Travel Insurance Fails As Phuket Tourist Faces Bt600k Medical Bill

[webfact]

Travel insurance fails as Phuket tourist faces B600k medical bill

Phuket Gazette

Amy Myles with Sean Kenzie. Family and friends are struggling to raise funds for Sean’s spiralling medical expenses after travel insurance left him stranded in a Phuket hospital. Photo: Facebook

PHUKET: -- Family and friends of New Zealander Sean Kenzie, who suffered extensive injuries after being knocked off his motorbike in Phuket, have launched a campaign to raise funds to pay his spiraling medical bills.

Mr Kenzie, 27, was involved in a collision with a taxi van in Patong last Saturday (June 30).

He suffered a split liver, two punctured lungs and broken ribs. His neck has already had surgery to reattach the muscles and jaw. He now needs further surgery to fix his jaw.

His medical bill to date is NZ$16,000 and rising. The surgery to correct his broken jaw will cost about NZ$8,000 – a total of more than 600,000 baht, explained Sean’s brother, Kane.

“I’d like to say thank you to everyone who has contributed to the cause, but we still have a long way to go,” Kane told the Phuket Gazette this morning.

“The NZ$16,000 is for surgeries that saved his life, but he also needs to fly back home and he'll need doctors after he gets back,” he added.

According to the support group’s Facebook page, as of this morning just over NZ$2,500 had been raised.

“We’d really like to get our son home and get him well. We are hoping for the goodwill of other human beings,” Sean’s mother, Nadine Mouritsen, told the Gazette from her home in Napier, New Zealand.

Sean was returning to his hotel room in Patong when the accident happened. He arrived in Phuket the day before with his boss from Perth, Western Australia, where Sean lives and works.

He was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, but doesn’t remember any details of what happened. “I checked into my hotel. I hired a little scooter; had a look around. The next thing you know, I was in here,” he told Channel 7 news from his hospital bed.

“I must have been hit from behind,” he added. Witnesses reported he was struck by a passenger van.

When his girlfriend, Amy Myles, arrived in Phuket the next day, Sean was in the intensive-care unit.

“If we had known that he wasn’t covered for a motorbike [accident], then he wouldn’t have hired one. He wouldn’t have been riding around on his first day,” said Amy.

“Sean paid more money to get the highest cover he thought was available to him. He was under the understanding that he was covered for everything,” she told reporters in New Zealand.

Sean’s mother and brother are likewise dumbfounded by the travel insurance policy specifically excluding medical expenses arising from motorbike accidents.

Mrs Mouritsen told the Gazette she was stunned that the policy, issued by a major travel insurance company and sold through the travel agent, did not cover injuries sustained in motorbike accidents – especially for people specifically travelling to Thailand.

“It seems so strange when it is the mode of transport for the country,” she said.

Kane explained that the policy, though sold as “full coverage”, had motorbike accidents set aside for “extra coverage” at extra expense.

“I understand a contract is a contract, but how you word it is critical. I have never been to Thailand but everyone knows motorbike accidents are common in Thailand. My first impression when you say ‘Thailand’ is motorbikes all jostling with each other to get in front.

“You would think motorbike insurance would be included when a policy is sold as ‘full coverage’, and that as an insurance company you would naturally include it…. Maybe they excluded it because it was costing them too much,” he said.

The Gazette notes that the slogan used by the travel insurance company is “…travel insurance you can trust…”

The effort to raise funds has been exhausting. “I haven’t slept for about two and a half days,” Kane told the Gazette this morning.

People wanting to make a donation can do so through Nadine Mouritsen’s New Zealand bank account with ANZ Bank (Account number: 11-6401-0087968-47), and through Jemma Tangohau’s Australian bank account with ANZ Bank (BSB: 014688; Account number: 454421766).

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16367.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-07-06

[Huayrat]

Am i missing something here... Why does he pay the bill if a van hit him??? surely he should pay nothing as not at fault

[Totster]

Am i missing something here... Why does he pay the bill if a van hit him??? surely he should pay nothing as not at fault

Ha !!

totster

[whybother]

Am i missing something here... Why does he pay the bill if a van hit him??? surely he should pay nothing as not at fault

The van probably didn't have insurance ... if they know the van that hit him at all.

[Huayrat]

yeah i understand they do a runner in Thailand but he should get free treatment and the taxi driver who they will probably catch if not already should be paying that bill for the rest of his life..... His insurance would not have paid out anyway as he was not the cause of the accident so he is <Snip!> either way

Edited July 6, 2012 by metisdead
: Profanity removed.

[stevenl]

Am i missing something here... Why does he pay the bill if a van hit him??? surely he should pay nothing as not at fault

The van probably didn't have insurance ... if they know the van that hit him at all.

The van probably did not stop, but most likely did have insurance, at a minimum the compulsory 3rd party insurance.

[stevenl]

<snip> His insurance would not have paid out anyway as he was not the cause of the accident so he is <Snip!> either way

Not correct, if he had cover for driving a motorbike his insurance would have paid. The insurance company would then try to get reimbursed for that by the insurance company from the liable party.

[whybother]

yeah i understand they do a runner in Thailand but he should get free treatment and the taxi driver who they will probably catch if not already should be paying that bill for the rest of his life.....

... what universe are you living in?

His insurance would not have paid out anyway as he was not the cause of the accident so he is <Snip!> either way

Insurance will pay out if you are not the cause of an accident IF you are covered. They then go after the other party (usually via their insurance company).

[Ohyesuare]

Insurance companies are the biggest scam artists in the world.

[Huayrat]

yeah i understand they do a runner in Thailand but he should get free treatment and the taxi driver who they will probably catch if not already should be paying that bill for the rest of his life.....

... what universe are you living in?

His insurance would not have paid out anyway as he was not the cause of the accident so he is <Snip!> either way

Insurance will pay out if you are not the cause of an accident IF you are covered. They then go after the other party (usually via their insurance company).

Living in the world of Thailand and you?

[whybother]

Living in the world of Thailand and you?

I'm living in the real world.

How can a hospital provide free treatment to everyone that comes in and says "It wasn't my fault"?

[Huayrat]

Also if you think that 3rd party insurance pays the 15k and thats it then your wrong... You have to pay out of your own pocket after they have paid the 15k.. Thats why that 3rd party insurance is crap because your still gonna pay alot more than 15k... go read it

[Huayrat]

Living in the world of Thailand and you?

I'm living in the real world.

How can a hospital provide free treatment to everyone that comes in and says "It wasn't my fault"?

works in UK fine

[sportsman69]

Am i missing something here... Why does he pay the bill if a van hit him??? surely he should pay nothing as not at fault

The van probably didn't have insurance ... if they know the van that hit him at all.

The van probably did not stop, but most likely did have insurance, at a minimum the compulsory 3rd party insurance.

[.........] works in UK fine. This aint the UK Mr. Huayrat. live here for a while you''ll realise that

Not if he was pissed. Zero. Did a runner Thai style. Mr Kenzie should have had 100 % cover, for whatever reason he did not. Insurance companies are not renowned the most compassionate organisations. They make big money by not paying out. Stiff shit for Mr Kenzie and his family unfortunately. Not trying to be cruel about the matter, just reiterating facts.

Edited July 6, 2012 by sportsman69

[Huayrat]

Living in the world of Thailand and you?

I'm living in the real world.

How can a hospital provide free treatment to everyone that comes in and says "It wasn't my fault"?

works in UK fine

Also if you read what i said that he should pay the fee back to the hospital aslong as he lives

[whybother]

Living in the world of Thailand and you?

I'm living in the real world.

How can a hospital provide free treatment to everyone that comes in and says "It wasn't my fault"?

works in UK fine

Because everyone pays for it with tax.

[whybother]

Also if you read what i said that he should pay the fee back to the hospital aslong as he lives

He? The van (don't think it was a taxi) driver? That's why I said "What universe are you living in?".

[stevenl]

Am i missing something here... Why does he pay the bill if a van hit him??? surely he should pay nothing as not at fault

The van probably didn't have insurance ... if they know the van that hit him at all.

The van probably did not stop, but most likely did have insurance, at a minimum the compulsory 3rd party insurance.

Not if he was pissed. Zero. Did a runner Thai style. Mr Kenzie should have had 100 % cover, for whatever reason he did not. Insurance companies are not renowned the most compassionate organisations. They make big money by not paying out. Stiff shit for Mr Kenzie and his family unfortunately. Not trying to be cruel about the matter, just reiterating facts.

Again not true. 3rd party insurance will still pay out to the 3rd party, but might try to reclaim the payment from the guilty (pissed) party.

Why do people who don't know what they are talking about sprout their nonsense here?

Edited July 6, 2012 by stevenl

[Hostile17]

sad when a Top of the line insurance on a regular car cost about 400$ per year here which is what you'D have to pay for a dump from the 80's back home and people with businesses cant even get that for their drivers while they all have 5 houses and 10 beamers

Edited July 6, 2012 by Hostile17

[Gary2164]

The falang is always in the wrong when in accidents in Thailand ,no matter who's fault it is?

[BusyBee123]

Why are they so shocked he isn't covered for a motorbike I don't get it, all insurance policys exclude motorbikes and most extreme sports which need additional payment. I know people who have paid the bike cover and mistakenly believe they will be covered even though they do not have a valid bike licence.

[Hostile17]

Why are they so shocked he isn't covered for a motorbike I don't get it, all insurance policys exclude motorbikes and most extreme sports which need additional payment. I know people who have paid the bike cover and mistakenly believe they will be covered even though they do not have a valid bike licence.

it's not a bike, its a glorified scooter. In the west a scooter requires no special license.

[Konini]

Why are they so shocked he isn't covered for a motorbike I don't get it, all insurance policys exclude motorbikes and most extreme sports which need additional payment. I know people who have paid the bike cover and mistakenly believe they will be covered even though they do not have a valid bike licence.

Sorry to digress - we have an annual backpacker-type medical/public liability only policy from Australia and we are fully covered provided we are not in breach of any local law - i.e. over the drink driving limit or (the one that gets most people) an International Drivers Licence endorsed with BIKE, which means you have passed your motorbike test in your home country. Lots of tourists get an International Licence and think they're covered, but they're only valid for cars unless they are endorsed with BIKE. In a previous life, I used to write small print, so I always read it. In this case, even though I was certain, I sent them an email asking for confirmation of insurance coverage of person and property in the case of a motorcycle accident, asking them to quote my entire message in their reply, which they did. It's the kind of policy that you can't renew - we get a new one each annual visit, and I send the same email asking for confirmation before paying up. I pay about $1,500 for the policy (2 people, medical only). I can get a one that is pretty much the same for $500. It pays to read the small print. I know in England, almost all insurance policies exclude riding and even being pillion on a motorbike. We're not covered for any kind of racing except foot races, suba diving unless we got our PADI in Australia (i.e. not a developing country) and a few other silly things that we wouldn't consider doing, but we definitely are covered for motorcycle accidents. My sympathies go to the victim and his family, and this should serve as a reminder to everyone to read the small print. It's designed to confuse you, but be diligent with it and ask (in writing) anything you're not 100% clear on.

Edited July 6, 2012 by Konini

[pedro01]

What van is this you are talking about?

[NamKangMan]

Why are they so shocked he isn't covered for a motorbike I don't get it, all insurance policys exclude motorbikes and most extreme sports which need additional payment. I know people who have paid the bike cover and mistakenly believe they will be covered even though they do not have a valid bike licence.

Sorry to digress - we have an annual backpacker-type medical/public liability only policy from Australia and we are fully covered provided we are not in breach of any local law - i.e. over the drink driving limit or (the one that gets most people) an International Drivers Licence endorsed with BIKE, which means you have passed your motorbike test in your home country. Lots of tourists get an International Licence and think they're covered, but they're only valid for cars unless they are endorsed with BIKE. In a previous life, I used to write small print, so I always read it. In this case, even though I was certain, I sent them an email asking for confirmation of insurance coverage of person and property in the case of a motorcycle accident, asking them to quote my entire message in their reply, which they did. It's the kind of policy that you can't renew - we get a new one each annual visit, and I send the same email asking for confirmation before paying up. I pay about $1,500 for the policy (2 people, medical only). I can get a one that is pretty much the same for $500. It pays to read the small print. I know in England, almost all insurance policies exclude riding and even being pillion on a motorbike. We're not covered for any kind of racing except foot races, suba diving unless we got our PADI in Australia (i.e. not a developing country) and a few other silly things that we wouldn't consider doing, but we definitely are covered for motorcycle accidents. My sympathies go to the victim and his family, and this should serve as a reminder to everyone to read the small print. It's designed to confuse you, but be diligent with it and ask (in writing) anything you're not 100% clear on.

Strange thing is, they probably would have paid out if the same accident occured, with the same injuries, but he was riding a bicycle.

[RaoulDuke]

Welcome to the wonderful world of for-profit 'healthcare', where the profit it maximized by minimizing the coverage, courtesy of 'the greatest country on earth'. If he was in the USA, even if he had insurance, the out of pocket copays alone would probably be more than the total in Thailand. It's only a matter of time before the insurance companies bring their lobbies to the rest of the world. Courtesy of the TPP, corporations will realize their dream of being more powerful than countries, and we will all be slaves to this system, regardless of nationality or location.

[drdoom6996]

Insurance companies are the biggest scam artists in the world.

Not true, I have had BUPA insurance here in Thailand, Platinum coverage for 15 years at least. All my bills have been paid. I recently had complete shoulder reconstruction surgery with 4 titanium implants and paid nothing, approximately 650,000 was the bill. I stayed in a private room. Access was given for an MRI prior to surgery. Insurance companies are piece of mind. But you must read the fine print. The couple said that the insurance company didn't cover an accident on a motorcycle. It matters not who was at fault in this case for their insurance. If they caught the other driver, and if he ever had insurance, it might be a different story. Read the story completely and speak with the brain and not the heart, as my heart goes out to them as well.

[simple1]

The large number of motorbike accidents in Thailand involving foreigners, is precisely why the out of the box insurance cover excludes coverage.

[thurien]

"Mrs Mouritsen told the Gazette she was stunned that the policy, issued by a major travel insurance company and sold through the travel agent, did not cover injuries sustained in motorbike accidents – especially for people specifically travelling to Thailand"

that is exactly why they do not cover this particular area: "Especially for people specifically travelling to Thailand" !!

[drdoom6996]

Welcome to the wonderful world of for-profit 'healthcare', where the profit it maximized by minimizing the coverage, courtesy of 'the greatest country on earth'. If he was in the USA, even if he had insurance, the out of pocket copays alone would probably be more than the total in Thailand. It's only a matter of time before the insurance companies bring their lobbies to the rest of the world. Courtesy of the TPP, corporations will realize their dream of being more powerful than countries, and we will all be slaves to this system, regardless of nationality or location.

No intelligence here too. I suppose you don't pay for insurance either. You should do some reading before something uncontrollable happens to you. BTW, I work as a consultant and have paid for my own insurance for 29 years. You will call me stupid, but I paid nothing, here in Thailand, for 2 cases of Dengue, and 3 motorcycle accidents, one of them criticle.