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Unethical treatment and misinformation given on a claim filed
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I am writing to express my displeasure with the rejection of my AIG Travel Guard insurance claim, but more importantly, the unethical treatment I was given by a number of AIG Travel Guard staff members in trying to obtain information on my claim rejection and subsequent appeal.
We purchased travel insurance with AIG Travel Guard on 8/21/14 for our Italy trip scheduled for 10/17/14. I developed a back problem after the purchase date which got progressively worse. My doctor decided that the trip would be detrimental and we cancelled. My claim for reimbursement of $6800 was mailed on 10/17/14. I received the final rejection of my claim on 3/4/15, six months later.
The first rejection of my claim in writing was received on 2/12/15. The reason given was that I had a pre-existing condition based on some chiropractor visits prior to buying the insurance. I asked to speak with a supervisor. The supervisor gave a totally different reason for my rejection. Her explanation was that I saw an orthopedic surgeon in October after I filed my claim. I asked to speak with a manager. He agreed with me that it could not be the reason for my rejection. I asked what it would take to reconsider his decision. He said a statement from my chiropractor stating that my condition was stable and controlled prior to purchasing the insurance. My chiropractor sent in that statement the next day and one month later 3/4/15 came the second rejection letter. This time the reason given was because the 8/22/14 treatment I received from my chiropractor. There was no mention of the dates prior to my insurance being purchased. He states in the letter that my condition was controlled and stable up to 8/22. Since the policy states that it goes into effect at 12:01 am that day after purchase of the insurance, the treatment I received, although it was after the time it goes into effect, is still considered a pre-existing condtion.
I filed with the NYS Dept. of Finance a complaint against this judgement. After three months, they determined that this was a legal matter. However, in the information they requested from AIG Travel Guard the reason given for my rejection went back to the initial letter listing a number of dates in the look-back period prior to purchasing the insurance, a direct contradiction of the March rejection letter.
I called the writer of that letter and asked to answer two quesitons:
How can your medical examiner determine it was a pre-existing condition when both my doctor and chiropractor stated in writing that it wasn’t?
How can getting treatment for a condition after the policy goes into effect constitute a pre-existing conditon?
He could not answer. I went on to a supervisor. She could not answer. I moved to the next level, a manager. She could not answer the questions and in fact it took almost a month to finally get a call from the head of the department. He did not answer the questions either.
After dealing with seven people in the claims and consumer complaint divisions of AIG Travel Guard, I reached out to the top. I called the office of the CEO of AIG and was promised a callback on three different occasions. None came. When I stated that I would go public concerning the treatment I have been given, I got a call from the President of AIG Travel Guard. He was pleasant, apologized for how I had been treated, but was unwilling to allow any further appeals. He did not answer the questions I posed.
I was left with this situation. My chiropractor and doctor stated in writing that I did not have a pre-existing condition. AIG Travel Guard personnel from the first claim’s analyst to the President of the company played the shell game of changing reasons for my rejection and refusing to answer my questions at every level.
The two alternatives that still existed were to hire an attorney or go to small claims court. I contacted an attorney who said it would cost at least $3000 with no guarantees. I found that to go to small claims court I would have to file in Wisconsin or New York City, and even if they find in my favor, I have to collect on my own. My wife enouraged me to drop the whole thing insisting that I was getting very stressed out by it.
How I was treated by AIG Travel Guard was wrong, and I feel I need to let others know that it is company unworthy on anyone’s business.
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