Difficulty in Travel Insurance Claim

Dear Mr Tan,
Recently my parents bought travel insurance from a big local firm to cover themselves for a tour to China. Unfortunately, during the tour, my father contracted food poisoning and had to be warded in the hospital there. The doctor told him that he is not fit to continue with the tour and my mum to accompany him home immediately to seek treatment.

The tour agent there told him that his air tickets from his tour package are 'fixed' dates and hence cannot be change and were told to buy new air tickets for his flight home. He called long distance to the insurance company helpline and was told to ask the tour agent to pay first.

Coming back home, he was able to claim the balance of his tour package but his claim for his air ticket was rejected. The insurance company exercised a clause that state that the ticket bought after the insurance policy is in effect cannot be claimed.

My point here is that we bought travel insurance for such contingencies. Secondly, does that mean that travel insurance only cover when the situation is really dire such as in a SOS case and not in cases whereby the claimant is not fit to continue to travel and told to come home on his own?

REPLY

I believe that you are entitled to claim for the cost of the airfare, as it is caused by the medical emergency. It comes under the cost of evacuation, which I supposed is covered under the policy.

I suggest that you ask for the claimto be rejected in writing. You can lodge a complaint with FiDREC (www.fidrec.org.sg).

I find the practice of this insurance company to be deplorable. They like to find reason to reqject a legitimate claim, instead of treating the policyholder fairly.