Bronwyn heads home to bill stress
A Kiwi mum trapped in Malaysia after falling ill and being unable to leave due to a legal battle with her travel insurance company is headed home.
Bronwyn Ross was discharged from hospital on Friday after she was struck down with pneumonia more than two weeks ago.
She has been told she is well enough to fly home to Otago today without needing an air ambulance, but her ordeal is not quite over.
Her travel insurance provider, Southern Cross, has rejected her claim and won’t cover any of her costs, saying her illness was linked to a pre-existing medical condition.
Ross, 58, has sought legal advice to contest that decision.
She said it had been a ‘‘holiday from hell’’ and she was now nervously waiting to see whether she and her family would be thousands of dollars out of pocket.
‘‘I thought I’d filled everything out correctly and thought I’d be covered if something were to go wrong overseas but this has just added to un-needed stress.’’
Ross has severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but she said her doctor’s certificate showed her COPD had been stable while she was in hospital and was not a contributing factor to her pneumonia.
Southern Cross Travel Insurance chief executive Craig Morrison said this week he was standing by the decision.
He criticised her for talking to the media, saying: ‘‘We are disappointed that the family have chosen to have this play out in the media as opposed to going through SCTI’s review process and the Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman’’.
Ross and son Kane Beardsmore had been in Kuala Lumpur to watch his cousin’s daughter Isla compete in a junior ice skating championship, but on their fourth day there Ross had to be taken to hospital.
Beardsmore said the hospital bills and re-booking flights and accommodation have added up to about $16,000 – and possibly none will be covered.
He said it had been a stressful couple of weeks and there could be more rigmarole involved in I thought I’d filled everything out correctly and thought I’d be covered if something were to go wrong overseas but this has just added to un-needed stress. appealing decision.
‘‘Hopefully we can leave it in the hands of the lawyers, they’ve got their medical team going through it.’’
While he’s been looking after his mother, his friends back home have set up a Givealittle fundraiser that’s already raised $5,800. the travel insurance