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 denied.Bahoz Ali, of Oshawa, traveled to Mexico in April 2024 with his girlfriend after purchasing a comprehensive youth global travel insurance policy through Manulife.“Months before we planned it, my partner and I booked the trip. We paid for the travel insurance as usual,” Ali said.He said he visited a clinic in Canada about a week before departure after feeling unwell.“I went to see a doctor, and they assured me it was a normal illness and I should be completely fine to go on the trip,” Ali said.However, shortly after arriving in Cancun, his condition worsened.
Within two days at the resort, he became seriously ill, suffered multiple seizures and required emergency medical care. He later fell into a coma.“At that point, my mind goes numb, and I don’t remember much of anything after that,” Ali told CTV News.Ali was treated in Mexico for eight days before his condition stabilized and he was medically evacuated to Canada by air ambulance. He continued treatment after returning home, and his medical costs were initially covered.
However, more than a year later, he was informed that his insurance claim had been denied and that he must pay the full $147,502.“We cannot expect an ordinary family to pay more than $147,000,” Ali’s brother, Hano, said.
Why was the claim denied?
The insurance company said that the decision is related to the “stabilization period” clause in the policy. Manulife requires customers to be medically stable for 90 days before traveling.In a statement, a Manulife spokesperson said medical records showed that Ali had experienced symptoms and sought treatment before his trip, which fell within a period of policy stability.“Manulife can confirm that medical records indicate that prior to travel, Mr. Ali had symptoms and sought medical care related to a pre-existing condition. Under this policy, this condition occurred during a three-month stabilization period prior to departure. Since the condition was known at the time of travel based on prior medical care, this affected how coverage was applied.”The insurance company added that policyholders should carefully review the conditions and disclose any changes in medical condition before traveling.Ali and his family appealed the decision twice, but both attempts were unsuccessful.Martin Firestone, president of travel insurance company Travel Secure Inc., said the case illustrates the complexity of such policies.“It’s really sad because it takes a lot of money,” Firestone said.He added that there is disagreement about whether Ali’s previous symptoms were related to the medical emergency in Mexico.Ali’s father, Rahim, said the experience made the family worry about the reliability of travel insurance.“All Canadians, when they go to travel, I don’t feel like they’re safe because when they need them, they might find an excuse not to pay,” he said.
