Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) relating to Insurance
NOTE: The AAC(UK) is not an agent for the insurance company and nothing contained herein should be taken otherwise Only the AWS Leaflet . is authoritative
Does the insurance start as soon as I apply for membership online?
No, the application still has to be processed which can take up to 3 working days and in periods of high demand or in the event of force majeure an even longer time must be allowed. The insurance starts at midnight at the end of the day on which the AAC(UK) Office processes it. The reason why insurance cannot start the instant you make a commitment to join, is because the AAC(UK) is not an insurance agent. The safest assumption for you to make is that if you have yet to receive your membership card though the post you might not be insured.
If I apply over the weekend am I covered instantly?
No, the Office is closed from 13:30 on Friday afternoon until 09:00 Monday morning. The Office endeavours to clear any backlog from the weekend as soon as possible thereafter. Processing an application can take up to 3 working days but in periods of high demand or in the event of force majeure an even longer time must be allowed. The insurance starts at midnight at the end of the day the AAC(UK) Office processes it. The reason why insurance cannot start the instant you make a commitment to join, is because the AAC(UK) is not an insurance agent. The safest assumption for you to make is that if you have yet to receive your membership card though the post you might not be insured.
What does AWS Insurance cover?
The scope of the cover provided is explained in the AWS Leaflet . You should read it carefully and consider whether it meets your needs and if necessary take out additional insurance. The Office cannot give specific insurance advice.
How do I make an Insurance Claim?
See details in the AWS Leaflet . You will ned to complete this Claim Form. When you return the Claim Form to Austria you will need to send a copy of the receipt for your current membership fee. If you have lost it, the AAC(UK) Office can provide a replacement.
What contact numbers do I need to remember?
The UNIQA SOS phone number is (+43) (0) 1 204 9999
The Tyrol Air Ambulance phone number is (+43) (0) 512 22422
Notes:
- Tyrol Air Ambulance should be initially tasked through UNIQA.
- These phone lines are manned 24/7.
How do I interpret these phone prefixes?
The (+43) (0) prefix is in the international standard format for showing phone numbers, which we have chosen because of the worldwide nature of the cover provided by AWS insurance.
The + is the International Direct Dialling (IDD) prefix needed to indicate that you are making an international call. Keying + should work worldwide if using mobile phones or any other phones with a + key, when it will be automatically interpreted for you. From landline phones with no + key, 00 is the correct IDD when phoning from both the UK and Austria, and from a lot of other countries, but there are many exceptions, and be warned that in some countries the IDD has been known to change regularly.
The 43 is the specific Country Code for international calls to Austria, in the same way that 44 is the code for the UK.
The (0) in the second bracket is the National Direct Dialling (NDD) prefix used for making calls within the country being phoned. It is 0 within both the UK and Austria, but again, there are many variations elsewhere. Note that if you are within Austria and dial 0043 instead of 0 , it should still work.
If you are going somewhere new it is worthwhile checking and noting the specific IDD and NDD phone prefixes you might need in each country you are visiting.
What is the procedure if I need hospital treatment abroad?
If you are normally resident within the European Economic Area (comprising the EU plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and overseas French Dependencies) or Switzerland, it is essential to produce your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) whenever being treated at a public hospital within another of these countries. This ensures that the cost is paid directly by intergovernmental agencies. Please note that the validity of an EHIC expires after 5 years, so check the expiry date of yours in good time before you depart.
AWS insurance covers other hospitalization costs up to a maximum stated in the AWS Leaflet , which might be incurred at private hospitals within the above countries or at all hospitals elsewhere. In such cases, UNIQA deals with invoices directly with the hospital finance department. Be advised that this maximum limit might not be sufficient in countries with expensive hospitals or where prolonged expensive treatment might be required.
What is the procedure if I need repatriation?
If on clear medical grounds you need repatriation by road ambulance, scheduled airline or air ambulance, UNIQA’s partner Tyrol Air Ambulance handles everything from discussing your condition with your doctors, planning the best course of action, and delivering you to your local hospital or to your home, leaving you with nothing to worry about. Please note that the initial tasking/involvement of Tyrol Air Ambulance should be arranged through UNIQA.
What is the repatriation procedure in the event of a fatality?
In the event of a fatality within Europe, you obtain the agreement of UNIQA to place the task with a funeral company and UNIQA liaises with them to cover the costs directly. Outside Europe, UNIQA liaises with your own local embassy (e.g. the British Embassy for most AAC(UK) members) to fulfil all official requirements.
What is the procedure in the event of rescue?
Because rescue is urgent, you must organise it yourself locally without contacting UNIQA, who neither gets involved with payment guarantees either before or during a rescue operation, nor gets involved in any decision as to the necessity for a rescue. Rescue operations are covered up to a maximum stated in the AWS Leaflet . Wherever possible UNIQA will establish the facts justifying the rescue as quickly as possible and pay them directly; in other cases you might need to pay them yourself initially and then seek re-imbursement from UNIQA. Study Paragraph 1 of the AWS Leaflet for full rescue terms and conditions, which this explanation does not supplant. When you join/renew, you should receive a small plasticised “concertina” multilingual leaflet that relates to seeking help after an accident – it is suggested that you carry this with your membership card. The phone numbers for emergency services vary from country to country, and you should find these out yourself locally.
Warnings:
- If an overdue party (for example) is unnecessarily ‘rescued’ when there was no clearly demonstrable need, such a rescue might not be viewed by UNIQA as justifiable and you might end up paying for it yourself.
- Remember that rescue insurance is exactly what it says it is. It reimburses the cost of rescue, it doesn’t provide it, and it cannot pay for what doesn’t exist. So if you are operating in a very remote part of the world which lacks any rescue facilities, your party might need to be self-sufficient for getting off the mountain.
- Your passport and membership card presented together provide ID for using the rescue services covered by the insurance. Both must be carried and the name must be exactly the same on both.
How do I extend or change the insurance cover?
The AAC(UK) has no information about varying or extending the standard AWS insurance package, other than that provided in the the AWS Leaflet , which explains the procedure in detail.
I have made an insurance claim and have not heard anything?
Please do not contact the AAC(UK) Office regarding specific insurance claims (except to ask for a claims form) since the Club is not an insurance company agent. Contact details can be found in the AWS Leaflet .
What is the difference between an expedition, a trek and a tour in the context of the insurance?
Very little, each having elements of all three. In conventional UK parlance, the term 'tour' is most frequently used in connection with a hut tour in the European Alps and the term 'trek' in connection with something similar in the Greater Ranges, which may use bunkhouses, hotels or tents, and which is the sort of activity promoted by adventure holiday companies. The term 'expedition' is more usually encountered in connection with serious mountaineering in the Greater Ranges. The distinction between treks, tours and expeditions, in the insurance context, is explained in the AWS Leaflet
Further Note : mountain rescue insurance is exactly what it says it is. It ‘reimburses the cost’ of mountain rescue, it does not ‘provide’ mountain rescue, and it cannot pay for what does not exist. So if you are operating in a very remote part of the world which lacks any mountain rescue facilities, your party might need to be self-sufficient for getting off the mountain.
Is caving covered?
The AAC(UK) is a mountaineering, alpine sports and walking club. The only activities which are covered are those described in the AWS Leaflet , and only includes those caving activities which are organised by the AAC(UK) itself. Caving insurance is highly specialised and if you are a UK resident should be arranged through the British Caving Association of through any bone-fide UK Caving Club.
What if my insurance-related question is not in this list?
Please contact the AAC(UK) Office , and we will do our best to answer it.
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Last updated 30 November 2010