Under pressure (travel) – OLHI – Free, impartial help with your life & health insurance complaints

Under pressure (travel)

Mrs. T. purchased medical travel insurance ahead of a trip abroad. On that holiday, she fell ill and had to be treated in hospital. Afterward, she submitted her claim. It was declined because the insurance plan did not cover anyone who had been treated for three specific medical conditions. In its final position letter, the insurance company wrote that Mrs. T. had been treated for these conditions.

Mrs. T. contacted OLHI, asking for a free, independent review of her case. She told our Dispute Resolution Officer (DRO) that she had been diagnosed and treated for two of the medical conditions. But she had never been diagnosed or treated for the third condition: hypertension/high blood pressure.

OLHI’s DRO asked Mrs. T. and her insurance company to provide all their information relating to this case. In his review, he found that Mrs. T. was taking a medication for stroke management. The medication prescribed is also used to treat blood pressure. However, this was not the reason why it was prescribed for Mrs. T. In her case, it was for stroke management.

The DRO recommended that the case be escalated to an OmbudService Officer (OSO) for further investigation. Looking at all the files, the OSO read that Mrs. T.’s doctor had confirmed with the insurance company that she had never been diagnosed with high blood pressure. Although it was acknowledged that this particular medication is often prescribed for hypertension, Mrs. T. was taking it to control her history with strokes – and not hypertension/high blood pressure.

The OSO reached out to Mrs. T.’s insurance company and recommended they revisit the case. Because of a history of strokes, controlling blood pressure was necessary but it did not mean that she was hypertensive. The insurance company agreed with the OSO’s suggestion and paid out Mrs. T.’s claim for her hospital expenses.

Disclaimer: Names, places and facts have been modified in order to protect the privacy of the parties involved. This case study is for illustration purposes only. Each complaint OLHI reviews contains different facts and contract wording may vary. As a result, the application of the principles expressed here may lead to different results in different cases.

 

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