More Medipac Problems

[WBChapman]

This past winter we were in Florida and had Medipac Travel Insurance "coverage". I contracted a chest/throat infection and after contacting Medipac for approval went to the local Estero Emergency Medical Clinic. The physician prescribed and antibiotic, prednisone and an inhaler. Subsequently, about 10 days later I was contacted by Medipac and asked if I have okay. I replied that I was much better and felt I was recovered.
The claim under my deductible was going to be less than US$100. I was then told that they wanted to "repatriate" me.
When I suggested that was not necessary I received an email telling me that my policy could be cancelled and would no longer cover any bronchial conditions I might develop.
This is not the kind of response I would expect from and insurer who had any concern for its clients and seems more like a company that just wants your money not any risk! Needless to say I will not use Medipac every again and have advised CSA that they are promoting a product that is not in the best interest of their members.

[Gruffy]

I wonder if they refunded the unused part of his premium? If they cancelled his policy when he refuse re-repatriation, he should have been entitled to a refund.

[Almot]

CardinalRule wrote:

This insurance does not cover, provide services or pay
claims resulting directly or indirectly from:

14. Any expenses incurred after the date on which
the Insured has declined an offer of repatriation or
medically approved emergency evacuation.

Yes, but why did they order to repatriate him, in the first place? The emergency was over and no further treatment was prescribed. It wasn't like the client refused a treatment that he "could've" received if he "would've" gone back to Canada. How the repatriation in this case helps preventing any diseases resulting from that emergency?

CardinalRule wrote:

Note it says ANY expenses not just expenses related to the medical emergency.

Trip insurance don't normally cover any expenses but emergency-related anyway.
The question is still the same: How continuing the trip after a treated emergency would cause any emergency-related expenses, other than ANOTHER AND UNRELATED emergency, ex. broken finger or appendix or whatever. Medipac chose not to cover any further emergencies after the first one, i.e. cancelled the coverage, and put a clause in the contract that allowed to do so.

Note that, per Medipac, repatriation doesn't even have to be "medically approved", it's just something that they might at some time order for reasons other than medical. Financial reasons, for example - they don't feel like paying for more than one emergency per trip, so they order repatriation.

Yes, insurance sucks.

[CardinalRule]

This excerpt from their Policy: Medipac Policy

GENERAL EXCLUSIONS
This insurance does not cover, provide services or pay
claims resulting directly or indirectly from:

14. Any expenses incurred after the date on which
the Insured has declined an offer of repatriation or
medically approved emergency evacuation.

Note it says ANY expenses not just expenses related to the medical emergency. Read your policies people, read your policies.

I would be surprised if most policies don't have a similar clause.

[Almot]

Mountainman42 wrote:
My policy, and I'm sure most if not all others, states the following:

Medical Expenses Incurred After the Emergency has Ended
Limitation of Benefits
Once you are deemed medically stable to return to your province or territory of residence (with or without a medical escort) either in the opinion of xxxxxxxx(the insurer) or by virtue of discharge from hospital, your emergency is considered to have ended, whereupon any further consultation, treatment, recurrence or complication related to the medical emergency will no longer be eligible for coverage under this
policy.

Since your claim was going to be under $100 after your deductible, you would have been far better off to pay for it yourself and possibly file a claim with your provincial medical coverage after you got home.

Billing provincial MSP or not, the client would still be ineligible for further coverage of any emergency related to THIS particular disease until the end of the trip, this makes sense. If they would try and conceal this emergency from the insurer and quietly billed provincial MSP upon return, they would likely become ineligible for coverage of ANY emergency treatment until the end of the trip because they concealed the fact of emergency.

I highlighted one line in quote above - it sounds like they are talking about further treatment related to "the emergency", i.e. to THIS particular disease.

What puzzles me is that the OP insurer cancelled further coverage of ANY emergency until the end of the contract. When they return, they are covered by MSP, so insurer won't have to pay a dime for any further related or unrelated treatment. And if they don't return, the insurer won't cover any further emergency either. In essence, insurer simply cancelled the coverage.

And, - yes, Medipac is Manulife. The fact that it's being promoted by snowbirds associations, doesn't mean anything to me. Associations have their own agenda sometimes.

[Mountainman42]

My policy, and I'm sure most if not all others, states the following:

Medical Expenses Incurred After the Emergency has Ended
Limitation of Benefits
Once you are deemed medically stable to return to your province or territory of residence (with or without a medical escort) either in the opinion of xxxxxxxx(the insurer) or by virtue of discharge from hospital, your emergency is considered to have ended, whereupon any further consultation, treatment, recurrence or complication related to the medical emergency will no longer be eligible for coverage under this
policy.

Since your claim was going to be under $100 after your deductible, you would have been far better off to pay for it yourself and possibly file a claim with your provincial medical coverage after you got home.

[toban]

The ombudsman is correct. This is EMERGENCY insurance not ONGOING health insurance I'm afraid to add. Once the claim has been looked after ALL insurance companies will NOT pay for further treatments for that condition. If you need further care, you will need to go home or pay for it out of your own pocket. ALL policies define this clearly in the policies if you read them. I don't agree with it but that's the fact unfortunately.

Toban

[Mountainman42]

Unfortunately, you will find the same treatment no matter which insurer you use, not just Medipac. I had a similar experience a few years back, different medical problem but similar response from my insurer. Like you, I felt this was unfair so I wrote to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance OmbudService. Here is the response I received from them:

Without seeing the involved policy I cannot with absolute certainty advise you on the insurer's contractual obligations. I can however advise that travel health insurance typically provides benefits for medical emergencies that occur while an insured is outside Canada. Once such an emergency is over so to speak, no further benefits are paid in connection with any subsequent emergencies arising from the condition with prompted the first emergency. If your policy contains a provision along these lines, then the insurer is right in advising you that it will not cover any further emergencies from your xxxxxxxx condition. The fact the this condition was not present prior to the effective date of the policy doesn't matter. You can always ask the insurer to quote the specific policy clauses they are relying on in this case.

Even though this is not the answer you would have wished for, I hope you find this information helpful.

Mary Boles
Associate General Manager,
Canadian Life and Health Insurance OmbudService

Insurance Ombudsman

[moisheh]

Medipac IS Manulife. The worst insurer in Canada. Go to the Mexico forum on this site and read my post about Manulife!

Moisheh

[Tripalot]

I think Medipac is underwritten by Manulife. I have only heard horror stories in connection with Manulife.

[waldo617211]

Every year I compare medipac with bcaa & always go with bcaa. I think medipac is oversold & leaves a bad taste in my mouth when csa recommends them. I have never had a claim ( touching my wooden head ) with bcaa, so I don't know how that end is. Perhaps someone on here has had bcaa claim experience they might share. YMMV.

[Matt___Carol]

Not only will Medipac cancel your coverage if you have ever used prednasone, they will cancel the coverage if it has been prescribed at any time and the prescription never filled.
I'm speaking from first hand experience.

[amandasgramma]

Ummmmmm I'd be contacting the insurance commissioner if you have one where you live. This is not right......and they're punishing you for being sick. I believe the commissioner who authorizes that insurance company to do business in your state/country. I worked for one here....and they have analysts that look at how a company is doing business....too many complaints and they lose their license to do business in that state.