Allianz is not allowed to terminate travel insurance of a sick customer in Thailand
A sick insured of Allianz Global Assistance, who has been staying in Thailand for years, is still entitled to reimbursement of medical costs that he claims from the insurer. Allianz wrongly terminated the man's travel and cancellation insurance, on the grounds that they were staying abroad for more than 180 days. This is what the complaints institute KiFiD says.
The couple left for Thailand in May 2017, where the man subsequently falls seriously ill. The treating doctors state that the man cannot be repatriated to the Netherlands because he is too ill to fly. The travel insurance, which was taken out through Your Benefits, will be terminated retroactively in the summer of 2020, after the insurer established that the maximum coverage period of 180 days had been exceeded.
Couple disagree with cancellation of policy
The couple does not agree with the cancellation of the policy and submits a complaint to the insurer. She maintains her point of view and so the couple appeals to the disputes committee of the Kifid. He then informs that the insurer has wrongly terminated the travel insurance unilaterally. The insurance must therefore be reinstated, according to a binding ruling. According to the committee, the cover automatically remains valid in accordance with the conditions until the first possible return of the insured.
Does travel insurance cover the costs incurred?
The Kifid committee looked, among other things, at whether the travel insurance offers coverage for the claimed costs. In addition, the couple had to be able to demonstrate that the man became ill within 180 days after the trip started. According to the policy conditions, the insurance will then continue to provide cover until the first possible return of the insured to the Netherlands. However, since the man fell ill he has been unable to fly. As a result, he cannot return to the Netherlands and the travel insurance therefore remains in force.
Source: https://www.kifid.nl/Uitspraak-2021-0985-Bindend.pdf
A similar case happened about 10 years ago with a NL-TH couple on holiday in TH. The NL man suffered 2 heart attacks and 2 cerebral infarctions in a row and was allowed to continue to declare his costs to the health insurer for years; they officially still lived in NL but he was absolutely not allowed to fly. Later they decided to register in TH and their registration in NL and therefore also their health care policy expired.
I wonder what people will do once there is a fast and comfortable train connection between TH and EU (Vientiane-Kunming is already there). Would the insurance company send a nurse or doctor on that train?
You could also go by boat if you have sea legs, although cargo ships with passenger accommodation do not have a doctor on board…..
Only the regular commercial airlines do not take sick patients.
I assume that there will sooner be an insurance policy for tourists that organizes a special flight, just like with winter sports holidays.
This has been around for a long time in the business sphere.
Shell, for example, has had an arrangement for some time that sick patients worldwide are picked up by a specially equipped aircraft.
A train journey and by ship will take much too long given the distances.
Only the regular commercial airlines do not take sick patients. Yes, sure. Must be supervised by a doctor and/or nurse.
Then you should be allowed to fly. There may be a waiting period after an infarction. In the situation I described, the man was forbidden to fly ever again…
They had told me from Univé that a completed travel insurance policy is valid for 6 months.
Even if I were only in the Netherlands for 1 day, and left again, then the 6 months would start again.
And don't have to shut it down again.
There is no such thing as a really comprehensive travel insurance policy, forever.
Is that right?
Hans van Mourik
It is in fact very clear and also logical: if it can be shown that the man has become ill WITHIN the term his travel insurance was valid, then the insurer cannot cancel the policy, until this man is able to travel again . That he became ill WITHIN the term of the current insurance is crucial here.
I probably would have made that mistake myself.
Thought if you have completed travel insurance for illness, and you have always paid, that you will keep it.
When I was registered in the Netherlands up to and including 2009 and had my ZK V at Univé.
I then asked how long I can stay abroad, for my ZKV it was 6 months.
Have a suspicion that, these are also the guidelines, of the completed travel insurance for the health costs that one has taken out.
The travel insurance covers, only when the costs are higher, if the Dutch standards, which are not reimbursed by the ZKV.
This case does not know.
Hans van Mourik