There you are on the chairlift riding up the mountain. A perfect layer of powder blankets the mountain and you’re feeling great. Today is the day you try that double black diamond.
Before you pull your gloves on and hop off the lift you pull out your phone. No, not to snap a “Here I go!” selfie. Well, maybe. But first, you fire up your browser and head to my.buddy.insure and sign up for on-demand accident insurance coverage starting today. Then, gloves back on; it’s time to send it.
Wait, hold up. You did what with insurance and your phone from a chair lift?
What Is Accident Insurance?
First things first, let’s explain accident insurance. Accident insurance pays you money if you, or a covered family member, are hurt unexpectedly. If you crash and injure yourself on that double black diamond run mentioned above (or get hurt anywhere while covered) you can file a claim to be paid directly. The money you receive can be used to cover medical bills, pay for travel change fees, replace broken equipment, or anything you need.
Why You Need Accident Insurance
You might ask, doesn’t health insurance cover me if I get injured? For many Americans, the answer is, well, not quite.
In the US, it is common to have what is called a high deductible healthcare plan (HDHP) for our health insurance. As defined by the IRS, HDHPs are health insurance plans with a deductible of $1,350 or more. The deductible is the amount of money you pay before your insurance provider begins to pay. You may not be required to pay toward your deductible for routine care like an annual check-up, but you will likely be on the hook if you end up in the emergency room after an unexpected injury.
This means that for many of us, we could use some extra cash if we crash. Accident insurance is not meant to replace health insurance but to provide extra coverage, especially at times of higher risk like when you’re sending it on the ski slopes.Without supplemental coverage from accident insurance, breaking a bone on the ski slope could mean a blow to the wallet as well as the body.
The Crazy Places You Can Sign Up for Buddy Insurance
So, now you know what accident insurance is and why you might need it before tipping your skis onto the double black diamond run. But insurance is old school, right? You need to talk to agents, fill out forms, and wait a few days at least for coverage. Can you really sign up from a chair lift?
Yes! Buddy Insurance is the only on-demand accident insurance. On-demand insurance means two things for you.
First, you only pay for what you need. If, for example, your ski trip is a month (which sounds awesome), pay for a month. If it’s a day, pay for just one day.
Second, it means that you can sign up the very day you need it. You can even sign up moments before sending it on that gnarly double black diamond.
The creators of Buddy designed it so you could ride up the chairlift, look down on a challenging ski run you have your eye on, and sign up that moment for coverage. Then you can feel especially confident knowing you’ve got a bit of extra financial protection in your pocket as you glide through the powder.
Here are a few more examples of places you never thought you’d sign up for insurance but can with Buddy Insurance:
- At the trailhead before starting a backpacking trip
- In the staging area before starting a mountain biking race
- On the beach before your first surf lesson
- Before you hop on one of those electric scooters to dart across town
- At the last gas station with cell signal before you head into the desert to rock climb
- At the sideline before your children's weekend soccer tournament begins
- In your front yard before setting up the ladder to take down the Christmas lights
In every case, Buddy Insurance is built to fit into your active, adventurous life so that you can feel confident and protected however and wherever you send it. Happy adventuring!
Hunter Pechin originally wrote this post for Buddy's blog. Hunter is a Fractional Marketer and Strategist based in Richmond, VA.
