An Ontario man who spent more than a week in hospital while on vacation in Mexico is facing a $147,502 medical bill after his travel insurance claim was rejected.Bahoz Ali of Oshawa traveled to Mexico with his girlfriend in April 2024 after purchasing a Global Youth All-Inclusive travel insurance policy through ManuLife.“Several months before we planned it, my partner and I were there and we booked the trip. We paid for travel insurance as usual,” Ali said.He said he went to a walk-in clinic in Canada about a week before departure after feeling unwell.“I went to a doctor and he confirmed that it was a common disease and that I should be fine to go on the trip,” Ali said.However, his condition worsened shortly after arriving in Cancún. Within two days at the resort, he became seriously ill, suffering several seizures and requiring emergency medical care. Later he went into coma.“At that point, my mind goes numb and I don’t remember anything after that,” Ali told CTV News.Ali was treated in Mexico for eight days before being stabilized and medically flown back to Canada by air ambulance. After returning home he continued treatment and his medical costs were initially covered.However, more than a year later, he was informed that his insurance claim was denied and he would have to repay the full $147,502.“There’s no way a normal family can be expected to pay more than $147,000,” said Hano, Ali’s brother.
Why was the claim rejected?
The insurer said the decision was linked to the “stability period” clause in the policy. Manulife requires customers to be medically stable for 90 days prior to travel.In a statement, a Manulife spokesperson said medical records showed that Ali had experienced symptoms and sought treatment before his travel, which fell within the policy’s stability period.“Manulife can confirm that medical records indicate that prior to travel, Mr. Ali was experiencing symptoms and sought medical care related to a pre-existing condition. Under the policy, this condition falls within the three-month stability period prior to departure. Since the condition was known at the time of travel based on prior medical care, this impacted the way coverage was applied.”The insurer said policyholders should review the terms carefully and disclose any change in medical condition before travelling.Ali and his family appealed this decision twice, but both attempts were unsuccessful.Martin Firestone, president of travel insurance firm Travel Secure Inc., said the case shows how complex such policies can be.“It’s really sad because it’s a lot of money,” Firestone said.He said there was disagreement over whether Ali’s first symptoms were linked to the medical emergency in Mexico.Ali’s father Rahim said the experience had left the family concerned about the reliability of travel insurance.“All Canadians, when they go on trips, I don’t think they are protected because when they need them, they can find an excuse not to pay,” he said.