An Ontario man who was hospitalized for more than a week while on holiday in Mexico faces a $147,502 medical bill after his travel insurance claim was denied.Bahoz Ali, from Oshawa, traveled to Mexico with his girlfriend in April 2024 after purchasing global youth all-inclusive travel insurance through Manulife.“My significant other and I booked this trip months before we planned it. We did pay for travel insurance as usual,” Ali said.He said he felt unwell about a week before departure and went to a walk-in clinic in Canada.“I went to the doctor and they confirmed it was a common illness and I should be able to continue traveling,” Ali said.However, soon 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 brain went numb and I don’t remember anything after that,” Ali told CTV News.Ali received treatment in Mexico for eight days before being stabilized and flown back to Canada via air ambulance. After returning to China, he continued to receive treatment, and the initial medical expenses were borne by him.However, more than a year later, he was informed that his insurance claim was denied and he must repay the full $147,502.“It’s impossible to expect an average family to pay more than $147,000,” said Hano, Ali’s brother.
Why was the claim denied?
The insurer said the decision was related to a “stabilization period” clause in the policy. Manulife requires customers to be medically stable within 90 days prior to travel.A Manulife spokesman said in a statement that medical records show Ali experienced symptoms and sought treatment before traveling, which falls within the policy’s stabilization period.“Manulife can confirm that medical records indicate that Mr. Ali developed symptoms prior to travel and sought medical care related to a pre-existing condition. Under the policy, this condition fell within the three-month stabilization period prior to departure. Since the condition was known at the time of travel based on prior medical care, this affects how the coverage applies.”The insurer added that policyholders should read the terms carefully before traveling and disclose any changes in medical conditions.Ali and his family have appealed the decision twice, but both times 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’s a lot of money,” Firestone said.He added that there was disagreement over whether Ali’s early symptoms were related to the medical emergency in Mexico.Ali’s father Raheem said the experience left his family concerned about the reliability of travel insurance.“All Canadians, I don’t feel like they’re safe when they travel because when they need to, they may find an excuse not to pay,” he said.
