An elderly gentleman was travelling through Europe with his partner, when he started to experience occasional dizzy spells. While visiting his son in Switzerland, he suffered a more serious attack and was taken to the Emergency Department.
This episode was not a result of a pre-existing condition, as the customer was in a healthy state prior to leaving for his holiday. After numerous tests to determine the cause of the dizzy spells, no abnormalities could be detected, so the patient was released.
A few days later, the customer suffered another attack and was re-admitted to the Emergency Department. The customer’s son, who had been liaising with Mondial Assistance, was very concerned about his father, who was due to return to Australia in a few days. They had a long journey ahead of them, with a 10-hour transit in Mumbai.
After further testing, the patient was then diagnosed and provided with the appropriate treatment. Our Medical Assistance team re-arranged the customer’s travel bookings, ensuring he had wheelchair and luggage assistance. However, on the day that the customer was due to fly home, there was a bomb scare at London’s Heathrow Airport, and their flight was cancelled.
Once again, the customer’s son became very concerned about his father’s condition and safety during his return trip to Australia. He was quite distressed, as flights had to be re-arranged again too. Our Medical Assistance team reassured him that they would do everything they could to make his father’s trip as stress-free as possible. They also re-booked the flights, and despite all the changes and mishaps, the customer and his partner arrived back in Australia safe and sound.
Travel Insurance Policy saves around $15,000.
As well as providing valuable emotional support to a family in a crisis situation, the customer saved approximately $15,000 in medical expenses and travel amendments, thanks to their Mondial Assistance Travel Insurance Policy.
“My 79-year old father recently visited us here in Switzerland, and unfortunately suffered a series of debilitating dizziness and nausea attacks. While other travellers no doubt suffer more serious medical emergencies, we were all very concerned, particularly about the recurring nature of the attacks, and how he and his partner would cope with the flight back to Australia.
From my first call to your office until my father arrived home safely nearly 2 weeks later, the Helpline staff were without exception extremely competent and efficient, but also very understanding of the distress we were experiencing. More than once I found it difficult to continue explaining events as they were unfolding, but your staff were always patient, sympathetic, and extremely helpful (including arranging wheelchair support for the original trip return, and then during a very stressful period of organising re-booking, when these flights were cancelled). I very much appreciated this personally, but it also greatly reassured my father, and I’m sure made it much more likely that he would be able to stay as calm as possible during the long trip home.
Unfortunately I did not get everyone’s name, but I would particularly like to thank Nicole, Mari, Melinda and Helen for their patience and calm professionalism in doing a difficult job extremely well. To them and their colleagues I would like to extend our gratitude as a family, and to let them know their efforts are very much appreciated.
I hope it goes without saying that I will be recommending to Australian friends or family that they should check that Mondial Assistance holds the emergency assistance contract for their proposed travel policy before taking it out.”
Anonymous July 2007
Above left: Medical Assistance team members helped an elderly gentleman return home safely to Australia from Switzerland, much to his son’s relief. From left: Suanu Yorgure and Nicole Pridham.
You’re in good hands with Mondial Assistance.
Our ability to provide Overseas Emergency Medical Assistance and claims processing in-house, with our Group presence around the world, means we are truly connected to the people we’re assisting in a caring way. In this case, Mondial Assistance remained in constant contact with family members, ensuring that the patient was well looked after, and taking care of all the changes that needed to be made to travel bookings.
In Australia during 2006, we handled over 60,000 Travel Insurance claims and more than 37,000 Medical Assistance cases. Yet, in every case, we strive to provide a superior level of personal service, which sets Mondial Assistance apart.
Our Medical Assistance is the key to your safety, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We are specialists in the medical evacuation of Australians overseas. So you can enjoy peace of mind, knowing that we’re here to help our customers.
Mondial Assistance Australia is a leading provider of Travel Insurance and Overseas Emergency Medical Assistance, as well as Overseas Student Health Cover and Automotive Assistance. Around the clock, around the world, we're always ready to help you - whatever it takes.
