injured, I didn't get their insurance (which would have cost more, per day, than the car rental). But you might want to look into it.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[gus 1]

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I know of three cases in which US health insurance companies paid for injuries sustained on an illegal jump. In two of them, the jumpers did their best to characterize the accident as something else. In one, everything was up front, and the insurance paid without blinking.

That suprises me. Do you know of any cases where the opposite has happened, ie insurance companies haven't paid out because the jump was illegal? Are these 3 cases you've heard the exceptions?

Gus

OutpatientsOnline.com

[TomAiello 26]

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Do you know of any cases where the opposite has happened, ie insurance companies haven't paid out because the jump was illegal?

No. I don't know of any cases like that. But, if you are standing around talking, generally people talk about the cool things that happened (i.e. "dude, wait until you hear about this--my insurance paid").

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Are these 3 cases you've heard the exceptions?

I've got no idea. I know of a bunch more legal jumps where health insurance paid out. But I don't have any real data on insurance pay out and illegal jumps.

In general, I think that US insurance companies are better about paying than most foreign insurance companies (particularly from those countries with socialized medicine). Since our insurance industry acts as our "social medicine safety net", they pay out on all kinds of stuff that you'd get health care from the government on in a European country. European insurance companies, on the other hand, operate differently, because they don't have the huge cash flow generated by "routine" health care (since European governments take that cash flow over).

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[motherhucker 0]

either way...I think it's always the best policy (if conscious and lucid enough) to give people the minimum amount of information needed.
Tell the ambulance drivers or doctors you "fell."
If they press the issue, say "I jumped off this thing and landed differently than i thought" or something along those lines...make them DRAG it out of you. These aren't lies...just only part of the truth. The insurance company never has to know. If there's police involved, well--you're on your own.

[Luke 0]

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either way...I think it's always the best policy (if conscious and lucid enough) to give people the minimum amount of information needed.
Tell the ambulance drivers or doctors you "fell."
If they press the issue, say "I jumped off this thing and landed differently than i thought" or something along those lines...make them DRAG it out of you. These aren't lies...just only part of the truth. The insurance company never has to know. If there's police involved, well--you're on your own.

Several years ago a friend broke his leg skydiving in Spain and needed all manner of treatment, including (iirc) repatriation to Australia. He'd gotten himself the cheapest standard holiday cover, obviously excluding everything.

On his claim form (photocopy kept) he explained that he'd broken his leg when he fell out of a Caravan, which they were happy with.

[base428 1]

In my opinion, EVERY parachuting injury (legal or not) should be reported as a "fall". It's really nobody's business as to how you got all busted up, and even if the accident occured on a legal jump, the insurance companies will still give you grief if they know it was parachuting related.

I'm still being haunted by an insurance company from a leg injury 4 years ago where they send me letters asking me if someone else was to blame for the accident (ie. the land owners). Insurance companies would just love to hand the bill over to the BLM or NPS if you got hurt on their property.

Don't EVER tell them it was a parachuting accident. Tell them you tripped over your cat.

(c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted. <==For the media only

[Luke 0]

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Don't EVER tell them it was a parachuting accident. Tell them you tripped over your cat.

I'm smiling as I contemplate the possibility of putting that as an explanation for injuries on a claim form, whilst lying in hospital with broken pelvis, femurs and a smashed in face after a cliff strike. Might go with something else there.

I'm totally with you though, there really is no need to trouble insurance companies with extraneous or complicating details. All they require are the material facts.

[Franko 0]

So, does most of you not have any special base insurance?!
Or do you?

[base428 1]

Standard medical insurance, in most cases, would cover a parachuting accident. However, there are some insurance companies that don't cover anything to do with "aircraft" or if you were injured while breaking the law.

Just remember the "I broke my leg when I tripped over my cat" line.....works everytime.

(c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted. <==For the media only

[TomAiello 26]

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Standard medical insurance, in most cases, would cover a parachuting accident.

I agree with Jason, for the United States. The big issue, I think is for folks from socialized medicine countries who are travelling (and hence need insurance coverage just during their trips).

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[Faber 0]

i´m from a cuntry were i pay tax so when i get hurt i get medical care,and then the stat pays it.I know the stat will do the same were ever i get hurt in the world(no matter what i do).to me this incurance is only to make sure that i get payed if i cant continiue my work/normal day life afterwards... i know in the US it might even be to just pay the bills afterwards.

i just hope i dont need that "help"from either the state or my incurance.. getting injured sucks bigtime

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[TomAiello 26]

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I know the stat will do the same were ever i get hurt in the world(no matter what i do).

Wow. Really? Maybe I need to move to Denmark. Most of the places I'm familiar with, the government health care won't pay if you get hurt (and hence require treatment) abroad.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[K763 0]

This is an interesting thread....

Y'all know about my jellied tib/fib...when I arrived in the emergency room in my knee and elbow pads the nurse said "what were you doing, skateboarding?" Sounded good to me...so I said "yes", and she asked for details. "I was riding a rail, fell off, and hit very hard". End of story, except for my surgeon asking me if I had gotten rid of my skateboard yet. "I sure don't have a skateboard!" was my answer, and was the absolutely truth.

I have medical coverage I pay for out of my own pocket each month. I also have a disability/life policy that covers me if I'm unable to work or if I die. The company that carries the disability/life is Combined Insurance. They seem to be very happy to insure parachutists. Several people here (most all are jumpers) have this coverage from Combined. I have a name and number of my local agent if anyone is interested in speaking to him.

I'm covered for accidents in the U.S., and am very glad to go to Norway to jump where medical is available to everyone, including visitors. In 2002 when we had an incident at Kjerag, our whole group went to the hospital for some counseling that didn't cost us a cent. In fact, we didn't even have to fill out a single form. I guess my set-up is pretty cool: I'm covered in the US as well as abroad in countries with socialized medicine.

I would suggest you contact Combined Insurance and see if they can offer you a temporary policy to cover you while you're in the United States. Here's hoping you can get coverage but never need to make a claim!

Peace,
K#763

[skydiverek 63]

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I know the stat will do the same were ever i get hurt in the world(no matter what i do).

Wow. Really? Maybe I need to move to Denmark. Most of the places I'm familiar with, the government health care won't pay if you get hurt (and hence require treatment) abroad.

Denmark has the highest level of income taxes in the world (according to the Guinness Book of Records). Something like 68% (or close). That pays for health treatments and other stuff...

[NickDG 23]

When I broke myself into little pieces in New Zealand in 1992, and after a fairly significant surgery and hospital stay, I received a very reasonable bill of $8,000. I had four hundred dollars in my backpack and no insurance.

At this time NZed is paying for all tourist injures as they do want people to come and do dangerous things like climb, ski, paraglide, bungee, jet-boating, etc., it’s a big part of their economy. However, they are now thinking about a new policy whereby tourists start relying on their own travel type coverage. I was like the first big test case.

In the end they told me to keep my four hundred dollars and asked I send over what money I could when I could. They are all being very apologetic about it and there is a lot of staring at the floor. And then they wouldn’t even let me sign anything. Kiwis are the greatest. When rolling around in my wheel chair everyone is concerned, but not intrusively, they are just truly sorry I hurt myself while visiting their country.

Three months later, and back in California, I received a letter from the NZed ACC (I forgot what that means) saying don’t send them anymore money (they returned two small payments I’d made) it’s on them, and they are very sorry about my accident and they hoped I would consider visiting New Zealand again.

I framed that letter . . .

Nick D BASE 194

[Faber 0]

not so sure you really want,we dont have objects higher than 1000ft(well our neighbour have some BIG once),and i pay 44%in tax from my pay check and 25%on evrything i buy

BUT our health care system really kick assonly thing you gonna pay is the pain killers you need after you get out from hospital,and even that you will get a discount(50%) on when you reach the 1000dkr/143$ limitbut you get down at 0 as soon as its new year.

im even secured so when my work dont pay me anymore(5weeks after a incedent)then the state starts to pay aprox 80%of what your used to get from your work.Ive just started to work full time in this newyear before that the state payed the rest of the hours i needed from my work(still 80% of that hour paycheck).

the only reasson i have an incurance is that IF i some how should be disabled ill get payed from that.docs exampel talks about 15-25% off my leg,that will give me aprox 20000$ or so from my incurance,my ony bills from myt accsident were the pain killers i got(aprox 200$ in that time i guess).

sometimes your happy to pay ALOT in tax,other times you just hate it.besides that we have shith weather here

Stay safe
Stefan Faber