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

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

Sean DavidsonMulti-Platform Writer, CTV News Toronto

 

Alex Witmer is fighting to get home after his travel insurance was declined because he told doctors he had a headache while suffering from the flu over a month ago. (Supplied)

 

TORONTO -- A Canadian man diagnosed with a massive brain tumour while travelling in Thailand is fighting to get home after his travel insurance was declined because he told doctors he had a headache while suffering from the flu over a month ago. 

 

Kitchener resident Alex Witmer and his wife Jennifer Witmer, who had been living in Moncton for the last five years, quit their jobs earlier this year and went on a six-week trip to Thailand before planning to relocate to Toronto. 

 

The couple was about a month into their trip when the 30-year-old began suffering from a severe migraine.

 

"He got a migraine that didn’t go away," Jennifer Witmer told CTV News Toronto from a hospital in the southern Thailand island of Koh Samui on Monday. "It just got bad."

 

Jennifer Witmer said they went to the hospital and were expecting to be given pain medication for the migraine. But after doctors completed scans they were told he had “massive tumour deep inside his brain” that was cancerous.

 

Full story: https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/canadian-diagnosed-with-brain-tumour-in-thailand-has-travel-insurance-declined-because-he-had-the-flu-a-month-ago-1.4722084

 

-- CTV NEWS 2019-12-10

[Denim]

Scandalous.  One of the reasons I prefer to self finance rather than trust in the small print of an insurance policy.

 

For those who prefer to have insurance make sure you have enough cash or alternative method of payment in case your insurance won't cough up.

 

Otherwise ....... Go fund me will be your next stop.

[Jessi]

Insurance companys trying to get out of making a payment AGAIN.

[ezzra]

i'm not a big fan of insurance companies ways of doing business but there's some information missing from the OP...With all due sympathy here, not sure whether the insurance company should be liable for what is undoubtedly a pre existing condition, surely this massive tumor hasn't come about when he was traveling right?...

[gk10002000]

The article topic is dead wrong.  He was reporting a headache a month ago, but it was most likely NOT due to having the flu.  He had brain cancer and the flu may just have made things more sensitive.  having said that, this just point out the junk insurance policies that may be coming from the Thai immigration directives.

[sunnyboy2018]

The issue revolves around whether a person knows they have a medical condition and does not admit it. Or has a medical condition and does not know it.

[Hoppyone]

9 minutes ago, Jessi said:

Insurance companys trying to get out of making a payment AGAIN.

Yes again another insurance company cop out,pre existing could be just about anything they choose,or even not payout on getting hit by a car crossing the road,looked to the left but not to the right,

[bkk6060]

Go Fund me Page is up.

 

Travel insurance to me is not for a guy traveling with a brain cancer.  With a previous documented symptom.

How is any of it related to his travel?

 

So, I am a 30 year alcoholic with liver cancer.  I come to Thailand on holiday and get sicker the insurance should pay??

Many seem totally clueless that possible scams may be involved in some of these cases.

Think outside the box folks..  

No pay seems correct.

[leeneeds]

Get your self over to Australia and see Dr Charlie Teo , he will cut the tumour  out

good luck

[robblok]

14 minutes ago, ezzra said:

i'm not a big fan of insurance companies ways of doing business but there's some information missing from the OP...With all due sympathy here, not sure whether the insurance company should be liable for what is undoubtedly a pre existing condition, surely this massive tumor hasn't come about when he was traveling right?...

Pre existing does not mean only that it was there before. Because no doubt about it it was there before  but more about if the person knew or had to know he had this problem. 

 

I am not sure this is all there is to the story. I mean could be a really one sided story that is eaten up by the expats who are anti insurance anyway. I mean they need good grounds to refute a claim not flimsy like this. I would not be surprised if some stuff is left out. Too look extra sympathetic and get donations from gofund page.

[worgeordie]

Never trust Lawyers,Banks or Insurance companies,I have

been screwed by all 3,they can get out of anything, using

the fine print.

regards worgeordie

[Peter Denis]

I presume he bought the travel-insurance before travelling to Thailand.

If he was aware of his condition for sure he would never have made the trip.

It's scandalous that the insurance-company wants to cop out on this.

Imo when sueing them, a good lawyer would win the case anytime.

[The Farang]

46 minutes ago, ezzra said:

i'm not a big fan of insurance companies ways of doing business but there's some information missing from the OP...With all due sympathy here, not sure whether the insurance company should be liable for what is undoubtedly a pre existing condition, surely this massive tumor hasn't come about when he was traveling right?...

True.  Most insurance only cover emergencies and this is clearly a preexisting condition.   Sucks but true.

Best bet is to get insurance from your own country that has International coverage.  Cigna and Aetna are good in Thailand. 

[nev]

28 minutes ago, leeneeds said:

Get your self over to Australia and see Dr Charlie Teo , he will cut the tumour  out

good luck

Good shout they have some great doctor's over there, I worked on a certain doctor Chang's house who was a famous heart surgeon who was tragically killed, He was a lovely man who even though I was only the bricklaying contractor building his house would stop by for a chat. 

[Ron jeremy]

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.

[zydeco]

32 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Never trust Lawyers,Banks or Insurance companies,I have

been screwed by all 3,they can get out of anything, using

the fine print.

regards worgeordie

All insurance is a scam. All of it. It's there for the companies to make a profit. They only make a profit if you pay more in than they pay out. Scam and cheat. Anything to assure that profit. 

[zydeco]

12 minutes ago, The Farang said:

True.  Most insurance only cover emergencies and this is clearly a preexisting condition.   Sucks but true.

Best bet is to get insurance from your own country that has International coverage.  Cigna and Aetna are good in Thailand. 

Every ailment arises out of a preexisting condition. 

[BestB]

It’s little confusing . So he has travel insurance and insurance is refusing to pay for what? 
 

he is on holiday from my understanding for 6 weeks, now that he has been diagnosed.  He can still fly back to Canada ,

 

so insurance is refusing to pay for surgery in Thailand ? Or refusing to pay for what?

[kingdong]

1 hour ago, gk10002000 said:

The article topic is dead wrong.  He was reporting a headache a month ago, but it was most likely NOT due to having the flu.  He had brain cancer and the flu may just have made things more sensitive.  having said that, this just point out the junk insurance policies that may be coming from the Thai immigration directives.

We have a brain surgeon in our midst

[SteveK]

24 minutes ago, zydeco said:

All insurance is a scam. All of it. It's there for the companies to make a profit. They only make a profit if you pay more in than they pay out. Scam and cheat. Anything to assure that profit. 

Insurance companies are like fruit machines, most people put in way more than they will ever get out. After all, the machine costs money, someone's got to pay for it. The people who don't play them are the smart ones.

[kingdong]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

Pre existing does not mean only that it was there before. Because no doubt about it it was there before  but more about if the person knew or had to know he had this problem. 

 

I am not sure this is all there is to the story. I mean could be a really one sided story that is eaten up by the expats who are anti insurance anyway. I mean they need good grounds to refute a claim not flimsy like this. I would not be surprised if some stuff is left out. Too look extra sympathetic and get donations from gofund page.

Why would you want to go on holiday to a third world country knowing you had a brain tumour?

[ThaiBunny]

4 minutes ago, kingdong said:

Why would you want to go on holiday to a third world country knowing you had a brain tumour?

An American acquaintance of mine knew he had terminal cancer with only a few weeks to live and insisted on flying from the West Coast in order to make a farewell tour. He was taken around in a wheelchair, forever <deleted>ting himself. It was an embarrassment to all he encountered but he didn't care

[kingdong]

2 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

An American acquaintance of mine knew he had terminal cancer with only a few weeks to live and insisted on flying from the West Coast in order to make a farewell tour. He was taken around in a wheelchair, forever <deleted>ting himself. It was an embarrassment to all he encountered but he didn't care

Up to him.

[Puchaiyank]

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...

[robblok]

9 minutes ago, kingdong said:

Why would you want to go on holiday to a third world country knowing you had a brain tumour?

Good point though it could also be a smoke screen getting insurance an other way. But its a good point. But Thailand has some good hospitals there could be more to this when meet the eye.

I don't think insurance companies are out to get us and my experience has been reasonable with them. But i can understand them investigating a claim like this one.

 

Anyway it looks like we just see one side.

[robblok]

38 minutes ago, zydeco said:

All insurance is a scam. All of it. It's there for the companies to make a profit. They only make a profit if you pay more in than they pay out. Scam and cheat. Anything to assure that profit. 

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)

[SteveK]

2 minutes ago, robblok said:

I don't think insurance companies are out to get us

No, they are out to make money for themselves and their shareholders. Take in more from premiums than you pay out, very simple.

[kingdong]

7 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

An American acquaintance of mine knew he had terminal cancer with only a few weeks to live and insisted on flying from the West Coast in order to make a farewell tour. He was taken around in a wheelchair, forever <deleted>ting himself. It was an embarrassment to all he encountered but he didn't care

And you didn,t consider accompanying him and attending his accidental discharges?

[robblok]

Just now, SteveK said:

No, they are out to make money for themselves and their shareholders. Take in more from premiums than you pay out, very simple.

Yes of course, they are a company and want to make a profit. For that they risk pool and use statistics and hope they make a profit. But the idea that they just refuse claims offhand is stupid. I mean everyone has a car insurance and you don't hear people complain about that. 

[madmitch]

On the face of it the declinature looks a harsh one but without access to the policy wording and the claims file it is impossible to come up with a definitive yes or no as to whether the decision is correct or not.

 

A decent lawyer might be able to fight this case but it takes time. Allianz don't appear to have a maximum limit of liability for repatriation so they would be liable for the whole amount in the event an air ambulance is required. That's a big hit on their travel account but not a reason for denial.