Brits have been warned after a woman faces a £28k medical bill after falling ill on holiday. (Image: ITV News)
A British woman faces a 34,000-euro (£28,000) medical bill after needing urgent hospital treatment while on holiday with her family in . Elle Dennis had a seizure while on holiday in last year and needed to be put in an induced coma, resulting in a lengthy hospital stay.
However, her insurers have refused to pay out because she failed to declare her medication. Her claim has been denied because she did not mention that she had been prescribed when she renewed her policy – even though the medication was unrelated to her fit.
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Ms Dennis was rushed to hospital in Palma on the first day of their holiday after having a seizure. (Image: Getty)
Ms Dennis, from Rugeley in Staffordshire, said to “I feel really depressed and angry and worried. I don’t know how I’m going to ever pay the bill.”
She said she had only started taking the medication a few weeks before the family went away. She added:“I’d only just got the tablets, literally just before we went on holiday. I hadn’t really taken them.”
Ms Dennis was rushed to on the first day of their holiday after having a seizure and was put in an induced coma at a private clinic for seven days.
Tests carried out at the hospital in Palma revealed she has a grade-three .
Ms Dennis said: “I actually asked that question [if it was connected to HRT] and they said it’s nothing to do with it at all.”
Her husband, Neal, added: “The doctors were saying don’t worry because you will be covered under your , there’s no way that you won’t be covered.
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The couple are now being chased by debt collectors, while Elle is undergoing cancer treatment. (Image: Getty)
“We’d taken out medical insurance, we’d taken our . She was in a critical condition so the concern was with trying to find out what exactly was going on.”
Mr Dennis contacted Inter Partner Assistance (IPA), part of the AXA group – while his wife was in hospital – but was told that Ms Dennis was not covered.
“We didn’t believe HRT was a pre-existing condition that had to be declared. Had we declared HRT, they would have insured us as we understand it at no extra cost, just on a different type of insurance policy, so it’s a bit of a loop hole that they’re trying to use to get out of paying this large bill.”
Ms Dennis added that menopause is “not a real medical condition, it’s just part of life” and something that “every woman goes through”, so it “didn’t even cross my mind” to declare it.
The couple are now being chased by for the money, all while Ms Dennis is undergoing treatment in the UK and unable to work.
They also complained to the Ombudsman, who ruled in favour of the insurance company, though added that it was reasonable to expect IPA to refund the premium paid for the policy – £36.45.
Ms Dennis has shared a warning with other women who are going through menopause to check that they are covered when travelling: “Declare everything, it’s just not worth it.”
A AXA Partners spokesperson told the Express: “We sympathise with Mrs Dennis’ situation, however, she did not declare any previous medical conditions when renewing her annual multi-trip travel insurance policy.
“It is crucial that any previous medical conditions are declared when purchasing a travel insurance policy. If she had declared, she may have been offered a different policy or we may not have been able to provide her with cover.
“The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) has advised that it provisionally agrees with the actions AXA Partners has taken but has asked Mrs Dennis to provide it with further information [by March 7].
“We are reviewing Mrs Dennis’ case but can confirm we do not refuse claims solely because the claimant is going through the menopause.”