holiday disaster and travelsafe

photome

lesley74 wrote: »

It sounds like there is nothing you could have done with regards to pre-authorisation. I don't think it's reasonable for them to insist on pre-authorisation in a life/death situation which is what you are describing.

I don't understand however how your husband was rushed to the hospital without anyone accompanying him to deal with the paperwork. It sounds like you didn't attend until the next morning. I would have thought you would accompany him in the ambulance (assuming you were there when he was taken away).

Have you tried calling the insurance company? Speak to customer service, if you don't get any satisfaction ask to speak to a manager. Use the word 'complaint' if you have to. Insurance complaints are reportable to the FSA, and they should take you seriously if you say that.

At the end of it all though, I hope you get the bill paid. But that said, at first I thought you were talking about A LOT of money, £8k is really nothing when you are considering a life/death situation.

Edited to add: I have heard of insurance companies not paying out when the person is under the influence of alcohol, and I believe they are within their rights to do so under terms and conditions. I'm not saying that this is what was wrong, but as you were on holiday it is possible there was alcohol consumed, I hope this isn't their reason, as if it is you may have problems with the claim. Good luck with it all, hope it gets sorted...sounds stressful

£8k is a lot of money to some people and may well be to the OP, I don't think we should judge.


OP it does seem like the insurance company want you to pass on any debt collection paperwork so it seems they are helping you?

jacques_chirac

lesley74 wrote: »

I don't understand however how your husband was rushed to the hospital without anyone accompanying him to deal with the paperwork. It sounds like you didn't attend until the next morning. I would have thought you would accompany him in the ambulance (assuming you were there when he was taken away).

Perhaps the OP was caring for their ten year old daughter?

lesley74 wrote: »

Edited to add: I have heard of insurance companies not paying out when the person is under the influence of alcohol, and I believe they are within their rights to do so under terms and conditions. I'm not saying that this is what was wrong, but as you were on holiday it is possible there was alcohol consumed, I hope this isn't their reason, as if it is you may have problems with the claim. Good luck with it all, hope it gets sorted...sounds stressful

The OP's husband was swimming with their child at the time - I'm sure you are not suggesting he would get drunk and then put his child at risk.

thegirlintheattic

OP are you absolutely sure that there was no conversation where the paramedics said he'd only be transferred there (private) anyway, and you then agreed to take him straight there.

If it was truly the paramedics decision based on clinical need to take him to the private hospital, IF the insurers do fight it, it would be helpful to get a report that states this.

vegasvisitor

jacques_chirac wrote: »

Perhaps the OP was caring for their ten year old daughter?



The OP's husband was swimming with their child at the time - I'm sure you are not suggesting he would get drunk and then put his child at risk.

I must have missed that bit, didn't realise it was while swimming. I just remember hearing something about insurance companies sometimes blame alcohol for 'accidents' and don't pay out, and was pointing this out while saying it can be an issue (while I hoped it would not be the case and would be resolved).

I would have thought both would get in ambulance with him. I can't imagine something like that happening and the person being rushed off to a hospital and left until the next day. I would have though you would just take the 10 year old too. Maybe not.

vegasvisitor

photome wrote: »

£8k is a lot of money to some people and may well be to the OP, I don't think we should judge.


OP it does seem like the insurance company want you to pass on any debt collection paperwork so it seems they are helping you?

I'm not judging. I'm just saying that anyone would willingly pay/borrow etc £8k in a life or death situation. It's not a lot of money in terms of someone's life. It is however a lot of money if the insurance company are incorrectly trying to get out of paying. I'd hate to think if this was a medical bill in the US, people have been known to have to sell their homes when uninsured etc.

I do hope the OP gets this sorted, as it seems they did everything they could in the situation.

Holidaysafe_Representative

Dear Snowpup,

My name is Amber Howard and I am the Brand Manager for Holidaysafe.

Firstly I would like to apologise that this situation has left you feeling so distressed - this is not typical of the level of service we strive to provide at Holidaysafe.

I would like to investigate this matter for you by speaking to our Emergency Assistance and Claims departments. To allow me to do this, can you please send your name and policy number to holidaysafe@infinityinsurance.co.uk, and mark the email for my personal attention.

Kind regards,

Amber.

snowpup

Thank you all for your replies and help. Only just realised this morning that there was a whole second page of replies that I didn't see last night. thanks again!
As for the alcohol comment; He had consumed no alcohol for at least 36 hours, and then only a moderate glass of wine. So that can't be an issue.
As for the amount, no, I realise that for a lot of you out there 8k probably isn't a lot. To us it is, in financial terms, but I totally agree that in terms of a life any money is nothing and totally trivial and meaningless.
This was the holiday of a lifetime for us as a family- not a package holiday, but a real adventure, travelling independently, seeing all the sights, and eventually staying in the most amazing location in a cottage in the mountains. Its not something we can do every year. it was only the second time our daughter had been abroad. We normally camp in Wales. We saved really hard to be able to do this because it was important to us. Its unlikely we will be able to afford to do this again. It used most of our savings, but we really wanted our daughter to see a bit more of the world.
I've just thought, someone mentioned why didn't we go in the ambulance with my husband. I have no idea! No one offered to let us in. The ambulance crew didn't speak English, and they just put him in and drove off while someone was trying to question me about what had happened! We were left stranded.We had a hire car that I wasn't driving! I had to then collect all our stuff from the other end of the beach where I had been sitting, and a member of staff from a nearby hotel took us there, gave us water, and found someone who could drive us in our car to the hospital. We got there about an hour after him I think, but couldn't see him that day. The lady who the cottage we were staying in belonged to was brought to the hospital by one of her friends (the hospital had managed to find a phone number for her). they took us back to the cottage in the mountains, and the guy offered to take us back to the hospital the next morning. There was no phone signal from the small hamlet, so I couldn't contact anyone- hospital, family back home, insurance company. Totally isolated. Very scary!

peachyprice

The thing I find very strange is that the the hospital let you leave without paying, therefore they must have also believed from their conversations with Holidaysafe that they were going to be paid through your insurance policy. Otherwise they would have held your husband there until you had made arrangements for payment.

snowpup

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

OP are you absolutely sure that there was no conversation where the paramedics said he'd only be transferred there (private) anyway, and you then agreed to take him straight there.

If it was truly the paramedics decision based on clinical need to take him to the private hospital, IF the insurers do fight it, it would be helpful to get a report that states this.

The paramedics spoke no English. All I could do was watch as they rushed him, unconscious into the ambulance, and drove him away. AT that point I didn't even know where they were taking him, and there was no opportunity to get into any conversation about possible hospitals. I can only assume they knew where they needed to take him. We truly thought he was going to die!

Moto2

Have you seen the response from Holidaysafe Representative above?