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Canadian diagnosed with brain tumour in Thailand has travel insurance declined because he had the flu a month ago


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On 12/10/2019 at 12:09 PM, Sheryl said:

 

Nobody does thorough medical exam, or even usually any medical exam, for issuance of a travel policy.

 

Pre-existing is usually defined for health insurance purposes as a condition which was known or could reasonably have been known. If it were defined as you suggest then the majority of cancers, heart attacks, strokes etc etc would never be covered and insurance would be almost pointless.

 

Travel policies are even more liberal in their definition, since they cover only emergency care.   Allianz, the insurer in question defines it as follows:

 

"

  • We define a pre-existing medical condition as an injury, illness, or medical condition that, within the 120 days prior to and including your plan purchase date:

    1. Caused a person to seek medical examination, diagnosis, care, or treatment by a doctor;
    2. Presented symptoms; or
    3. Required a person to take medication prescribed by a doctor (unless the condition or symptoms are controlled by that prescription, and the prescription has not changed).

https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/faq.htm

 

Would a severe headache be considered "presenting symptoms" in this case?

Even if it were diagnosed as flu?

 

Perhaps that was the thinking behind the initial rejection.

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16 minutes ago, shy coconut said:

Is travel insurance a legal requirement or just advisable?

If the latter, why are you getting so wound up about it? Just shell out

for any treatment required and don't insure.

I agree -- travel insurance is a terrible deal if you buy it for your trip and nothing real bad happens to you.

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56 minutes ago, shy coconut said:

Would a severe headache be considered "presenting symptoms" in this case?

Even if it were diagnosed as flu?

 

Perhaps that was the thinking behind the initial rejection.

He did not presebt with a secere headache then.

 

He had flu like symptoms one of which was a mild headache.

 

Note that the insurance company has already reversed its decision and is paying for medical evacuation by air ambulance...but unfortunately after a delay.

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20 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

He did not presebt with a secere headache then.

 

He had flu like symptoms one of which was a mild headache.

 

Note that the insurance company has already reversed its decision and is paying for medical evacuation by air ambulance...but unfortunately after a delay.

Note that 4 days ago (Canada time) on the GoFundMe page was the following:

 

1916829324_43972006_1575940340313243_r(2).jpeg.1b68139fc427368d39cfeb14d6c1401e.jpeg

 

From CBC article:

 

But on Tuesday morning, Allianz told CBC News it would now cover the cost of bringing Alex back to Canada.

"There is full coverage for Mr. Witmer and his wife's return home, including by air ambulance," said Dan Keon, vice president of market management for Allianz Global Assistance in a written statement to CBC News. 

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/kitchener-thailand-witmer-alex-jennifer-1.5390562

 

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On 12/10/2019 at 9:30 AM, Puchaiyank said:

This just confirms what many have been saying all along...many insurance companies have no qualms or ethics when it comes to denying claims...scumbag of the world...

A few years ago the grandson of a friend of mine was on holiday in Thailand and decided to make a short trip to a country area leaving everything but his passport in his hotel. Whilst away he was badly beaten up by robbers and in a bad way, the insurance company from Australia named Covermore refused to deal with him until he had returned to his  Bangkok hotel to get the insurance policy and its details, on the 6 hour bus journey to Bangkok he passed away from his injuries.

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On 12/10/2019 at 9:33 AM, robblok said:

That is not a scam its called risk pooling and statistics and of course they want to make a profit all businesses do. Risk pooling and insurance has been known to work nothing wrong with it at all. My opinion of course. 

 

But if you have the money do self insure it will be cheaper (or far more expensive if you do get sick)

Most do not have the money, this is exactly why they BUY insurance.

 

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On 12/10/2019 at 9:48 AM, robblok said:

Thing is Sheryl, we are taking the word of one side for it. But sure if it is the way you think it is then this company is fully liable. 

Surely you are not suggesting that he knew he had a brain tumour before he left on his holiday ?

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1 hour ago, Huckenfell said:

A few years ago the grandson of a friend of mine was on holiday in Thailand and decided to make a short trip to a country area leaving everything but his passport in his hotel. Whilst away he was badly beaten up by robbers and in a bad way, the insurance company from Australia named Covermore refused to deal with him until he had returned to his  Bangkok hotel to get the insurance policy and its details, on the 6 hour bus journey to Bangkok he passed away from his injuries.

Damn!  That really brings the problem into focus...so sorry for your friends demise...

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11 hours ago, Huckenfell said:

So what is the new requirement for medical insurance if one is travelling on an O-A visa.  No medical insurance no permission to stay.

Medical insurance is not the same as travel insurance. Travel insurance typically includes accidents, fight delays and cancellation, lost baggage etc - as well as some medical cover and is limited in the number of days it will cover.

 

The medical insurance required for O-A visas covers hospital expenses only and is for a year at a time. Two different things.

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1 hour ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

Medical insurance is not the same as travel insurance. Travel insurance typically includes accidents, fight delays and cancellation, lost baggage etc - as well as some medical cover and is limited in the number of days it will cover.

 

The medical insurance required for O-A visas covers hospital expenses only and is for a year at a time. Two different things.

Not necessarily.

The health-insurance part of my travel-insurance policy far exceeds the 400.000 THB in-patient / 40.000 THB out-patient requirement for the thai-approved health-insurance needed for extension of stay of an OA-retirement Visa.  And I can take it for any period of time (even 1 year or more).

The only problem being that my travel insurance-company is not willing to fill in and sign the Certificate needed to prove that it meets the requirements set by IO.  Not because they don't meet it (they do), but because the Certificate refers to thai legislation which they are not familiar with.

I will keep on pushing them, and hope when enough other OA Visa holders do the same, they might reconsider their position.

Note: Afaik the only 2 signed/filled-in Foreign Insurance Certificates were actually from companies providing travel-insurance (Hanse Merkur and Axa Assudis).  But the OA Visa holders that requested them did not use those certificates for applying nor for extending their OA - retirement Visa.  They only asked them as 'back-up' in case they would be queried when entering Thailand on their OA Visa (which after some initial confusion, proved unnecssary).

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On 12/10/2019 at 1:53 AM, Ron jeremy said:

He came with a return ticket, is he looking to get treated in Thailand????? Simply jump on the big bird, it may cost a few hundred to change flights, and come home. The guys been working for years, is relocating to Toronto, can afford a 6 week vacation, not like he's broke.

unless he's bedridden and incapacitated" , come home.

and it's obviously a pre existing condition. 

Dont nderstand the situation.

I agree entirely. 

Something not right with this situation.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Brain tumour found in Canadian man during trip to Thailand is likely benign, wife says

Last Updated Friday, December 27, 2019 8:34PM EST

 

TORONTO -- The wife of a Canadian man diagnosed with a brain tumour while vacationing in Thailand says the majority of the mass was removed days before Christmas and it is not believed to be cancerous, as they were previously told.

 

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/brain-tumour-found-in-canadian-man-during-trip-to-thailand-is-likely-benign-wife-says-1.4744968

 

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