US skier Lindsey Vonn airlifted off mountain after practice run in Italy

[WhatInThe]

I'm wondering who pays for all the cost of hospitalization, surgeries & specialized private flight back to the US from Italy and subsequence hospitalization back in the USA? The costs must have run into the hundreds of thousands by now and are likely not done yet.

Would it be insurance purchased by the athlete herself or would it be insurance purchased by the US Ski Federation, or whatever the body is called that is in charge of running these events for each country. Does anyone know how this kind of thing works in the competitive sporting world?

Probably the US Olympic Committee will be picking up the tab, She probably had to pay herself until qualified for the Olympics or US Ski team

 

[Naturally]

I'm wondering who pays for all the cost of hospitalization, surgeries & specialized private flight back to the US from Italy and subsequence hospitalization back in the USA? The costs must have run into the hundreds of thousands by now and are likely not done yet.

Would it be insurance purchased by the athlete herself or would it be insurance purchased by the US Ski Federation, or whatever the body is called that is in charge of running these events for each country. Does anyone know how this kind of thing works in the competitive sporting world?

AI has this to say about it. Coverage is far more robust for that level of athlete than for lower-level or amateur athletes ...

1. Primary Coverage: National Governing Body (NGB)​

For U.S. athletes, the sport’s national governing body typically provides insurance coverage for injuries sustained while training or competing in sanctioned events.

In alpine skiing, that body is:

• U.S. Ski & Snowboard

Athletes on the national team are usually covered under:

• A group accident insurance policy
• Excess medical coverage for competition-related injuries
• Coverage while training and traveling for official events

This policy often acts as:

• Primary insurance (if the athlete has none), or
• Secondary/excess insurance (after personal insurance pays)

2. U.S. Olympic Coverage

For Olympic Games specifically, additional coverage layers often apply through:

• United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee
• The host organizing committee under the umbrella of the
• International Olympic Committee

Olympic athletes are typically covered for:

• On-site medical care
• Emergency surgery during the Games
• Immediate hospitalization
• Emergency evacuation if medically necessary

So if an injury happens at the Olympics, there is almost always event-related insurance involved.

3. Medical Evacuation (Private Flight)

Air ambulance flights from Europe to the U.S. can cost $100,000–$250,000+.

For Olympic-level athletes:

• Emergency medical evacuation is usually covered under either:
  • NGB insurance
  • USOPC Olympic insurance
  • A specialized international travel/medevac policy arranged for the team

It is extremely unlikely that a Team USA Olympian would personally write a check for that flight.

4. Personal Insurance & Sponsorship​

Elite athletes like Vonn also often have:

• Private health insurance
• Disability insurance
• Loss-of-income insurance
• Policies tied to endorsement contracts

High-profile athletes sometimes carry additional catastrophic injury coverage because their earning potential is significant.

5. After Returning to the U.S.​

Once back home:

• Her personal insurance would likely become primary
• Team/NGB insurance may continue to cover sport-related costs
• Some Olympic policies cover extended recovery for competition injuries

For a superstar athlete, sponsors sometimes also assist indirectly (through contract protections or bonuses), though that varies.

In Short​

For an Olympic athlete injured during official competition:

1. Event/host medical coverage handles immediate care
2. National governing body insurance covers competition injuries
3. Olympic committee insurance may layer on top
4. Personal insurance fills any gaps

It’s usually a multi-layered system — not a single policy and not typically the athlete paying out of pocket.

 

[MrPants]

Very detailed info @Naturally - thanks for that!