Travel insurance for skiing & snowboarding
Skiing and snowboarding may be limited or excluded on standard emergency medical plans, especially off-piste or racing. We offer optional Sports & Activities coverage — add it and confirm your specific riding is included. OHIP does not pay abroad, so verify the terms in a quote before you hit the slopes.
Key takeaways
- Winter sports may be limited or excluded on standard emergency medical plans.
- Off-piste, backcountry and racing are often treated differently from groomed runs.
- we offer optional Sports & Activities coverage for winter sports.
- A mountain injury abroad can mean costly rescue and treatment.
- OHIP does not cover medical care out of country.
A ski trip is a medical-coverage question as much as a travel one, because a fall on the mountain can mean a serious, costly injury far from home. Winter sports are also exactly the kind of activity a standard plan may treat differently — so the terms are worth checking before you buy your lift pass.
Why standard plans may not be enough
Emergency medical insurance covers sudden illness and injury, but many plans limit or exclude winter sports, or draw lines between types of them. Recreational skiing on groomed runs might be included on some plans; off-piste, backcountry and racing are commonly higher-risk and treated separately. If your riding falls outside what the plan covers and you are injured, the related costs can fall to you.
Why OHIP doesn’t fill the gap
OHIP covers care in Ontario, not abroad. Most out-of-country coverage ended in 2020, and OHIP never pays a foreign hospital up front. A mountain injury overseas can involve rescue, evacuation and specialist treatment — the kind of bill that makes emergency medical coverage essential. The right plan protects you within its limits; the wrong activity terms leave a gap.
How Sports & Activities coverage works
We offer optional Sports & Activities coverage built for pursuits a standard plan may not fully include, winter sports among them. Adding it is how skiers and snowboarders bring their activity inside the coverage. Be specific: confirm your style of riding — resort, off-piste, backcountry, park, or competitive — is covered, since these are often handled differently.
Confirm the specifics
Before you travel, check how skiing and snowboarding are classified on your plan, whether they are standard or an add-on, and what conditions apply. If more than one person is on the trip, confirm the coverage for each rider’s plans. Matching the coverage to how you actually ride is what makes it real protection rather than a false sense of security.
What drives your price
Premiums typically depend on age, trip length, coverage amount, destination and health answers (a medical questionnaire applies at 60 and over), and adding activity coverage affects the price. Because the right mix depends on your trip and how you ride, the only accurate figure comes from a personalized quote.
Before you hit the slopes
Add Sports & Activities coverage if you need it, and confirm your specific type of skiing or snowboarding is included. Make sure the emergency medical limit is high enough to absorb rescue, evacuation and treatment, and note that TripCovered provides 24/7 assistance in multiple languages, which matters if an accident happens at a resort abroad. Match your coverage dates to your trip, and keep any medical documentation accessible.
Winter sports are very insurable with the right coverage in place. Comparing your options in a quote is the quickest way to confirm your riding is covered and see your real price before you travel.
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Purchase now →Frequently asked questions
Is skiing covered by travel insurance?
It depends on the plan. Recreational skiing on groomed runs may be included on some plans, while off-piste, backcountry and competitive skiing are often limited or excluded. We offer optional Sports & Activities coverage — add it and confirm your specific type of skiing is covered.
Does it cover off-piste or backcountry riding?
Off-piste and backcountry are higher-risk and are frequently treated separately from groomed-run skiing. Do not assume they are included. Confirm exactly what style of skiing or snowboarding your plan covers, and add the right coverage if your plans go beyond marked runs.
What about mountain rescue costs?
A serious slope injury can involve rescue, evacuation and hospital care, which is expensive abroad. Make sure your emergency medical limit is high and your activity is covered, so these costs fall within the policy rather than on you. Confirm the details in a quote.
TripCovered is a licensed insurance referral service operating in Ontario. Insurance is administered by North American Air Travel Insurance Agents Ltd., doing business as TuGo®, a licensed insurance broker in all provinces and territories. The issuer of the contract is Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. and Industrial Alliance Pacific General Insurance Corporation. Coverage is subject to the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the policy. This website provides general information only and is not a contract of insurance. Always read your policy wording before you travel.