Call For Action gets Plymouth family $8,000 back after travel insurance failure
PLYMOUTH - A Plymouth family's dream vacation turned into a nightmare when several of them were in an accident in Mexico. When their travel insurance company refused to cover $8,000 in medical bills, they reached out to WBZ-TV's Call For Action.
The April 2022 cruise to Cozumel and Costa Maya was a special trip for Gina Morrissey and her extended family. They all love to cruise and Gina's mom had just been diagnosed with cancer.
"We said you know what, let's do one more trip, she's never been on a trip with her children," Gina recalled.
The first night of the trip was everything they imagined.
"We had a great dinner, my mom was enjoying herself," Gina said, pointing to a big family picture with all 10 people huddled around a table at one of the ship's restaurants. "It's probably the only picture I own where everyone is smiling."
But those smiles faded the next day when Gina's two brothers and their boys rented a Jeep to explore the Mayan ruins.
"The Jeep was hit on the passenger side," she explained.
Her brother Nick suffered a skull fracture and required 20 stitches to repair his ear that was nearly severed from his head.
Gina's husband stayed with her brother who had to spend a couple of nights in the hospital. After a harrowing 6-hour cab ride, they caught up with the ship at the next port.
"We were finally together, it was a happy moment, but it was still a sad moment because this whole cruise that we had planned was a waste. It was a huge disaster," Gina said.
The disaster only got worse when they got home.
"These are all of our bills," Gina said opening a folder with all of their receipts from her brother's medical care. The bills totaled more than $8,000, which they had to pay out-of-pocket at the hospital.
Gina was thankful she purchased travel insurance for everyone on the trip. The policy said it would cover illness or injury up to $20,000. She filed a claim a few weeks after the trip.
"September nothing, October nothing. I kept calling, they gave me the same script, 'Yes, ma'am, it's being proccessed,'" she said, recalling one of the many phone calls to the company.
After a year of getting nowhere, Gina reached out to WBZ's Call For Action.
"Within an hour, you contacted me," she said.
Then we reached out to the insurer Aon Affinity. A spokesperson wrote back to us a few days later saying:
The Aon Affinity Travel Practice team has reexamined the claim and approved payment for the policy's trip interruption and medical benefits. The check will be sent via mail on Friday, May 5.
"I almost had a heart attack, I was just so excited," Gina said recalling her reaction when the company contacted her. "What I've been fighting for with no resolution for a year, you were able to solve in less than a week!"
It is important to note that some insurance companies including Mass Health and Medicare do not work out of the country. If you are traveling this summer, you might want to check your coverage.
If you need to reach Call For Action dial 617-787-7070 or email wbzcallforaction@cbs.com
