Slovenia Insurance Supervision Agency outlines insurance options for trekking and mountaineering up to 6,500 metres and expeditions above 6,000 metres

The Slovenia Insurance Supervision Agency, in content prepared with the Slovenian Insurance Association, published a consumer explainer on what insurance to arrange for high-altitude trekking, mountaineering and alpine expeditions abroad. It highlights that while mountain rescue costs in Slovenia are generally borne by mandatory health insurance (except in cases of gross negligence), rescue and medical costs abroad can be substantial and may require upfront clarity on who will pay, making dedicated assistance and rescue cover a practical necessity. The explainer groups relevant products into three categories: travel insurance for trips abroad, which complements the European Health Insurance Card and may cover emergency treatment and related services (including 24/7 assistance, transport and search-and-rescue) but can exclude claims above specified altitudes (example given: 6,000 metres) and certain activities insurers classify as “extreme sports”; a membership policy offered via the Alpine Association of Slovenia (Planinska zveza Slovenije, PZS) for activities up to 6,500 metres (with alpinism and sport climbing covered up to 6,000 metres), focused on rescue-linked hospital treatment and repatriation and subject to conditions on appropriate equipment and exclusions such as piste skiing with a ski pass, heli-skiing and solo climbing above UIAA grade IV; and specialised cover for alpine expeditions above 6,000 metres outside European and Turkish mountain ranges, where PZS offers accident insurance plus rescue and health-assistance cover with variants by sum insured and duration (from 45 days to one year), including an example package with EUR 20,000 for rescue and assistance costs.