Seriously Ill Pensioner Trapped In Mexico….

[naomi24]

…..after insurers refuse to pay £40k medical bill

A man who fell critically-ill on holiday is trapped in a Mexican hospital after his insurers refused to settle a £40,000 bill. The company, Axa, refuse to pay up because he failed to disclose his high blood pressure when he took out the policy. The company is perfectly within its rights to refuse payment, but the family are living a nightmare need help urgently. Should the government fund his medical expenses and his return to the UK - or a charity perhaps? Somehow he has to be brought home.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/672328/pensioner-trapped-mexico-insurers-refuse-pay-40k-bill

[furrypusscat]

I feel sorry for the family but everyone knows that you have to be upfront with all pre existing medical conditions as the first part of any claim gives the Insurers the right to delve into a persons medical history and will use any possible evidence to void the cover. This gentleman did not admit to having high blood pressure. I don't think there should be any government intervention and sorry it is down to family/friends to bring him home.

[Cloverjo]

I have medical insurance and am sure I didn't have to disclose my blood pressure when I bought it. Axa is being deliberately difficult in order to not pay out, IMHO. I don't know what should happen now, perhaps the government should pay. If he'd been taken ill here it would all have been paid for anyway.

[naomi24]

Cloverjo, it's usual for insurance companies to require details of any pre-existing medical condition - and it's usual for them to withhold payment should that medical condition cause problems. You really ought to tell your insurers if you have high blood pressure. If you don't and something goes wrong, you won't be covered.

[THECORBYLOON]

If the insurers give in, will it not encourage others to be less than honest about their conditions and at what point will they say enough is enough, £50,000? £100,000?

[furrypusscat]

In the small print on the application form there will always be a paragraph to disclose any pre existing conditions and withholding information that may give rise to a claim will cancel out any claims. When you sign the form you are saying that the information you give is true. This family are mature and would have thought they would have held travel insurance previously and should have known the implications. This applies to all companies and not just AXA.

[anneasquith]

Indeed. Maybe we won't bother with insurance when travelling .

[jno]

depends - was the blood perssure a factor in his illness, or are Axa just relying on a technicality? If the former, I'm afraid he's brought this on himself. (If the latter, shame on Axa.)

[TWR]

With respect to the person, he should have told his Insures for exactly that reason, although you can feel for the person, he has put this stress on himself & his family.

[furrypusscat]

It is irrelevant whether it was or wasn't a factor, (although I would suggest it was) it is a pre existing condition and the insurers are quite within their rights to withdraw cover.

[paddywak]

This is one reason Trish and I have stopped going abroad.By the time we've stopped listing our various conditions the insurance is horrendous,but we both know that anything is liable to happen at any time so we daren't risk travelling without it.I'm sorry for the people conserned but they knew the risks and chose to ignore it and go anyway

[EDDIE51]

Reading the story it is fairly obvious that there was a lot more wrong with him than just high blood pressure, it says that if he had disclosed the extent of his medical problems he would not have been offered insurance.
cloverjo, You have to disclose ANY possible factors that may effect your health. It does not ask questions like '' have you got high blood pressure ''
It just tells you that you must declare all possible problems.
If you have high blood pressure without declaring it and you fall ill your medical insurance will void the policy as well.
Remember every insurance company, not just medical insurance, has teams of people who's sole job is to find ways to avoid paying out claims!
But they call it 'risk consolidation' or some similar name.

[THECORBYLOON]

CLOVERJO, imagine you agreed to act as a guarantor for a loan I took out for £25,000 on the understanding I was in a well-paid job so I can easily make the payments. I neglect to tell you I am about to be sacked. I fall behind on the re-payments and the loan company comes after you for the money. Would you be happy to pay them?

[Sqad]

Pre-existing High Blood Pressure.......not disclosed and then chest pain resulting in Intensive Care.
Of course Axa are not going to pay up.

A gamble that didn't pay off.

[EDDIE51]

If the government bail him out it will set a precedent and in future no one will bother with insurance and just ask the government to pay.

[Old_Geezer]

The government should pay for medical treatment that was clearly not deliberate medical tourism. They've paid in to be covered in the UK so they should be covered globally. One ought not have to rely on untrustworthy insurance companies to find reasons not to cover legitimate costs. Conversely tourists to the UK should be covered by the rules of their country to cover the cost, not expect the NHS to supply it for free. The cross-national system is all wrong.

[Old_Geezer]

Regarding this particular incident, I'd suggest the family looks for a long term loan to get him back.

[EDDIE51]

Old_Geezer, Tourists are already covered by their own governments health system, they get treatment and the NHS bills the overseas health system for the cost. ( that is of course if they come from countries that have health care systems.)
If the government covered the cost of overseas treatment it would cost £millions more than the cost in the UK. It would mean the UK government is acting as a free medical insurance company.

[ToraToraTora]

that's how the uncivilised nations of the world carry on.

[viv41]

I feel truly, truly sorry for his family, BUT he should have disclosed his high blood pressure. Terrible situation to be in.

[ToraToraTora]

if he had disclosed they'd have refused to pay out based on a pre condition so no difference in the predicament.