The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“We have to decide as a community if this is a good thing”
By Than Acuff
While health insurance, and its costs, continue to fluctuate depending on numerous factors, Blister+ provided by local company Blister Gear Review remains in place with no cost increase for 2025.
It has been the quest of Blister Gear Review owner Jonathan Ellsworth to provide a supplemental health insurance option for folks who recreate in the outdoors. Blister+ insurance has been available for several years now and after several additional meetings with policy underwriting company Mutual of Omaha, the cost remains $395 for a year’s worth of coverage.
“The fact that we got it held at that price is huge,” says Ellsworth. “We still need to maximize adoption on this. All I’m hoping to do is grow this big enough to stave off premium increases.”
Blister+ provides $25,000 coverage for each injury, whether it’s your first of the year or third of the year. Get hurt biking in the summer? You’re covered up to $25,000. Get hurt that same year skiing? You still have $25,000 coverage. In all cases, that money can be used for a litany of things. You can use the money to cover your health insurance deductible, cover physical therapy with any therapist you choose, backcountry evacuations, the list goes on and on.
“With Blister+ you can see whatever physical therapist you want to see,” says Ellsworth. “You can go get care from the care providers you trust the most.”
Ellsworth maintains that Blister+ is not a replacement for health insurance. Rather, it provides supplemental coverage for injuries sustained while recreating. And not just here in the Gunnison Valley, but anywhere in the world. Hurt hut skiing in Canada? Covered. Hurt climbing in Patagonia? Covered. Hurt road biking in Europe? Covered. Snowmobiling, trail running, fishing, kayaking, 22 recreational activities are covered under the policy worldwide.
“Blister+ is not a replacement for workman’s comp,” points out Ellsworth. “But for people who live in mountain towns. When they’re not working, they’re still doing the 20-plus things we cover.”
The more the merrier though as numbers of subscribers can have a direct impact on whether premiums go up. While Ellsworth has worked hard to keep it affordable, he can’t get enough members right here in the Gunnison Valley, so he’s taken his messaging nationwide with some success. Atomic, Salomon, Armada and Flylow all provide Blister+ for their athletes as well as some guide operations covering their guides.
“I’m trying to get the word out, get adoption, so I can keep it at a price that is reasonable,” says Ellsworth. “My job is to 20x that to stave off a premium increase.”
And while there are similar accident insurance policies available, here’s where Blister+ differs. For one, the $395 per year cost, that’s just $32 per month, includes your membership to Blister for access to more gear reviews, personalized gear recommendations from Blister reviewers, gear deals and discounts among the other benefits associated with a Blister membership.
Gunnison Valley Health orthopedic surgeon Gloria Beim has agreed to be the medical director for Blister+ and sees the potential benefits of the program firsthand.
“For the 95% of the patients I see that go hard in the mountains, it’s a no-brainer,” says Beim. “I think it’s outstanding as long as people understand it doesn’t take the place of insurance. It’s a wonderful adjunct to regular insurance, it’s not a replacement for insurance.”
Just like the proliferation of helmets on skiers, Ellsworth hopes to see a similar philosophy when it comes to Blister+.
“What we have going with Blister+ is a new way we can recreate responsibly,” says Ellsworth. “When things go south, I don’t want to just be offering ‘thoughts and prayers.’ We have to decide as a community if this is a good thing.”
Information and registration for Blister+ can all be found at blisterreview.com.
