Insurance
Peace of Mind During Your Alpine Activities
Whether you’re trekking abroad, mountaineering across the border or backcountry skiing in the next province, your provincial healthcare plan won’t travel with you. That means, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll have to arrange for care and pay for most of it out of your own pocket.
For the travelling adventurer, the ACC sells TuGo® Travel Insurance, personal insurance which covers the types of activities our members do.
From hospital treatment to emergency air transportation, body repatriation to emergency dental work, this insurance will cover you should the unthinkable happen.
Unlike many other providers, Adventure Sports Optional Coverage is available to cover rock climbing, mountaineering, backcountry skiing and ice climbing. Policies are affordable, starting at just $15 per day.
Travelling more than twice in a year?
Consider the Multi Trip Annual policy option
Savings
It is more economical to travel with an annual plan than multiple single trip plans.
Convenience
Leave anytime and go anywhere without re-applying for coverage.
Flexibility
Family plans allow individuals to travel together or separately and always be covered.
Adventure Sports Optional Coverage
Ensure you select the Adventure Sports Optional Coverage if you are rock climbing, backcountry skiing, ice climbing or mountaineering
Benefits
Comprehensive Coverage
TuGo’s emergency medical policy can cover activities things like rock climbing, trekking, backcountry skiing, ice climbing and mountaineering.
Value
TuGo policies represent the great value for our members and the mountain community, with emergency medical policies starting from just $15 per day.
Club Support
If buying through TuGo directly, please use one of the ACC codes – ALP762 (phone), ALP000 (web) – each sale sees the Club receive a small commission which helps us provide services to our members and the wider community.
Informed Coverage
Our licensed Alpine Club staff members understand alpine activities and can give informed advice on insuring your mountain adventures.
Life Insurance
Looking for Life Insurance? We have partnered with Affinity Life to provide our community with life insurance that covers mountain enthusiasts.
Speak to a licensed ACC staff member
- ACC: (403) 678-3200 ext. 218
- Tugo: 1-855-929-8846 using the ACC reference code ALP762
Eligibility
Canadians travelling outside their home province
If you require medical attention while you’re travelling outside of your home province, your provincial health care plan will not cover important things such as:
- Ambulance fees
- Air evacuation
- Medical equipment rental or prescription drugs
- Dental services
- Accompanying costs such as vehicle return and family members to bedside
In addition, a range of hospital costs such as emergency room fees and X-rays are only partially covered by provincial health care plans.
These costs are particularly pertinent for those engaging in backcountry activities. For example, an air ambulance medical evacuation in the backcountry of BC will cost residents of that province a “nominal fee”, but non-BC residents will be charged about $2,800 per hour of helicopter time plus other ground ambulance fees. TuGo Travel Insurance, sold by the ACC, can cover these expenses.
Canadians travelling internationally
Those coming to Canada to engage in activities such as climbing, mountaineering, skiing and hiking should understand that they are not covered by our country’s medical system. Visitors are responsible for all costs associated with hospital visits as well as emergency medical evacuations by helicopter or ambulance. Together, these can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. The ACC sells TuGo Visitors to Canada Emergency Medical Insurance to cover your back if an accident happens on or off the mountain. These policies can be customized to cover your alpine activities and will cover costs such as:
- Hospital fees
- Doctor services
- Emergency dental services
- Ambulance services and emergency air evacuation (must be pre-approved)
- Body repatriation
- X-rays and prescription drugs
Visitors to Canada
Canadians who suffer a medical emergency outside of Canada are covered for less than 10% of their medical expenses by their provincial health care plans. Climbing, skiing or hiking abroad carries with it inherent risks and services like emergency room visits, ambulance journeys, air evacuations and prescription drugs are all at the liability of the individual without adequate travel insurance.
These costs can be substantial, especially in the US and developing countries as the following example shows.
ACC member Bridget Milsom caught a crampon and fractured her ankle and wrist descending from Parchermo (6,200m) in Nepal. Luckily, TuGo Travel Insurance, sold to Bridget by the ACC covered $16,819 of expenses. You can read her happy ending story on the TuGo blog.
Trip Interruption and Cancellation Insurance
Traveling can be expensive: airline tickets, accommodation, tour operators and other pre-paid travel arrangements add up. If you have to cancel or interrupt your trip due to an emergency this money would be lost.
With trip cancellation & interruption insurance you can protect your investment; it reimburses you for non-refundable, prepaid travel costs.
Missed flights or connections
Natural disasters or travel advisory
Sickness, injury, death, hospitalization or quarantine.
Job transfer or involuntary job loss
Many other scenarios
We highly recommend trip cancellation insurance to those booking ACC huts or Adventures as well as personal trips. In the event that you are forced to cancel your trip due to an emergency this would cover you for the cost of hut cancellation fees or the non-refundable deposits on camps and courses, as well as the accompanying travel arrangements.
Have More Questions?
We have put together some answers to questions we frequently receive about TuGo Travel Insurance.
