Mum on Bali holiday $6,000 in debt over ‘confusing’ travel detail—what happened?
- Replies 12
We all look forward to holidays and taking time off to relax—maybe even in beautiful overseas settings, if resources permit.
But sometimes, foreign travel can be unpredictably costly…
A day after arriving in Ubud, Bali to enjoy a wellness retreat, a mum-of-two from Melbourne named Ingrid was struck by a haemorrhagic stroke caused by bleeding in the brain from a ruptured blood vessel.
'When she was standing under a waterfall, she started to feel like something was not right,' Ingrid’s friend, Liz said.
'A minute later she thought she was going to die.'
The right side of Ingrid's body became 'paralysed', and she 'fell into the water'. At this point Ingrid’s company realised that something was wrong and immediately rushed to her aid.
'The right side of her face was drooping, her speech was very slurred and then all the chaos started with trying to get an ambulance,' Liz added.
It reportedly took five hours after the stroke to get Inrgid to the hospital as the place they were in had ‘very poor reception' and was difficult for paramedics to reach.
Following a successful effort to get an ambulance out to the remote part of the island, Ingrid was transported to Ari Canti Hospital.
However, Ingrid faced another anticlimactic dilemma—a hefty bill of $6000, which wouldn’t be covered by her travel insurance from Commonwealth Bank Australia.
The bill was all down to a tricky detail in her travel insurance, something that Ingrid had enquired about with her doctor long before her trip.
'Before her trip, she asked her GP if she [needed] to provide anything to her insurance company about her hypertension,' Liz said.
'But the GP advised it was well-managed and not significant, and that she is fit for travel. There were no signs that something like this would happen.'
Unfortunately, due to this oversight, Ingrid now faces a costly dilemma.
'So it was not declared, and the claim was denied based on the fact she had a pre-existing condition.'
According to Jo McCauley, CEO at Southern Cross Travel Insurance: 'A pre-existing medical condition can be an illness, injury or health symptom that you knew about before the date your insurance starts... and sought or received medical help for.'
'Getting cover for pre-existing medical conditions for travel can be confusing,' McCauley said.
But she emphasised the importance of considering pre-existing medical conditions 'when thinking about which travel insurance to buy'.
Natalie Ball, Director at Comparetravelinsurance.com.au, similarly warned: 'Even if your medical condition is controlled and doesn’t cause you issues, it should still be declared.'
'In the event that you require hospitalisation or emergency assistance, travellers who haven’t disclosed their prior medical conditions could be uninsured and therefore liable for tens of thousands in medical costs.'
'Our best advice would be to speak to your insurer and be as transparent as possible. If in doubt, check with your doctor too.'
Moreover, not having proper coverage may potentially jeopardise medical treatment as staff in some countries 'simply won’t treat you unless they know that someone is going to pay the bill'.
Amid all this, Ingrid still remains thousands of dollars deep in medical fees. A GoFundMe campaign for Ingrid’s medical expenses, accommodation, physiotherapy, and doctor visits has been opened.
'It's been a very stressful time for her,' Liz said. 'I just want her to be able to focus on her recovery rather than worrying about how she's going to pay for all these expenses.'
Ingrid, despite making ‘steady progress', is reportedly still struggling with mobility and speech. She was discharged recently and was joined by her youngest son in Bali until she is able to safely return home.
Members, when travelling abroad, do you declare your pre-existing conditions to your insurance companies? What are your thoughts on Ingrid’s story? Let us know in the comments below!
But sometimes, foreign travel can be unpredictably costly…
A day after arriving in Ubud, Bali to enjoy a wellness retreat, a mum-of-two from Melbourne named Ingrid was struck by a haemorrhagic stroke caused by bleeding in the brain from a ruptured blood vessel.
An incident during a holiday trip to Bali cost Ingrid $6000 due to an overlooked detail in her insurance. Image source: Shutterstock.
'When she was standing under a waterfall, she started to feel like something was not right,' Ingrid’s friend, Liz said.
'A minute later she thought she was going to die.'
The right side of Ingrid's body became 'paralysed', and she 'fell into the water'. At this point Ingrid’s company realised that something was wrong and immediately rushed to her aid.
'The right side of her face was drooping, her speech was very slurred and then all the chaos started with trying to get an ambulance,' Liz added.
It reportedly took five hours after the stroke to get Inrgid to the hospital as the place they were in had ‘very poor reception' and was difficult for paramedics to reach.
Following a successful effort to get an ambulance out to the remote part of the island, Ingrid was transported to Ari Canti Hospital.
However, Ingrid faced another anticlimactic dilemma—a hefty bill of $6000, which wouldn’t be covered by her travel insurance from Commonwealth Bank Australia.
The bill was all down to a tricky detail in her travel insurance, something that Ingrid had enquired about with her doctor long before her trip.
'Before her trip, she asked her GP if she [needed] to provide anything to her insurance company about her hypertension,' Liz said.
'But the GP advised it was well-managed and not significant, and that she is fit for travel. There were no signs that something like this would happen.'
Unfortunately, due to this oversight, Ingrid now faces a costly dilemma.
'So it was not declared, and the claim was denied based on the fact she had a pre-existing condition.'
According to Jo McCauley, CEO at Southern Cross Travel Insurance: 'A pre-existing medical condition can be an illness, injury or health symptom that you knew about before the date your insurance starts... and sought or received medical help for.'
'Getting cover for pre-existing medical conditions for travel can be confusing,' McCauley said.
But she emphasised the importance of considering pre-existing medical conditions 'when thinking about which travel insurance to buy'.
Natalie Ball, Director at Comparetravelinsurance.com.au, similarly warned: 'Even if your medical condition is controlled and doesn’t cause you issues, it should still be declared.'
'In the event that you require hospitalisation or emergency assistance, travellers who haven’t disclosed their prior medical conditions could be uninsured and therefore liable for tens of thousands in medical costs.'
'Our best advice would be to speak to your insurer and be as transparent as possible. If in doubt, check with your doctor too.'
Moreover, not having proper coverage may potentially jeopardise medical treatment as staff in some countries 'simply won’t treat you unless they know that someone is going to pay the bill'.
Amid all this, Ingrid still remains thousands of dollars deep in medical fees. A GoFundMe campaign for Ingrid’s medical expenses, accommodation, physiotherapy, and doctor visits has been opened.
'It's been a very stressful time for her,' Liz said. 'I just want her to be able to focus on her recovery rather than worrying about how she's going to pay for all these expenses.'
Ingrid, despite making ‘steady progress', is reportedly still struggling with mobility and speech. She was discharged recently and was joined by her youngest son in Bali until she is able to safely return home.
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