Basejumper.com - archive

OK, so forgive me non existant level of foreign knoledge, but

in the US, if i get hurt, I have to pay the medical bill, or my insurance company does.

in say, Norway, if i get hurt, do i have to pay a medical bill?
France?
Switzerland?

In Switzerland, if you get hurt then, if your country has a recriprical health agreement, then you only pay a (small) contribution. If not, then you do pay. However, medical bills in Europe, whilst expensive, are nowhere near as outrageously expensive as they are in the US. Norway will be the same.

I got hurt in Switzerland and, after showing my EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) all was good and they just did what was necessary. A bill for a contribution (c. 50 USD) came in the post about 3-4 weeks later.

I get some reciprical coverage in the US; it wouldn't surprise me if you get some over in Europe. After all, we're nice people and not so maschochistic when it comes to free markets

Also look at: http://www.ihi.com

They do worldwide insurance from which BASE isn't excluded... although I think the caveat is that it has to be "legal". Not that it's really illegal to do much over here (the UK doesn't have a criminal trespass law - unless you deliberately damage something, e.g. cut safety netting, or it's military), but you'd be on "safer" ground (as far as the insurance companies are concerned) if you kept your activities to the well known cliffs.

Health care costs vary a tremendous amount from State to State here. When I was injured in Idaho back in 2000, I compared the cost my insurance paid in Idaho against what they'd have paid in California. Idaho ran them about a half a million dollars. California would have been about 4 times as much.

I'm going to be on the road a lot and signed up for this last night - http://www.medjetassist.com.

If you require in-patient care over 150 miles from home, they put you on a plane with an ICU nurse and fly you home. Includes Norway...and Idaho. From what I hear if you bust yourself up in Moab the local hospital has to farm you out somewhere else anyways...