Help! Medical Insurance etc for Catalina Channel - for a non US resident.
swimnic
New Member
I'm stumped.
I need travel insurance that will cover me for medical expenses etc in the unlikely event of a medical issue or accident during the Catalina swim I have booked for late August 2022.
.
I cannot find any policy that will cover me. I'm Australian. I've contacted so many insurers, including all the ones with "adventurous" policies that I could find. Those suggested in a previous thread posted here some years ago, are either defunct or don't cover channel swims now.
I'm not prepared to lose the family home, in the unlikely event of needing a bit of medical care in the USA.
I am prepared to pay a higher premium, or take on a crazy high excess (up to $10k) - because I could eventually recover from that, but I couldn't recover from a half a million dollar bill - and I think the chances I will ever have to pay an excess are pretty bloody small.
Do any recent internationals have suggestions?
Basically, I can find cover for swims up to 3 mile from shore, or 10km. But most exclude it by having clauses excluding anything that's a "race" (and by their definition, that includes this because you are timed) or more than 10km or more than 3 mile from shore.
Would very much appreciate some suggestions.
Thanks
Julie
Comments
Write to the Catalina island association!
They must know!
Good luck and be smart!
I used Sports Cover Direct for both Catalina and Manhattan. No idea if that helps or not, but they did cover me for swimming with an escort boat. I'm UK based.
I've emailed them - they gave a suggestion of HMBD, - but they appear to only offer medical insurance to US residents.
Sports Cover Direct would be great - but they will only provide cover for UK residents. Sad face :-(
Maybe try Divers Alert Network (DAN)
Oh, just had a look. Looks like the Australian site doesn't offer travel insurance. Which is a shame. So, the US site does, but seems only available to US residents.
Swimtrek recommend World Nomads (haven’t looked at the T&Cs though).
Sadly they won't cover. I can't remember the details - they may cover shorter ones, or closer to the coast, but they won't cover this.
Wait - double checked. They cover swimming in a pool, and swimming with whale sharks and whales.
And in finer detail "Swimming (pool; enclosed, inland, or coastal waters within 3 nautical miles only) ".
So, on a good note, it is probably OK for swimming around Manhatten Island, so if I get accepted for that, I'll be set.