Canadian traveller faces $147,000 medical bill after insurance claim is denied: ‘I don’t remember anything’

An Ontario man who spent more than a week in hospital while on holiday in Mexico has been left facing a medical bill of $147,502 after his travel insurance claim was denied.Bahoz Ali, from Oshawa, travelled to Mexico in April 2024 with his girlfriend after purchasing a Global Youth All-Inclusive travel insurance policy through Manulife.“Months before we planned it, it was me and my significant other and we booked the trip. We did pay for travel insurance as per usual,” said Ali.He said he visited a walk-in clinic in Canada about a week before departure after feeling unwell.“I went to see a medical physician, and they confirmed it was a run-of-the-mill sickness and I should be perfectly 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 slipped into a coma.“At that point, my brain goes numb, and I don’t remember much of anything afterwards,” Ali told CTV News.Ali was treated in Mexico for eight days before being stabilised and medically evacuated back to Canada by air ambulance. He continued treatment after returning home, and initially his medical costs were covered.However, more than a year later, he was informed that his insurance claim had been denied and that he must repay the full $147,502.“There is no way to expect a typical household to pay over $147,000,” said Ali’s brother, Hano.

Why the claim was denied

The insurer said the decision was linked to a “stability period” clause in the policy. Manulife requires customers to be medically stable for 90 days before travelling.In a statement, a Manulife spokesperson said medical records showed Ali had experienced symptoms and sought treatment before his trip, 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 had sought medical care related to a pre-existing condition. Under the policy, this condition fell within the three-month stability period prior to departure. Since the condition was known at the time of travel based on the prior medical care, this affected how coverage was applied.”The insurer added that policyholders should carefully review terms and disclose any changes in medical condition before travelling.Ali and his family have appealed the 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.“This is really sad because it is a lot of money,” said Firestone.He added that there is disagreement over whether Ali’s earlier symptoms were linked to the medical emergency in Mexico.Ali’s father, Rahim, said the experience has left the family worried about the reliability of travel insurance.“All Canadians, when they go to travel, I don’t feel they are safe because when they need them, they may find an excuse not to pay,” he said.