Florida Medical & Travel Insurance Info B4 You Go!

dacouch

I agree with you FH Brit, Leigh-Anne could have not included the first paragraph and just posted the second paragraph which would have been helpful for some MSE readers.

Like you said people often refer to Purley as being Croydon as they are so close and Croydon is the much bigger town and people will associate with it. I also agree that assistance company is a fair description of First Assist as this is what in effect they do although they also offer Insurance backed by Great Lakes. However First Assist are not an Insurer and should not be refered to as an Insurer as they are not the underwriter.

Keep up the good work FH Brit, its nice to have someone who does not have a vested interested interest in selling policies advising people that the cheapest is not always the best and in effect you get what you pay for. Travel Insurance is one of the policies most people buy and give very little thought to, however it can be an incredibly complicated policy with lots of small print

Leigh-Anne_60

FH

Sorry if i come across as splitting hairs, that certainly wasnt my intention, merely giving some further information on a company i know a bit about... what a forum is all about, sharing knowledge

FH - i think you are doing a excellent job & if, through your posts just one person pays more attention to their travel inurance its all worthwhile. Might have to get a recomendation from you as a 'just in case' for my first trip to Florida next yr

LA

dacouch

My reference to the vested interested was not a dig at you, it was simply noting that its nice to have someone outside of insurance giving travellers good advice that they should not buy their travel insurance on price alone but should excerise caution when buying and understand the product they are buying

FH_Brit

Just a foot note - I spoke to First Assist just 10 mins ago and, as usual, fast professional service I cleared up 2 overdue accounts with a 3 minute call - Well done First Assist, again.

njeri

just a quick question to you... first thanks for a very informative post... seems i may be out of luck claiming my hospital expenses incurred when i went on holiday and get malaria. I got the anti-malaria without a prescription so unable to produce a paper trial, however the doc treating me did take note of what i was taking. I got travel insurance through a broker (Marks and Spencer money) but its through AXA. i have re-read their terms and conditions which state that i should have taken precaution.. how do you think i should proceed... i see you are dealing mainly with Florida and the US but you may just have a tip for me... I called and talked to the medical emergency team who knew of my hospitalisation, and even adviced about changing the flight details as i was due to travel back the day i was discharged... i am rather !!!!ed off to say the least.

FH_Brit

njeri -

Has your hospital/med bills been paid?
If not contact the medical facility and ask them what you need to do - they may wait - you may have to pay - ask for discount - ask for monthly payment plan etc.

1. If you have receipt (credit/debit card) for anti-malaria meds you were taking that prooves just as well as a prescription.
2. OTC (over the counter) meds are a precaution.
3. If doctor in er/hosp marked your med recs as taking XXX drug - there's proof also.

What you need to do (in this order) - take note of time, date, telephone number and persons name you called each time.
1. Call AXA tell them that you want, IN WRITTING a final decision on your claim within 30 days. (you have to be reasonable and give them time)
2. ON DAY 31 - Call them saying that you have not received (if that is indeed the case) and state you are going to complain to the FSA Ombudsman (you may also say on the first call that you intend to do this)
3. ON DAY 31 - call the Financial Services Authority's Insurance Ombudsman (0845 080 1800) and place a complaint. (unless you have given time for final decision the FSA will tell you to go do it and then call them).

DO NOT let them "fob you off" - bear in mind that even if it may be a clear condition of your policy - it may not be legal or within FSA guidelines. e.g. A lady (who I'am still trying to contact) in Wembley paid me over $19,000.00 because Axa stated that she was over drink drive (the drunk standard they use) limit and as drunk her trip and fall with head injury was in their opinion "self inflicted" and they would not pay, now, after more than a year I found out from the FSA that is not right and they would order Axa to pay, but I cannot remember the lady's name to find her and tell her!

Leigh-Anne_60

Nerja

In your policy wording there should be a complaints procedure, you need to follow this... Ultimately the final step in the procedure should be the FOS(Financial Ombudsman service). They(the FOS) will usually only take on the case when you have exhausted that procedure & have a letter from them confirming so, usually signed on behalf of the exec director.

There are definite timescales in which the company must respond to your complaint - They must acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days & in this letter they will explain the procedure - They must then respond in full within 8 weeks.

I would suggest that when you do send the letters, send them recorded & keep copies of all correspondence in case you do have to go down the Ombudsman route

As a side note - have you still got the receipt for your purchase of the anti malarial drugs? Did you pay for them by debit or credit card? maybe you could use the statement? Another avenue is the chemist that you bought them from, would they not have kept records of what the prescribed for you - thought the Phamacists had to do some checks these day?? (not sure as never had to buy malaria drugs)

Good luck & dont give up

LA

FH_Brit

Njeri - although Leigh-Anne is correct, I suggest that you start with the Ombusdman at the earliest possible point. They are "snowed under" and may not look at your case as soon as they would like, and in the mean time you could be facing legal action from whatever country/medical facility you are being billed from (if you have not paid and obviously depending on what country you visited). Even if the Ombudsman takes your case it could be 8 weeks before they make any decision, by that time here in Florida it's too late. Our company report bad debts to Equifax/Experion/Trans Union 45 days after it was first placed with us no matter what!

Also if they are denying because you did not take precausions, you can always get a immunity blood test (depending how long ago it was) that will show if you were/are immune to malaria, and if you are then you DID take precausions and they can't then deny.

jem16

FH_Brit wrote: »

Just a foot note - I spoke to First Assist just 10 mins ago and, as usual, fast professional service I cleared up 2 overdue accounts with a 3 minute call - Well done First Assist, again.

Although I have been happy with First Assist as an emergency service, I am not at all happy as to how First Assist Insurance Services have handled my mother in law's recent hospitalisation in Cyprus recently. Their refusal to pay owing to what they describe as a pre-existing medical condition was bordering on scandalous as the underwriters were happy to leave an 80yr old stranded in a Cypriot hospital who were demanding she pay her bill of £12,000 before being allowed home. Even First Assist's manager has described the decision as harsh and agreed when i said that it was not morally right to leave an elderly lady stranded and almost suicidal!

See here for full story.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=21462009&postcount=23

Have you any tips on how to get them to honour their policy?

jem16

dacouch wrote: »

You could ring and ask for Leigh-Anne and ask her what happened to First Assists TCF (Treating Customers Fairly) that she was extolling recently. Especially was from what you have described the Ombudsman seems to have previous case histories that are similar to your mothers so you would expect First Assist to follow the ombudsman.

I will be phoning the manager I dealt with last Friday who was excellent that day. It seems that she tried very hard to get the underwriters to change their mind. We need this letter that has apparently been sent but still not arrived.

Perhaps Leigh-Anne would also care to comment?

http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:fUBdQMb2xQQJ:forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html%3Fp%3D20620287+first+assist+%2B+leigh-anne+_+tcf&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&client=firefox-a

That's this thread you are linking to - did you mean to?