Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
General Topics => The Debating Chamber => Topic started by: KKOB on September 05, 2015, 14:06:46 PM
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Whilst I have sympathy for the family for their loss I don't think the hospital has any alternative but to hold the body until the bill, or at least a substantial part of it, is paid.
A Turkish hospital has refused to release the body of a British tourist for funeral until his family settle his £25,000 treatment bill.
Ray Kippin had taken out travel insurance before the trip but it was void after he had wrongly put down the date of an operation to fit a stent to his heart.
Now the private Turkish hospital where he was treated has told the 53-year-old's grieving family they need to settle his £25,000 treatment bill before they will release his body. They also need a further £4,000 to cover the repatriation of his body.
And, as for the daughter's comment 'It is harrowing to know my father is over there all alone......' What ? He's dead !
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3222859/They-holding-father-ransom-Turkish-hospital-refuses-release-body-British-tourist-family-settle-25-000-bill-three-days-intensive-care-treatment.html
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Blame the insurance company not the Turkish hospital! They are the ones who have decided to invalidate his policy because he put down the wrong date for his operation.
Name and shame them and then they can be bombarded with bad publicity in the hope of a reversal of their decision and a payout which will lead to the eventual return of this man's body to his family.
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His premium would have reflected the dates and history of his health as declared. You can't blame the insurance company!!!
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It is not really the insurance company's fault either, much as I feel sorry for the family, it sounds like this man deliberately put down that his operation was a month earlier. Like all insurances they will pick up any mistake/omission or exaggeration because they never want to pay out. However I think they could be a little more flexible in such distressing circumstances as these.
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Like all insurance companies, they've turned the claim down because of a mistake made by the policyholder on the application form. You can't blame them for not paying out.
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The date could have affected the risk and the cost. You have to be spot on and truthful when you take out life insurance. No different for holiday cover.
A costly error?
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Assuming it was an error
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Nothing that I read said it was deliberate mistake. If he falsified his application because it said something like "Have you had surgery in the last 12 months" and he slipped the date of his op back a month to avoid a higher premium then yes - it's a fraudulent claim. He tried it on and came unstuck but the report doesn't even say what the error was. Did he simply put down the wrong day, month or even year, something we've probably all done before.
IMHO if it's a genuine error and not fraud then the insurance company should show a little more compassion for the family and if only as a guesture of goodwill offer to pay the £4k repatriation costs.
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He tried it on and came unstuck but the report doesn't even say what the error was. Did he simply put down the wrong day, month or even year, something we've probably all done before.
Read the article and you'll see that it clearly says 'Apparently he had put down that he had the stent fitted to his artery in June instead of July.'
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I'd like to think it was an error but honestly would you forget the date of a serious operation. I think that he may have thought it would be more acceptable if it occurred at an earlier date. Sadly he probably hoped it would never come to be questioned. We are warned so much about incorrect input info for all insurances. Very sad.
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KKOB - but did he make a deliberate attempt to defraud the insurance company (in order to get insured or gain a cheaper premium) or a genuine mistake (a slip of memory or pen) when filling in the application?
Based on personal experience I'd like to believe the latter but most of the other responders have assumed the former, based on what evidence I'm not too sure.
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£25000 for three days in intensive care? Sounds as if the hospital is trying it on to me....
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KKOB - but did he make a deliberate attempt to defraud the insurance company (in order to get insured or gain a cheaper premium) or a genuine mistake (a slip of memory or pen) when filling in the application? .
There's really only one person who'd know that, and he's not going to tell now.
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I could understand the date being wrong if the operation had been a few years ago. However, he was at the Wedding in August and the operation had been the month before in July. Perhaps, he worried they would not insure him if the trip out to Turkey seemed a little soon after his operation? I would imagine his wife would know. I would also imagine she would not say.
It still seems a lot of money for three day's care in the hospital even with 24 hour attendance by staff. If this family have no way of getting the money, I cannot see any good reason for the hospital to hold the body.
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As upsetting as this may be to the family and whether there was a deliberate attempt or not I can't see the hospital holding on to the body for too long. There must be 100's of cases of people being unable to pay their bills.
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From reading the media coverage (yeah I know, not the most reliable source) it seems that he had a stent fitted in July, and wanted to travel for a wedding in August. He then told his travel insurer that the stent was fitted in June.
From what I know, the recommended time before flying after surgery, as advised by the NHS can be anywhere from a couple of days to six weeks - for a lot of ops it's perfectly safe to travel before then, but insurers work the numbers. They know that if a complication arises at 35,000 feet or a foreign country then the bills really start to mount up.
The figure I've seen regarding cardiac problems/surgery is six weeks - before six weeks they'll cover you, but after six weeks the premium will be considerably cheaper.
The issue the insurers have to deal with is a) did he make a genuine mistake or b) did he falsely state the date of his operation to secure a cheaper premium.
If they required him to provide any supporting documentation, release paperwork, fit to fly letter etc then the date of the op would have been evident and it should have been treated as the former. If they relied solely on the insured's statement of health then, unfortunately for the family, they'll have no option but to treat it as the latter.
Another salutary reminder why it is important to be totally frank and honest with your insurance company.
As regards the hospital, well they look at his body as an asset, thats all. They want paid and as distasteful as it is, they have every right under Turkish law to keep hold of it until someone pays their bill. Given the public reaction though, they'll probably give in and release it after a bit more huffing and puffing - or the insurers will work something out.
JF
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KKOB - but did he make a deliberate attempt to defraud the insurance company (in order to get insured or gain a cheaper premium) or a genuine mistake (a slip of memory or pen) when filling in the application?
Based on personal experience I'd like to believe the latter but most of the other responders have assumed the former, based on what evidence I'm not too sure.
"Most of the other responders" only believe the former to the same extent that you believe the latter Steve so why would your view be more likely or hold more weight than theirs? They made their opinion based on the information available - as did you.
Things aren't more likely because you believe them ;)
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Things aren't more likely because you believe them ;)
I believe that !
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See, that's unlikely ;)
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Well, one nights observation (hooked up to monitors) in ICU at Letoon cost me almost 1,800TL no doubt this guy had a whole lot more attention than I did, but I still don't see how they got it to £25K sterling for 3 days.
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I would imgine there must be an ongoing storage charge.