Travel Insurance Company Denies Maryland Couple's Claim After Cancer Diagnosis

When an unexpected illness forced a Maryland couple to cancel a cruise, they were relieved to have travel insurance, but the insurance company denied a refund because of that life-threatening illness.

Betty and Walter Savoy of Accokeek always purchase travel insurance for their cruises, which they have been taking for 38 years.

“Always get travel insurance and we never had to use it,” Betty Savoy said.

Their 39th cruise was supposed to be a river cruise through Germany and to Amsterdam. They booked their trip and purchased travel insurance from the same two companies they've always used.

However, at a routine doctor's visit weeks before, Walter Savoy had a biopsy out of precaution. Two weeks after purchasing travel insurance, he got the diagnosis.

“He said, ‘Guess what? We can't go,’” Betty Savoy said. “And I said, ‘Why?’ And he said, ‘I have prostate cancer, and it's aggressive, and they want to start treatment right away.’”

The Savoys quickly canceled the trip and filed an insurance claim, but it was denied due to a "pre-existing condition."

According to CSA Travel Protection, its definition of a pre-existing condition is something "that occurs at a time when the plan was not in effect ... for which you ... received, or received a recommendation for, a diagnostic test.”

“At the time I purchased it, we had no clue and nothing had been said of that nature,” Betty Savoy said.

NBC4 Responds reached out to the travel insurance company and the travel agency.

In a statement the insurance company, CSA Travel said, in part, it "regrets that based upon the insurance policy terms and conditions we were unable to meet their expectations."

However, the travel agency, Vacations to Go, did respond to their loyal customers and refunded the entire cost of the cruise: $4,998.

Walter Savoy is getting better and plans to finally go on that cruise with his wife soon. They will take out travel insurance like always, except they’ll use a different insurance company.

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