Danielle Kliaman’s family is struggling to get their travel medical insurance company to pay after she was hit by a truck in Thailand.
A woman’s experience seriously injured in a scooter accident in Thailand is a reminder to travelers to do their research before buying travel medical insurance, travel experts say.
Danielle Kliaman broke all the bones in her foot when she was hit by a truck while riding her scooter on the island of Ko Samui in Thailand last week.
After his foot became infected, his family paid $30,000 for an air ambulance to fly him to a hospital in Bangkok.
But the family had difficulty getting their travel medical insurance company to pay for their transportation and medical care. Kliaman’s mother, Annette, had to pledge that she would cover her daughter’s hospital bill in case the insurance company did not pay.
Kliaman had purchased his insurance, with a limit of US$250,000, from a company in the United States. The family asked that the company’s name be withheld due to ongoing discussions about reimbursement of invoices already incurred and future expenses.
tea Times Colonist tried to contact the company, but had not received a response as of the date of publication.
Travel experts say it is important to check the maximum amount of coverage for medical expenses before purchasing travel medical insurance.
Most people in the travel industry are contacted by the Times Colonist they were surprised to hear about the $250,000 US limit on Kliaman’s policy, which they consider too low. They said Canadian travel insurance policies typically come with $5 million to $10 million in medical coverage.
“Medical costs can easily reach $10,000 a day,” said Will McAleer, executive director of the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada, an umbrella group that represents 90 percent of the industry in Canada. .
“If you have a code blue event in a US hospital, it can be up to $10,000 an hour.”
He said travelers choosing between different insurance policies should look for those made specifically for Canadians.
“The plans submitted by travel agents and insurance brokers in Canada take into account the needs and expectations of Canadians when it comes to medical care. They have the knowledge and experience to correctly explain policies to customers so they understand the differences between the different plans,” said McAleer, who is based in Toronto.
Insurance premiums are based on the length of the trip, the age of the traveler, where they are traveling and pre-existing medical conditions.
Most plans originating in Canada take into account the traveler’s provincial medical plan. While the BC Medical Services Plan provides some coverage – $75 a day – for emergency hospital care for travel outside of Canada, it is clearly not enough to cover medical and hospital care, prescriptions, ambulance services and travel home.
Cathy Scott, CEO of Departures Travel, Victoria’s oldest independent travel agency, said travel insurance sounds expensive – until you need it. “It’s not worth going cheap,” he said. “The journey should be happy.”
She said that in the case of a medical emergency, the company she uses – Manulife – has Canadian doctors who take phone calls, guide them on the next steps and pay in advance for medical expenses.
Companies typically pay first and investigate later, experts said.
Scott said he has seen a “huge” increase in people buying travel insurance, which includes trip interruption insurance, since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“People who didn’t have insurance, got nothing. Those who bought insurance at least got something,” he said.
When an emergency occurs, insurance companies have in-house staff or contracted companies that provide assistance services, in contact with doctors and hospitals, the insurer and the insurance company.
They look at the doctors’ reports, the police reports and other documents, they advise the insurance companies of the necessary steps to get help to the individual and ensure the payment of the local providers.
On Thursday, Kliaman’s family learned that his insurance company will cover the cost of surgery on his foot, but will not reimburse the family for the air ambulance ride.
McAleer said that the determination of medical evacuation is necessary rests with the medical staff – if the doctor in charge has decided that the patient does not need immediate air evacuation – or that an alternative mode of transport was available – the company is within its right to deny that part of the claim.
McAleer suggests the family keep the lines of communication open and keep all records.
David Rose, general manager of Mile 0 Tours, said he is sympathetic to the family’s plight. He said during a medical emergency, “everything seems to take longer than it should.”
All experts agree that consumers should read the fine print when comparing policies and ask for help choosing the best policy for their needs.
“No one [in the travel insurance industry] He wants to see what this family is going through. It is inconsistent with the standards we have set for the industry,” McAleer said.
parrais@timescolonist.com
