Unwell child / travel insurance

[spacebuddy]

Had to take my son to urgent care yesterday in the US. He was sick on the plane and has had a fever ever since. Whilst on phone to travel insurance I'd said he'd had. A fever for 4 or 5 days. Which was my mistake it was only 4 including the day I called.

Insurance started on 12th so they're saying 4-5 days would make him being ill 10-11th

So they are refusing to pay the bill.

I've gone back and said that what I'd said was an estimation and I hadn't specifically said a start date for illness nor did they ask me for one.

Do I have a leg to stand on here?!

But even 4 days puts you to the 11th. You said you took your DS to urgent care yesterday (15th). A fever for 4-5 days means 10th/11th and travel was on the 12th.

They aren’t going believe you meant 2-3 days…

Urgent care isn’t hospital treatment. Urgent care is out of hours GP level of care.

I hope your DS is OK?

I think this is really unfair as if it was me being worried/jetlagged I'd be likely to be very confused about dates.

I'd reiterate that you said it was 4 or 5 days. And now you are confirming it was 4 days. Therefore you are not changing your story just clarifying. Good luck.

@LoremIpsumCici In my head it was 4 days - Friday Thurs weds tues

It’s a bit of a weird mistake to make when you knew you were camping the insurance company and things like dates matter. I’d try to put clarification in writing and see if that helps. My experience is insurance will look for any loophole so you need to hope they will listen to your correction. Totally depends on the company policy and appealing to the customer service rep. They will automatically think you’re changing the dates to get the pay out having been told no.

This is a good approach. Good luck.

I haven't changed dates. I said 4-5, it was 4 including that day he was at urgent care

@UndertheCedartree he is slowly on the mend, thank you for asking xxx

I understand you have been truthful, I am just saying the insurance company likely will not see it that way no matter how you try and explain.

But 4 days is earlier than your policy started? What is the point of s policy that doesn’t cover you before you go? You could be ill or require the cancellation at any time from booking to travelling.
I also don’t think you’ve got a leg to stand on.

I hope he's OK. Must be very stressful xx

Wow there's some really awful comments on here. I can imagine many people making an off the cuff estimation under the same circumstances, we are human. I don't know what the chances of the insurance backing down are op as I've no experience, but I would definitely pursue it again in the hope you speak to a more understanding person. I hope they agree to pay.

Did you eat at the airport? Have a receipt for your party? Did you take any photos of your child at the airport looking well or healthy?I

You don't tend to eat or engage if you already have a fever? But if a long shot but worth checking what you have

You need to ring back, state that his first symptoms were during the flight and give the date you flew. Not an estimate of days which makes it seem longer as you included the day it was as a day rather than 24 hour periods, so 3 days ago not 4 from what you said.

You'll probably need to upload proof of your flight for date purposes

Op - you absolutely hound them and escalate it.

4-5 days vs 4 days is a completely reasonable error, and you have the actual flight as the marker for when he got sick.

The key here is persistence, and lots of it.

x