legitimate refund denied
Complaint
Jackie MacDougall
Country: Canada
Travel Guard IS a scam.
When we had to re-schedule our flight in September because we learned of a family health related emergency 2 months after the policy was purchased, they denied the claim.
We submitted the medical information from the attending physician and a certificate of death due to unexpected causes. We live 3000 miles from where the deaths occured 2 weeks after we left, (both my brother and sister 2 days apart) so it was rather difficult or us to obtain all the information Travel Guard wanted - yet we did and it still wasn't enough for them!
What are the recourse a person may take against this company?
When we had to re-schedule our flight in September because we learned of a family health related emergency 2 months after the policy was purchased, they denied the claim.
We submitted the medical information from the attending physician and a certificate of death due to unexpected causes. We live 3000 miles from where the deaths occured 2 weeks after we left, (both my brother and sister 2 days apart) so it was rather difficult or us to obtain all the information Travel Guard wanted - yet we did and it still wasn't enough for them!
What are the recourse a person may take against this company?
Comments
I have a situation as well with Travel Guard. My mother-in-law was ill when we bought the policy for a trip we had planned 6 months prior. She was elderly and not in good health. I explained our entire situation when I purchased the policy. After talking with the representatives I felt comfortable buying our policy.
We flew to Hawaii on February 12th- got a phone call on February 14th that my mother in law was being sent home from the hospital on hospice care. Hospice care was approved February 14th. We called Travel Guard as we needed to get home as my mother in law was on medicaid and now needed 24 hr. care at home by family as she was failing day by day. Only comfort measures were given. Medicaid did not pay for entire 24/7 care. Family would now be responsible for the additional hours to care for her along with hospice visits. She was bedridden in her home. We included the information DSHS sent to us approving hospice care in her home on February 14th. She passed away in March. We sent in all the appropriate information including physicians statemant - with relevant information also to include she had passed away.
Travel Guard did assist us in getting home on February 15th.
I filed our claim on March 23, 2011.
Today, April 26th, I received a phone call message from an arbitration department w/ Mercury Claims in Wisconsin and told that our claim was denied because she was given the "diagnosis" prior to us purchasing the policy. Of course she was diagnosed- she has had failing health for years now and was being sent home on hospice care per her physicians.
Of note, also, when I called to set up my claim with the claims department the representative asked me, multiple times, for a diagnosis. Since Travel Guard is aware of HIPPA, as they include a release form to be signed regarding the patients medical condition, never should a representative from their company ask the consumer for a "diagnosis". That is indeed a HIPPA violation if the consumer were to convey any information and they were not the patient or representative of the patient. The customer service representative was quite adament wanting to know a diagnosis. I indicated I did not know the diagnosis- I would not know a diagnosis- only a physician would know. She settled into commenting that the family member had an "illness". Only, and only, should anyone disclose a diagnosis after the patient's consent/or representative of patient (Healthcare POA) has signed a written release for a physician or approved representative to disclose any information.
I called the Travel Guard Claims department and the representative indicated he could not help anymore with my status as only the arbitration department could help. I then proceeded to let him know my frustration regarding the HIPPA violation and he reluctantly agreed- noting at first "it wasn't against the law"- and well, why he thinks it may not be, he should be studying up on his company and the HIPPA release form they include with their claim packet.
That tells me there that the customer service representatives have not been properly trained regarding HIPPA standards and practice.
I am sharing this as to help any others regarding making a choice to purchase a policy from Travel Guard. If anyone has any experience good or bad with this company I would appreciate any input.
Thanks.
They are trying every/any angle not to pay.
They are trying every/any angle not to pay.