New Zealand has been rocked by the passing of Abby Hartley on Sunday, September 09, as she was stuck in Bali in part due to a denied travel insurance claim.
Hartley had initially fallen ill while visiting Bali on holiday. After being admitted to hospital, doctors subsequently discovered that emergency surgery was necessary due to bowel-related issues.
Though the operation was successful, a number of secondary issues arose afterwards, including infections, respiratory issues and kidney failure. Since August 15, Hartley had been in a medically induced coma.
While Hartley had purchased Cover-More travel insurance through Air New Zealand, apparently she did not disclose a pre-existing bowel condition during the transaction process.
This appears to have been the prime impetus for denying her claim.
“After a very long and stressful battle with the insurance company they have made the final decision to not cover any medical costs therefore we have been left with a very expensive medical bill,” Hartley’s family stated.
Subsequently, the family were left with a variety of medical expenses, particularly around her extended hospital stay and medications.
Additionally, the New Zealand government stated it was unable to aid in bringing Hartley home, with Foreign Minister Winston Peters stating that it was not possible to cover costs.
Attempts were subsequently made to crowdfund Hartley’s expenses and MEDEVAC via givealittle, but despite raising the necessary funds it appears that Hartley’s condition had worsened to the point where she was unable to fly home.
Cover-More travel insurance was the recipient of an “Exceptional Quality” rating from Mozo for its Premium Single Trip service in August 2018. However, it remains to be seen what impact this issue will have on future travel insurance claims related to pre-existing conditions.
Cover-More Travel Insurance has not yet made a public statement around the case.
