More hikers and mountain climbers need to start thinking about buying insurance policies to protect themselves on trips, after the government last week announced plans to amend the State Compensation Act (國家賠償法) to eliminate such compensation for people injured or killed while engaged in risky activities in mountainous areas, or in bodies of water after authorities have issued weather warnings.
Thursday’s announcement came on the heels of Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) announcing on Monday that all of the nation’s mountain and forest areas not classified as national security sites or conservation areas were now open to the public.
Hikers and climbers could purchase mountaineering insurance products, which mainly cover medical expenses, search costs and removal of bodies, Insurance Bureau Chief Secretary Lin Yao-tung (林耀東) told a news conference in New Taipei City last week.
Some municipalities already require climbers to have such insurance when they apply for permission to enter conservation areas, the Financial Supervisory Commission said.
The commission will not make such products compulsory, so climbers should fully assess the risks themselves, Lin said.
However, consumers should pay close attention to the terms, as some insurers do not compensate policyholders who do not bring cellphones or other communications devices with them on climbs, or who enter certain mountain areas without permission, he said.
Most mountaineering insurance products also do not cover the cost of helicopters used in aerial searches, he added.
Mountaineering products have become popular in the past five years, with total premiums growing from NT$836,610 (US$27,346 at the current exchange rate) in 2014 to NT$12.47 million last year, and the number of policyholders skyrocketing from 904 in 2014 to 70,107 last year, commission data showed.
In the first nine months of this year, the number of policyholders reached 55,183, and premiums totaled NT$11.46 million, Lin said.
The number of such policies is expected to continue to grow for the rest of the year, he said.
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