Topic: Travel Insurance

A party in Cancun takes a turn for the worse for Luis and Aoife when Aoife stops breathing and is rushed to hospital. Will Luis’s insurer pay for his medical bill?

Private hospital care is not covered by the policy, but does the broker have any responsibility to advise his clients before the costs are incurred?

Aaron was planning a tour through Central America. He applied for all the visas he needed, but was denied a visa for one of the countries. Aaron reapplied for a visa, but when he was unable to obtain one in time, he cancelled his tour. Aaron sought a refund from his travel insurer.

What happens if you don’t take enough medication with you when you travel overseas?

Hari suffered complications during heart surgery requiring him to cancel his overseas travel to China. The insurer declined to pay for the cancellation costs noting Hari’s heart condition was a pre-existing medical condition and his inability to travel after surgery was a foreseeable event. Was the insurer unfair in declining Hari’s claim as his doctor had cleared him for travel?

Tina suffered an injury to her foot that required her to cut short her holiday in Japan and return to New Zealand. The insurer declined to pay Tina’s claim noting she had not obtained a medical certificate. Was this right?

Katie’s infant daughter was not allowed to board a plane in south America because the airline printed an incorrect boarding pass. Katie had to purchase new flights and accommodation to continue with her trip. Katie’s travel insurance company refused to reimburse her because the travel insurance policy excluded cover for incidents arising from the airline’s negligence.

After the vehicle Johanna and Jack were travelling in to the airport was hijacked and stolen, their travel insurer declined their claim. Was the insurer able to decline the claim?

Ali and Hans booked a deluxe train trip through the french Riviera. The trip did not go as planned and they missed a piece of their tour. Ali and Hans do not think that the refund they were offered from the tour company is enough. They want their insurer to cover the missed portion of the tour.

Should an insurer have to pay when ‘medical tourism’ goes wrong?