A British family has urged travelers to double-check their insurance policies after a paperwork mistake left them with invalid coverage and a $127,200 medical bill when their daughter fell seriously ill during a holiday in South Africa.
As BBC explains, Katya Katalinic, an 18-year-old from Wst Sussex, suffered a brain haemorrhage in February of last year while extending her stay in Africa after a family holiday to Kenya.
However, Axa, their insurance provider, said that their travel insurance was invalid due to incorrect information provided by the family, leaving them with a bill of over $127,200, VisaGuide.World reports.
Recalling the incident, Katya said that she was shocked when she woke up in a hospital surrounded by strangers, unable to speak and read.
As the Katalinic family explained, they had initially secured comprehensive insurance for their trip to Kenya in 2022. Nonetheless, when Katya decided to remain in South Africa for a yachting stewarding course after her parents returned to the UK, her father obtained a separate insurance policy for her.
According to BBC, the predicament unfolded when Katya fell critically ill, prompting her parent to rush to Cape Town. Sharing the unfortunate turn of events, Katya’s father mentioned providing the insurance details to the hospital manager.
To their dismay, Axa rejected the claim, saying that the policy was not applicable because Katya’s journey to South Africa originated from Kenya and not from the UK.
There may have been ‘the journey must start in the UK’, which I assumed, well, it started in the UK, it didn’t start anywhere else. The journey started here, in Midhurst in the UK.
Katya, who is now recovering, is urging others to be very cautious of the travel health insurance policies.
She emphasised that everyone traveling abroad must make sure that everything is in order and that they are fully covered.
You see stories about other people, and you think how awful it is to happen to them, but you never really realize things will happen to you.
In its response, Axa clarified that the policy was rendered invalid due to discrepancies in the information provided during the purchase process. The insurer further stated that the full premium was refunded to Katya.
Travel Insurance is one of the most important parts of preparing for a trip abroad. It is meant to cover all or a part of the cost of any medical expenses that may be incurred while abroad. Moreover, it covers trip cancellation, loss of stolen items, and travel delays, among others.