I recently decided to write a negative review of Axa Insurance company after the company disallowed my claim and canceled my medical insurance policy. I hope this account will be instructional for those seeking travel insurance, which was my position three months ago in June2022.
Axa disallowed compensation for medical bills, giving the reason that I failed to purchase a travel insurance policy the day before leaving Los Angeles for Sydney. They wrote to state that buying the policy on the same day as my departure (although it was purchased hours before the flight left the ground) disqualified me for compensation. This text below was copied from their cancellation letter sent on August 3rd, 2022:
"We regret to inform you that the policy that you purchased on June 9th is ineligible due to you (sic) purchasing it the same day of your flight departure. Policies must be purchased with confirmed scheduled departure and return airfare tickets at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled departure date. Accordingly, we have cancelled the policy #2461716, effective immediately."
I have looked exhaustively for information about this in the travel insurance policy guidelines provided by Axa and could not find any language that supports their position.
In addition, I was issued an acceptance letter on June 9th, 2022. If purchasing a policy on the same day as departure disqualifies a customer, doesn't Axa have a responsibility to conduct due diligence before providing an acceptance letter? It's not as if it would have been difficult for them to find out, as the departure date and purchase date are both on the web application they provided.
Axa disallowed my claim based purely on their need to avoid honoring the financial commitment they voluntarily undertook when they sent a letter of acceptance. Both documents, the acceptance letter and the travel insurance policy, fail to support their denial of my claim.
I am writing an appeal to Axa to ask them to review the claim and have also engaged the services of an attorney to sue to obtain compensation. Whatever the outcome of my efforts, I hope to communicate to others about Axa's refusal to provide claim coverage. Insurance companies shouldn't be allowed to do what Axa has done, i.e., make money on a policy that offers an illusion of safety without actual coverage. Companies that deliberately and willfully place their customers in such financial danger should not be allowed to conduct business.
Most people would happily pay more for insurance that does what it says it will do, and hopefully, this message will reach others in time for them to become aware of the problem before they make choices concerning the purchase of insurance.
In case some background will be helpful, here's an abbreviated account of the medical issues that led to my filing a claim for compensation for bills that the Axa travel insurance was supposed to cover. I was hospitalized (July 22-25, 2022) for acute care in Northern Beaches hospital in Sydney, Australia, after experiencing a heart attack. While hospitalized, I underwent an angiogram and insertion of a stent in the left anterior descending artery on the left ventricle (also known as the "widowmaker" blockage location). I was told I had a 99 percent blockage. Such an obstruction for a first heart attack often proves fatal, but thanks to a swift ambulance trip to the emergency room, I was fortunate enough to survive.
On July 22nd, AXA was initially informed of my admission to Northern Beaches hospital. Over the next week, they requested information concerning the claim via email messages and phone calls. This supporting documentation was given to them.
On July 27th, Axa wrote, saying my policy might be canceled and my claim disallowed. The text on that message read as follows:
"Please note for future reference that AXA Assistance USA plans are eligible for travel plans that has (sic) a defined departure and return dates purchased prior to leaving your state of residence. User (sic) are required to enter the exact dates of their itinerary as originally booked prior to traveling. There are 2 options that are available to you. We can rescind the policy and refund you the premium paid at the time of purchase on June 9th 2022, as you may have not been aware of how our AXA plans work. No claims can be filed if the plan is cancelled. If you wish to still proceed with a claim once the policy end date occurs, you can submit this for review, but please be aware if the original booking and travel documents do not match with your policy dates, the outcome of your claim may not be favorable after review. Please note we do not approve or deny claims here in customer service until they have been submitted and fully reviewed by our claims adjusters."
This text information caused me stress concerning the hospital and surgery bills I would be responsible for if my claim was denied. After receiving this notice, I spent eight hours researching what could be done if Axa refused to pay, e.g., checking for similar problems on the internet and contacting persons for consultation.
This process caused me considerable stress and, in my opinion, contributed to a second hospitalization I underwent after those eight hours on July 28th.
At that time, I experienced angina and shortness of breath and returned to the Northern Beaches emergency room. I was admitted due to an abnormal ECG reading and blood assays of elevated troponin levels and stayed for a second time in the CCU (July 28 – 30, 2022). A second angiogram was administered on July 29th. Further surgical interventions were not required then as the cardiologist didn't see any problems from the previous stent surgery.
After the hospitalization, I was advised by a local cardiologist to avoid air travel, and the doctors recommended home and bed rest before flying or doing anything strenuous. Since then, I have been living in Sydney, awaiting a return home, and feel incredibly grateful to have survived.
In summary, please spare yourself the trouble I have gone through and avoid purchasing an Axa travel policy. You do not want to be in my current position of seeking compensation for a claim unfairly denied and having the stress of dealing with a hostile company’s legal team when your health has been compromised.
(877) 222-2144
1-800-692-6326
Jennifer.Recine@axa.us.com
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