’I had to pay £28k after falling ill on holiday even though I had insurance'

A British holidaymaker has been presented with an eye-watering 34,000-euro (£28,000) healthcare tab after an emergency turned her Spanish getaway into a nightmare. Elle Dennis suffered a seizure while on holiday in Majorca last year, resulting in an induced coma and lengthy hospital visit.

She's now grappling with the financial fallout after her insurance company refused to cover the costs - all because she didn't disclose her menopause medication. Despite taking Hormone Replacement Therapy which was unrelated to her seizure, the fine print invalidated her policy.

Ms Dennis, from Rugeley, told ITV News: "I feel really depressed and angry and worried. I don't know how I'm going to ever pay the bill. I'd only just got the tablets, literally just before we went on holiday. I hadn't really taken them."

Her medical ordeal commenced on day one of the holiday, leading to a seven-day comatose state in a private clinic. Doctors in Palma uncovered a grade-three brain tumour, reports the Express. Ms Dennis recalled: "I actually asked that question [if it was connected to HRT] and they said it's nothing to do with it at all."

Neil Dennis, her husband, shared his disbelief: "The doctors were saying don't worry because you will be covered under your insurance, there's no way that you won't be covered. We'd taken out medical insurance, we'd taken our European health card. She was in a critical condition so the concern was with trying to find out what exactly was going on."

Mr. Dennis reached out to Inter Partner Assistance (IPA), part of the AXA group, while his wife was hospitalised, only to be informed that her condition wasn't covered under their policy. "We didn't believe HRT was a pre-existing condition that had to be declared. Had we declared HRT, they would have insured us as we understand it at no extra cost, just on a different type of insurance policy, so it's a bit of a loophole that they're trying to use to get out of paying this large bill," Mr. Dennis explained.

Ms. Dennis, who is currently battling cancer back in the UK and unable to work, expressed her disbelief, stating menopause is "not a real medical condition, it's just part of life" and something that "every woman goes through", hence it "didn't even cross my mind" to declare it. Now, the couple is facing the stress of debt collectors on top of Mrs. Dennis's health struggles.

Despite lodging a complaint with the Ombudsman, who sided with the insurance company but suggested IPA should refund the policy premium of £36.45, the couple's ordeal continues. Mrs. Dennis has since issued a stark warning to other women experiencing menopause: "Declare everything, it's just not worth it."

An AXA Partners spokesperson expressed their position to the Express, stating: "We sympathise with Mrs Dennis' situation, however, she did not declare any previous medical conditions when renewing her annual multi-trip travel insurance policy."

They emphasised the importance of disclosure: "It is crucial that any previous medical conditions are declared when purchasing a travel insurance policy. If she had declared, she may have been offered a different policy or we may not have been able to provide her with cover."

The spokesperson also mentioned the current status of the dispute: "The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) has advised that it provisionally agrees with the actions AXA Partners has taken but has asked Mrs Dennis to provide it with further information [by March 7]. We are reviewing Mrs Dennis' case but can confirm we do not refuse claims solely because the claimant is going through the menopause."

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