A Brit dad is stuck in a Mexican hospital after insurers refused to pay out on a claim after he had a heart attack on holidays.
Trevor Dealey, 59, from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, collapsed on May 11 in Cancun and is still in a critical condition and has now developed sepsis, the Mail reports.
His daughter Megan wrote on a GoFundMe appeal yesterday (Sunday, May 19) that the family have been hit with huge medical bills, and will likely need more as Trevor remains in hospital at the resort city.
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Megan said: “‘He got treatment straight away but has been in hospital in Mexico since then and has developed an infection and needed blood dialysis and is now on a ventilator.
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
“We have been hit with huge medical bills, insurance won’t pay out and there is simply no way we can just pay these and he is likely to need further treatment. If there’s anything you can do to help, it would be really appreciated.”
After her plea, Megan added that hospital is “demanding payments”.
She went on: “He is in critical condition and the hospital are demanding payments. It is an incredibly stressful time for us all. Me and my brother have took an emergency flight out to be with his partner to support her during this difficult time.
“Everything is up in the air at the moment with flights, hotels etc… we just want him healthy and home.”
Megan has claimed that Admiral Insurance had “stalled” before stating that because of apparently “undeclared medical conditions” that Trevor would not be covered.
She said at this point the hospital “demanded” £45k and said if they didn’t receive it then Trevor would be transferred to a state hospital that might not have the ventilator he needs.
Averil Longhurst, Trevor’s sister, told MailOnline that he has moved to another hospital. “The last update was that he was still in intensive care and was being treated for sepsis and is on a ventilator.
“TUI have been very good. But we are having problem with the travel company, Admiral. They say they don’t cover this. I don’t understand what the problem is.
“All I know is I have friends who are going abroad shortly and they are examining their travel insurance policies with a magnifying glass.”
An Admiral spokesperson said: “When a customer takes out a travel insurance policy, we ask them to declare all medical conditions. This is so that we price cover accurately based on the individual risk.
“Declaring previous medical history and pre-existing conditions is extremely important when purchasing travel insurance. Not doing so could leave someone under insured if they need to make a claim or could invalidate their insurance entirely.
“As part of our process of confirming cover for any claim where a medical incident is involved, we will check a customer’s previous medical history to ensure they have declared everything they need to.
“We do not take the decision to refuse a claim lightly as we appreciate the financial implications this can have. However, if a customer requires medical treatment while abroad which is related to medical conditions that haven’t been declared to us we may, in some situations have to decline their claim.
“Our emergency assistance team will continue to provide non-financial support and medical assistance to Mr Dealey and his family if they require this.”
TUI has been contacted for comment.
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