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environmental impact that an increase in climber numbers could have; Everest is already described as the world’s highest rubbish dump due to the amount o food wrappers, used oxygen cylinders Underhand tactics on and discarded climbing gear littering its slopes. This could be countered by rules recently put in place that require climbers to bring all o their top of the world own gear and litter o the mountain, along with a quantity o rubbish left by previous visitors. Another worry, though, is that i climbing as an individual or in a small group becomes more a ordable, a spike in demand for guides could result in climbers signing up with inexperienced – or worse, unscrupulous – guides. Simon Lowe, managing director o Jagged Globe, a company that runs mountaineering expeditions, commented: “This will open the  ood gates for anyone to say ‘I’m an expert mountaineer’, get a client and away they go.” rescue The prospect o poor-quality guides romping up the slopes and getting clients into situations they fraud in can’t handle is a worry. There is also the possibility here that we could see an increase in the number o guides willing to engage in helicopter rescue fraud, an issue o growing concern.

the prospect of poor- quality guides romping up the slopes and getting clients into situations they can’t handle is a worry

Allegations made Alpine Rescue Service, a Nepalese assistance company that partners with aircraft operators Mountain Helicopters and , spoke out about the problem o unnecessary airlifts in November 2013, claiming then that a number o evacuations are ‘preposterous attempts to tap into the insurance policies o clients’. Emergency assistance company Global Rescue wrote in December o the same year that although only a small number o operators are involved, The signals coming from Nepal In February, Nepal’s Department o Mountains ‘unnecessary evacuations in Nepal have the are that all is not well in the local restructured the fees it charges foreigners for potential to damage the climbing and trekking rescue helicopter industry. If licences to climb Mount Everest, the world’s industry’. Earlier in 2013, an article published by the commentators are to be believed, highest peak. Discounted fees for groups have been British Mountaineering Council’s (BMC’s) Summit scrapped in the hope that people will start to climb Magazine presented details o the alleged misuse o a slew of middlemen are colluding in smaller teams. The new  at fee per climber is rescue in Nepal. Although helicopters with trekking guides to put just US$11,000, compared to a previous fee for have ‘an important role to play in the inevitable rise mountaineers on rescue flights they individual climbers o $25,000; the previous group in trekkers seeking medical evacuation’, wrote the do not need and artificially inflating permit, which is no longer available, cost $70,000 BMC, ‘weak regulation and the chance to tap into for a team o seven climbers. Madhusan Burlakoti, insurance premiums have made the rescue business the bills charged to insurers, all in head o the department, explained: “We hope to tempting to a new network o middlemen and order to earn a commission. The attract more climbers and also at the same time agents’. According to the article, helicopter charter helicopter operators, though, have better manage the climbing teams. This will allow companies (i.e. brokers), trekking guides and agents begun to speak out. James Paul smaller teams and individuals more freedom when are involved in playing helicopter operators o they climb Everest.” against each other in search o commissions. Wallis reports Commentators have expressed concern over the The BMC quoted an unnamed Nepali helicopter >>

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pilot, who said that i a client falls ill, trekking upon investigation, it turns out there were several slightest hint o mountain sickness. The victim is companies stand to make more money from the passengers rescued and the cost should have been further convinced that the condition may worsen rescue helicopter kick-back than the original cost spread [between them].” and thus is provoked to opt for the easy way out. o the trek. Whereas a client might pay $1,500 Fearing the threat to their lives, the clients are then for a trek in the Everest area, the company could Difficult diagnosis compelled to take the suggestion at hand. They earn twice that on the back o the ‘emergency’ Part o the problem here is that altitude sickness are then requested to call upon their insurance/ medical  ight. According to the pilot, thanks can be di cult to diagnose – especially after the assistance companies for approval and guarantee to good mobile phone signal coverage, a guide client has been brought down from the mountain, o payment for the outrageously in ated quotes.” on the mountain can call up agents and charter given that the main remedy for the condition is Such  ights may also take place before insurance companies, who will then haggle with a number o to descend. A doctor working at a company approval is received, said Alpine Rescue rescue helicopter providers to get the lowest price clinic told the BMC that three out o  ve trekkers Service, with the insurer being told afterwards that possible, while at the same time requesting in ated arriving by helicopter fall into a grey area where an urgent evacuation was needed to avoid risking bills from the providers. Acting as middlemen, the no clear determination o altitude sickness is the client’s life. possible. The trekkers themselves may not be in a position to assess their own conditions, either, said financial considerations the doctor, who added: “I someone comes to you because you feel a bit lousy and says you’ve got to the climber may not aside, this makes get in the helicopter because you’re going to feel a be aware that a pre- flights where there is lot worse, then you get in the helicopter.” It’s easy to see why a climber might be easy to persuade arranged agreement is in no expected medical to climb onboard – speaking at ITIC Global in Vienna in 2013, Mark Rands, managing director o place to involve them in benefit to the climber assistance provider Specialty Group, re ected that an unnecessary flight an ethical issue from for the amateur climber whose goal was to reach the summit, there may be little motivation for the perspective of them to walk all the way back down again. Dr Chawla also noted that the  ight may be The company described a further scenario where patient care requested by an insurance company due to pressure a trip operator, a charter company and a client from the patient or their family. She added: “It is collude to enable the climber to knowingly partake often di cult to con rm the status o the patient, in a ‘free helicopter tour’, under the pretence o it agents and charter  rms can therefore make money as the tour company apparently was contacted by being a necessary rescue  ight, all at the insurance o the back o the  ights, said the pilot, whereas the guide and is not contactable otherwise.” company’s expense. the helicopter providers themselves may struggle According to Alpine Rescue Service, in some cases, to make a pro t thanks to low margins and high the climber may not be aware that a pre-arranged Impact insurance costs. agreement is in place to involve them in an Where such fraud occurs, the impact on the Another commentator, David Hamilton, one o unnecessary, and therefore potentially fraudulent, insurers is obvious – higher or unnecessary Jagged Globe’s guides, told the BMC: “Imagine  ight: “This agreement is set between the trip spending on helicopter rescue  ights. Alpine you’re a local guide leading a trek o six people operator [and helicopter] charter companies to Rescue Service said: “These issues need to be for a fairly low-budget out t. The agent will only force the client to opt for evacuation, even at the addressed abruptly, as otherwise, the insurance be making $500 out o the whole deal. You’ve got someone who’s going a bit slow and it’s a pain waiting for them, you tell them they’ve got altitude sickness (mountain sickness), you call in a helicopter and your company gets 10 or 15 per cent of, what, $10,000?” Dr Kimberley Chawla said that her organisation, East West Rescue, an assistance provider based in India (which shares a border with Nepal), has seen thousands o dollars being added on to bills: “We have seen this when we have been asked by an insurance company to transfer payment for a mission which they gave a guarantee o payment (GOP) for. The bill is often in ated by US$2,000 to $4,000.” She concurred that some  ights are made for the convenience o the trekking guide: “We have spoken to some patients once they land in Kathmandu and they are too chirpy to be labelled sick. Sometimes it is only constipation or someone is lagging behind the group and causing a delay, so the tour guide decides to have the person moved by helicopter, paid [for] by insurance.” Another allegation was made by Richard Ferre, claims operations manager, travel and assistance international, o Ageas Insurance: “On several occasions rescue companies have tried to charge an amount equal to the rescue o one passenger, but

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step insurers can take to combat fraud is to make thorough checks on the bills received for rescue  ights – for example, by checking the number o hours quoted against the  ight log o the helicopter involved. Richard Ferre told us: “[Ageas works] very closely with our agents on the ground who are mindful o [fraudulent] practices and therefore carefully research the information that is provided. Additionally, we request maintenance logs from the helicopter companies, as these can show the activity o the helicopter and contact is made directly with our customers in order to obtain information that may not be o ered at the outset, such as the number o people in the aircraft.” Another course o action is to rigorously assess the climbers. companies are bound to witness a sharp rise in image o honest service providers. Ram Nepal, Mark Rands explained that Specialty Group works their travel insurance policy claims in the near the company’s executive director, told ITIJ: with a medical provider in Nepal to evaluate future.” The costs are passed on to the trekkers, “Such instances o fraud can also hamper the evacuees after their arrival at a clinic. The climbers however, through increasing premiums. For reputation and credibility o honest companies. themselves can also play a part. Writing on this example, the BMC’s trekking insurance is provided Retrospectively, these attempts are also responsible topic in December 2013, emergency assistance by ACE Group, which raised premiums for a [for] making Nepal an expensive tourist destination provider Global Rescue urged members heading to policy covering a 17-day trek in Nepal from £68.03 as the policy prices increase, and altogether, this the to educate themselves on the facts o to £84.56 in 2013. will lead to damage o the industry.” altitude sickness, and to research tour operators and Alpine Rescue Service even stated in January 2014, It’s worth noting that a helicopter evacuation guide companies to understand their perspectives shortly after it became an assistance partner o the carries an element o risk – the risk o injury or on helicopter evacuations in order to avoid being International Assistance Group, that the level o death should an aircraft accident occur. As with duped into taking a  ight they don’t need. helicopter rescue fraud in Nepal could ultimately any ‘medical’ intervention, the risk should be ITIJ spoke to Shree , a Nepalese owner lead to a fall in the number o trekkers heading for balanced by the potential bene t to the patient. and operator o a  eet o helicopters, about the the country: “I such outrageous endeavours are Financial considerations aside, this makes  ights issue. Anil Manandhar, corporate manager o the not controlled and eliminated altogether, we will where there is no expected medical bene t to company, noted that although he has heard o the see the proliferation o such immoral institutions the climber a moral issue from the perspective o types o helicopter rescue fraud described in this that will de nitely create a large barrier for not patient care. Where a trekker is duped or coerced article, ‘is not involved in any such only the insurance companies at large, but also to into taking a helicopter trip they don’t need, they unscrupulous or fraudulent activities’. He added: trekkers and climbers who want to explore and are being exposed to risk without a compensating “Which may be the reason why we are not called embrace the holy Himalayan peaks o Nepal.” medical bene t. for medevac [missions] frequently. As a matter o Along with escalating insurance premiums and a policy, we will not agree to anything that we feel surge o claims, Alpine Rescue Service re ected Action is unethical. I think it is one o the main reasons that the situation could begin to tarnish the In terms o detecting when an ‘emergency’  ight for our low involvement in medevac[s] brought in was not really required, Dr Chawla re ected that by some intermediaries.” In terms o how fraud one indication is when the patient refuses to go to can be reduced, he said: “Such activity will reduce hospital once they land in Kathmandu and instead signi cantly i the insurers eliminated middlemen a number of evacuations goes straight to their hotel from the airport, or and entered into long-term contracts directly with are ‘preposterous goes to an outpatient department and then to their reputed air service providers, especially ones with a hotel. However, she reiterated that with mountain strong emphasis on safety in operation.” attempts to tap into the sickness, the patient may genuinely be signi cantly Ram Nepal further suggested that it might help i insurance policies of recovered once they reach the relatively oxygen- all operators were to insist that medevac missions rich air o a lower altitude. be preapproved by an insurer, or be paid for clients’ The pilot quoted by the BMC suggested that one upfront. This, he said, would give the climber a >>

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Insurance has always been intended to cover the large margin which is not an honest income.” sudden and unforeseen accidents o clients.” Suman Pandey re ected that although insurance companies are a ected by being made to pay Conclusion exorbitantly high prices, helicopter operators are Alpine Rescue Service has stated its goal is to ‘wipe the main victims in this scam, as the actions o the out the contamination that has been persisting in middlemen lower the income that they receive. the  eld o emergency medical evacuation in Nepal’. He called for insurance companies, assistance Ram Nepal emphasised that it is not the air rescue companies and helicopter operators to work providers themselves, but rather the helicopter together, as the current situation is unsustainable. charter companies, tour operators, travel agencies Russell Dadson concluded: “I trek leaders are and trekking guides, who are responsible for using altitude sickness as an excuse to call out fraudulent evacuations: “The helicopter operators helicopters to recover exhausted walkers, then do not have any role to play in the fraud. [They] they will ultimately do their industry no service have no prior knowledge o a fraudulent evacuation as insurers will tighten wordings and limit rescue and only charge their standard rates. However, payments to genuine accidents that threaten life good incentive to only  y when necessary. these intermediaries are the ones to grab hold o a and limb.” n Suman Pandey, CEO o Nepal-based helicopter operator , told us that his company is taking  rm action to discourage fraud: “Some insurance companies have agreed to work with us together and solve this issue. In this, we are sending a doctor with every evacuation mission and

one step insurers can take to combat fraud is to make thorough checks on the bills received for rescue flights

i the doctor  nds that client is in a safe condition, we have been told to drop the client and return with an empty helicopter.” Dr Chawla gave this advice: “A few pointers that can help minimise unnecessary missions or in ated bills are: speak to the patient or tour guide directly; use a local service provider to give the GOP; avoid using a heli company that has a reputation o high rates (or increasing the  ying time); always get a quote, ask another heli company for a quote and then decide; at the time the insurance company gives the GOP, they should name their local operator that will handle the case and make the payment.” Finally, she added: “Do not get pressurised by repeated phone calls from the tour company to make the ‘elevated’ payment.” Sounding a positive note, Russell Dadson, director o UK-based activity travel specialist Snowcard Insurance, said: “I am con dent that our underwriters will be able to contain costs, and we will monitor claims developments over the coming year. Although we have been involved in a small string o claims coming through one leading UK trekking operator, it has not caused a signi cant impact on our scheme.” He called for the tour companies to play their part in reducing the demand for rescue  ights: “Trek leaders and tour operators need to ensure their clients have the experience and  tness to make the full round trip, and it needs to be made clear that insurance is not intended to be used as a taxi service payment.

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