BCRA > Information > Travel Insurance

BCRA's Travel Insurance scheme has been relaced by one offered by the British Caving Association. However, at the time of writing (14 February 2011), BCA is not endorsing any particular travel policy because of some doubts over whether or not the policy covers self rescue. Please contact BCA's insurance manager insurance.manager[at]...etc. for further details if required. Some 'legacy' notes on the previous BCA policy are given below, for reference.

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Overview of [Previous] BCA Policy
 
  • Because the policy includes benefits typical of any travel insurance policy, the period of insurance must cover the entire period you are outside the UK otherwise it may be declared invalid.
  • You do not have to be a member of BCA to purchase insurance cover under this policy, but there is a discount for individual members of BCA.
  • This Travel Insurance Scheme is not sold to you by BCA; it is provided by an independent company, ********, who essentially 'sponsor' the scheme by agreeing to provide it at a discount to Individual BCA members.
  • As with all insurance schemes, you should check carefully that you will be adaquately covered. The BCA scheme is specifically written for caving expeditions, and it includes the cost of cave rescue services, although the cover is limited to £50,000. However, few travel insurance policies are likely to offer you a significantly higher level of cover for cave rescue, and if you come across one with more attractive terms you should check that this includes 'expedition caving' and 'original exploration'. (We have had reports that the 'small print' that describes such exclusions does not appear on web pages and is not known about by telephone sales people).
  • BCA's insurance policy covers search and rescue costs provided by a 'recognised rescue service', and it defines this to include 'self-rescue' provided certain conditions are met. Other comparable policies may define 'recognised rescue service' in more restricted way. Clearly, if you are on an expedition in a country without an official cave rescue service, you should take care to choose an insurance policy that covers you for self-rescue, or for the despatch of a rescue team from the UK (which the BCA policy covers).
  • Obviously it would be in your own interests to ask for a printed copy of any policy you are considering purchasing, and you should check the wording very carefully. There is little point in paying for an insurance policy if it does not, in fact, cover you for the risks you thought it did.
  • If you are searching for other providers of Travel Insurance for Caving, see the Insurance Policy Comparisons below. BCA does not, of course, endorse any information given on other web sites.
 

Insurance Policy Comparisons
  Where to look  
    google.co.uk/search?q=travel+insurance+caving  
  Points to note  
    What is the amount of the search and rescue cover for caving? (BCA policy: £50,000)  
    Is 'expedition' caving and 'original exploration' covered? (BCA policy: yes)  
    Does the rescue cover include 'appropriate self-rescue' or is it limited to rescue by a 'recognised rescue service'? (BCA policy: self-rescue included)  
    Do you require multi-activity cover (e.g. including climbing, mountaineering)? (BCA policy: caving must be main activity)  
    Do you require annual or single trip cover? (BCA policy: no annual cover)  
    Do you require 'travel insurance' or simply 'rescue and medical' cover? (BCA policy: includes 'travel insurance')  



British Cave Research Association (UK registered charity 267828). Registered Office: Old Methodist Chapel, Great Hucklow, BUXTON, SK17 8RG
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This page, http://bcra.org.uk/detail/travel/index.html was last modified on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:11:47 +0100