Man's Thai holiday turns into $30,000 insurance nightmare after heart attack
- Replies 3
Many of us look forward to a relaxing holiday, a chance to escape and recharge, especially after years of hard work. We carefully plan our trips and purchase travel insurance for peace of mind.
But even meticulous preparation can't always shield us from unexpected challenges. Just imagine the shock of a sudden medical emergency abroad and the added stress of a dispute with an insurer.
A Melbourne resident criticised his insurer after being forced to pay $30,000 out of pocket for life-saving surgery following a heart attack while in Thailand.
Steven Stenton's ordeal began when he suffered a heart attack during his holiday, which was a Father's Day gift from his wife and children. He had purchased comprehensive travel insurance from 1Cover, a company he chose partly because of its sponsorship of his favourite AFL team, St Kilda.
The policy, which cost him around $200, was supposed to provide unlimited overseas medical assistance and 24/7 emergency support.
After undergoing one life-saving operation, Steven was informed that he could not proceed with a second emergency surgery until he paid nearly $30,000 for the initial procedure. The hospital staff brought a credit card machine into the ICU, underscoring the urgency of the payment.
'He was on his phone moving $30,000 off our mortgage…in the few minutes before his second procedure. I was already so worried about him and whether he was going to live,' his wife, Katie Bennett-Stenton, said.
She flew to Bangkok as soon as she learned of her husband’s heart attack and one life-saving operation. Despite the insurer's knowledge of the situation since his husband’s admission to the hospital, they had not covered his medical expenses as expected.
‘We paid for comprehensive medical insurance, which they describe on their website to be unlimited overseas medical assistance with 24/7 emergency medical assistance to assist you in stressful circumstances,' she said.
On the day of the second surgery, she added that 1Cover agreed to cover the costs but required them to sign a disclaimer stating that ‘they would cover the costs for the moment, but if it turned out to be a pre-existing condition, that we would repay it.'
Even after signing the waiver, the family was still forced to transfer $30,000 from their mortgage to the Thai hospital for the first surgery.
The second operation was more complex than anticipated, leading to the hospital ‘badgering’ them for an additional $50,000. Although 1Cover eventually paid this sum, the Stentons were told they would need to wait over a month to recover the initial $30,000 from the hospital.
The insurance difficulties were a nightmare on top of the nightmare of my husband having a heart attack in a foreign country for them.
She said she was 'livid that we've been put through all this undue extra stress' and that the pressure was 'unconscionable.'
They were able to move $30,000 from their mortgage to cover the cost, but for Bennett-Stenton, 'That's a hell of a lot of money, and so many people wouldn't have access to that, and what would have happened then?'
She also expressed her frustration and anger about the insurer’s service on social media. However, they received a message from 1Cover’s social media account saying, ‘It would be appreciated if you would kindly refrain from commenting on situations you have very little insights on.’
One of their friends responded, ‘Wow, that's rude. You might need to get a new social media manager. I just got back from an overseas trip, and I'm glad I didn't use your services. I'll be reporting this message.’
Later, the 1Cover Instagram account sent another message expressing regret, ‘I sincerely apologise for the first message. That wasn't supposed to have been sent. I am not part of the social media team and inadvertently sent that.’
Steven is now out of the hospital, and the couple hopes to return to Port Melbourne soon.
Bennett-Stenton expressed her appreciation for the Thailand hospital and said her husband's ‘treatment has been so great.’
‘But you know, Aussie families trust when they do the right thing and buy comprehensive insurance that they'll be looked after,’ she added.
Have you ever faced a similar situation while on holiday abroad? How did your insurer handle your emergency? Join the conversation in the comments below.
But even meticulous preparation can't always shield us from unexpected challenges. Just imagine the shock of a sudden medical emergency abroad and the added stress of a dispute with an insurer.
A Melbourne resident criticised his insurer after being forced to pay $30,000 out of pocket for life-saving surgery following a heart attack while in Thailand.
Steven Stenton's ordeal began when he suffered a heart attack during his holiday, which was a Father's Day gift from his wife and children. He had purchased comprehensive travel insurance from 1Cover, a company he chose partly because of its sponsorship of his favourite AFL team, St Kilda.
The policy, which cost him around $200, was supposed to provide unlimited overseas medical assistance and 24/7 emergency support.
A Melbourne resident's holiday became a $30,000 nightmare after he suffered a heart attack, and his insurer refused to pay the claim. Credit: Mateusz Dach/Pexels
After undergoing one life-saving operation, Steven was informed that he could not proceed with a second emergency surgery until he paid nearly $30,000 for the initial procedure. The hospital staff brought a credit card machine into the ICU, underscoring the urgency of the payment.
'He was on his phone moving $30,000 off our mortgage…in the few minutes before his second procedure. I was already so worried about him and whether he was going to live,' his wife, Katie Bennett-Stenton, said.
She flew to Bangkok as soon as she learned of her husband’s heart attack and one life-saving operation. Despite the insurer's knowledge of the situation since his husband’s admission to the hospital, they had not covered his medical expenses as expected.
‘We paid for comprehensive medical insurance, which they describe on their website to be unlimited overseas medical assistance with 24/7 emergency medical assistance to assist you in stressful circumstances,' she said.
On the day of the second surgery, she added that 1Cover agreed to cover the costs but required them to sign a disclaimer stating that ‘they would cover the costs for the moment, but if it turned out to be a pre-existing condition, that we would repay it.'
Even after signing the waiver, the family was still forced to transfer $30,000 from their mortgage to the Thai hospital for the first surgery.
The second operation was more complex than anticipated, leading to the hospital ‘badgering’ them for an additional $50,000. Although 1Cover eventually paid this sum, the Stentons were told they would need to wait over a month to recover the initial $30,000 from the hospital.
The insurance difficulties were a nightmare on top of the nightmare of my husband having a heart attack in a foreign country for them.
She said she was 'livid that we've been put through all this undue extra stress' and that the pressure was 'unconscionable.'
They were able to move $30,000 from their mortgage to cover the cost, but for Bennett-Stenton, 'That's a hell of a lot of money, and so many people wouldn't have access to that, and what would have happened then?'
She also expressed her frustration and anger about the insurer’s service on social media. However, they received a message from 1Cover’s social media account saying, ‘It would be appreciated if you would kindly refrain from commenting on situations you have very little insights on.’
One of their friends responded, ‘Wow, that's rude. You might need to get a new social media manager. I just got back from an overseas trip, and I'm glad I didn't use your services. I'll be reporting this message.’
Later, the 1Cover Instagram account sent another message expressing regret, ‘I sincerely apologise for the first message. That wasn't supposed to have been sent. I am not part of the social media team and inadvertently sent that.’
Steven is now out of the hospital, and the couple hopes to return to Port Melbourne soon.
Bennett-Stenton expressed her appreciation for the Thailand hospital and said her husband's ‘treatment has been so great.’
‘But you know, Aussie families trust when they do the right thing and buy comprehensive insurance that they'll be looked after,’ she added.
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