Trip Insurance - Cancelled Midtrip

[veryami1]

Hi! Need your thoughts on this. Not sure if this is the appropriate place to post it, so if I'm wrong, let me know and I will post it on the right forum.

 

Hubby and I booked a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula before I got my Celiac diagnosis. Once diagnosed, we contacted the hotel who assured us our all-inclusive resort would be able to feed me (gluten-free pasta, bread, meats). Unfortunately, although I know they tried their best, I got sick daily from the second day until we left. I had brought granola bars and other safe treats, but not really enough to exist on.  They (said) they prepared all my foods in safe areas, away from possible cross contamination and I never ate from the buffets - I always got special meals from the kitchen.

 

Even so, I had an upset stomach every day. I know the next question is - well, how do you know it wasn't just Montezuma's Revenge? Well, it wasn't a constant running to the bathroom after every meal, but when I did go, it was diarrhea. I've had MR before, and that's a "spend the day in the bathroom" affair. Plus, sorry to get graphic, but I had the same bloating, color of feces, gas, etc that I get with glutening. i was sure it was that.

 

My husband and I decided to leave early. I couldn't keep getting sick. and even if there was a chance it was MR or a "food poisoning", it wasn't a risk I was willing to take. I can't hurt my body like that.

 

We are submitting a claim for reimbursement, since we happened to buy the trip insurance. 

 

What are your thoughts? Are we unfairly requesting a reimbursement? Has anyone here ever done it? I really just want $ for the change of flight, and the unused portion of the hotel. It's not their fault, per se, that I can't eat their food. But medically, I just couldn't stay there any longer.  Any advice for help requesting money back? The claim form is asking for proof of hospitalization or treating physician's note, but it's a little different for us with Celiac.  Am I really supposed to get an endoscopy to prove damage?

 

Thanks in advance,

Ami

[GF Lover]

Hi there.  Both of your Topics where there.  I removed the second one you started as to avoid confusion,

 

Colleen

[LauraTX]

The first thing to look at with the trip insurance policy is to see if they have an exclusion for pre-existing conditions.  Generally, the cheap trip insurance you can tack on with an online booking is going to have this kind of restriction.  If you went out of your way to buy independent trip insurance since you were going out of the country and such, you may be okay.

 

If your pre existing condition is not excluded, you shouldn't have to get another endoscopy.  However, you should visit a doctor ASAP if you haven't already, and if it has been a while since you came back, it may be too late if the policy requires you to have actually seen the doctor.  Of course, your celiac doctor can still write you a note, usually they have a form for the doctor to fill out that asks targeted questions, and you can give it a shot.

 

But overall, take a good look at your travel insurance policy, and if you booked through a travel agent and bought the policy from them, they may be able to help you navigate it.

 

If the travel insurance reimbursement attempt fails, I would try contacting the resort company and ask for a refund.  If you communicated via email or anything that you can attach to your complaint, send that with it and try to contact the higher ups in corporate, letting them know your expectations were not met, and this meant you became ill and had to leave.  Their staff made promises they couldn't keep, and especially if it is one of the bigger resort chains, they may do a lot to try to gain you back as a customer.

[Gemini]

All of Laura's advice was excellent but also check to see if the coverage included Trip Interruption Insurance because that's the coverage needed for cutting a trip short. I have also found that having a problem from a pre-existing conditon is never covered.  I collected on trip insurance earlier this year from a cancelled trip last fall and learned 2 things....you have to be sick or injured (which you were) in order to process a claim because they won't cover most other reasons except sickness or death, which includes the death of a relative. They also will not cover illness due to a pre-existing condition and I bought a good policy from an independent company.  My injury was not related to Celiac in any way.

 

I would try and file something anyway but you may have better luck contacting the resort and playing on their good will to refund some money.  I know people who received refunds this way so it can work.  Good luck!

[LauraTX]

Good point about the interruption as well.  I used to always buy the cheap $20 or so insurance when I booked a flight, but now with all my crazy health conditions documented it is pretty much futile, lol.  I would probably still get it if it were a high cost trip or international.