An Aussie couple have slammed their insurer after their dream Bali holiday turned into a nightmare and they were forced to fork out $8,000 in medical bills.
Kayla Heagney, 29, and her partner Nicola Fox, 30, flew with their two-year-old son from Newcastle, on the NSW Central Coast, to the Indonesian hotspot last week.
The family had been planning the trip for sometime with the overseas holiday a 30th birthday gift to Ms Fox.
After they arrived, Ms Heagneybegan experiencing severe pain and decided to get checked out at a hospital where she was immediately placed in intensive care.
Doctors told her she had acute pancreatitis, which is a medical condition that occurs when the pancreas becomes swollen.
Kayla Heagney (pictured) was placed into intensive care at a hospital in Bali while she was on holidays with her partner after she was told she hadacute pancreatitis
Ms Heagney was told if she didn't get treated she could die, but it was going to cost $1,500 per night plus extra in medical costs to keep her in hospital.
Ms Heagney, who has been to Bali more than half-a-dozen times, initially thought it was just a minor stomach ache.
'It all happened really quickly, it was so scary just not knowing what was going to be the outcome,' she toldA Current Affair.
Ms Fox contacted their travel insurer Budget Direct to check if their medical expenses would be covered.
'The insurance company said they would take a minimum of 24 hours to do their investigations to make sure what Kayla was experiencing wasn't pre-existing,' she said.
Ms Fox contacted her doctor who advised them to fly back to Australia.
The terrified mother claimed Budget Direct warned they would not cover her partner if she was discharged from hospital against medical advice.
'I felt like this was the only opportunity I had to get home and get the treatment which meant going against what the travel insurance was telling us,' Ms Heagny said.
Ms Fox was forced to turn to her father for help to fund the cost of their airfares after thecouple racked up thousands of dollars worth of medical expenses.
'I called mum and dad and was inconsolable crying at this point,' she said.
'I just said that we need help to get home. We can't afford it because we've gone through all our money at the hospital and we couldn't afford to get home.'
The couple then caught the next available flight home after MsHeagney was discharged.
Budget Direct have investigated the couple's claim and they were reimbursed for their medical costs.
The couple (pictured) were told by their travel insurer they wouldn't be covered if MsHeagney is discharged from hospital against medical advice
MsHeagney (pictured right) is now recovering back home after Ms Fox (pictured left) was forced to turn to her father to help them cover the cost of their airfares
The couple said they were dissatisfied by the service provided by their insurer.
'I looked through all the product information, I looked to see they had a 24-hour call line...so I thought I had done all the right things,' Ms Fox said.
'But the reception I got - it didn't feel like a safety net at all.'
Ms Fox issued a warning for travellers to make sure they double check they are covered when they head off on holidays.
'I think it's just really making sure that you are so stringent with insurance. I thought that buying a comprehensive cover was enough,' she told Yahoo.
'We were fortunate that we did have a little bit of money to fall back on, but that money quickly ran out to get the right cover.'
A Budget Direct spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the claim was paid within 48 hours of receiving the request from the couple.
'Our travel insurance is backed by a highly trained and specialist medical assistance team including doctors with several years of aero-medical and repatriation experience,' he said.
'Australian travellers are generally aware that flying is not without risk, especially longer-haul flights as there may not be appropriate medical expertise onboard should something go wrong.'
How to choose the right travel insurance
Consider where you are going
Choose a policy that covers where you are going.
Some travel insurance policies are county specific while others are worldwide therefore the level and cost of insurance cover can vary.
Decide how much cover you need
Travel insurers usually provide quotes depending on how long you are going to be travelling overseas.
Travellers can chose from a one-off travel insurance policy if their trip is going to last for a few days.
Insurers also provide multi-trip policies if you are going on a trip for an extended period of time.
Check if you are eligible for different types of cover
Travellers are urged to consider what they will be doing while they are overseas as travel insurers might not cover all activities.
Some activities are excluded from standard policies therefore people are urged to apply for insurance specific to the type of activities they are likely to undertake.
Customers will have to pay extra to ensure certain activities are covered.
Think about your age and health
The type of insurance policy a traveller needs and how much it will cost will depend on their age and health.
Travellers are urged to inform their travel insurance if they have any pre-existing conditions and to check if their condition is covered by the policy.
Other considerations
The Australian government will not pay for your medical costs if you are not insured.
Overseas travellers who do not pay their medical bills if they seek treatment for an injury or illness in another country could be sued, arrested and jailed.
Customers are advised to shop around for the best deal and to read the product disclosure statement as not all policies cover all things.
