UK National in Cambodia Risks Losing a Lung

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CEOCambodiaNews
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UK National in Cambodia Risks Losing a Lung

Post by CEOCambodiaNews »

Maltese woman in Cambodia in heartfelt plea for help for ailing partner
Maltese national in Cambodia with her sick partner seeks to raise funds for treatment after health insurer refuses to cover claims
15 May 2020, 8:41pm
by Massimo Costa
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A Maltese woman living in Cambodia is asking for help for her sick partner after their health insurer have refused to fund the required medical treatment.

Alana Castillo Fonseca, a Maltese national, said her partner of 12 years, Anthony Ruaridh Massena Igoe - a UK national - is suffering from a serious bacterial chest condition and risks losing a lung.

Castillo Fonseca is now faced with an insurer which refuses to cover the needed costly treatment, which will require a long hospital stay in Cambodia.

The cost of the treatment until 24 May will be of over $26,600, according to a photo of the hospital's estimated bill which she has posted.

Castillo Fonseca has started a crowdfunding appeal on GoFundMe to help cover the needed costs.

In the day since starting a GoFundMe page, she has raised £4,924 of the £20,000 her partner will need.

Massena Igoe has been diagnosed with haemophilus pneumonia and an abscess in his lung caused by a bacterium that causes melioidosis.

"In short, a co-infection of two bacterial-types are attacking his lungs," Castillo Fonseca said on the funding page.

"Now the main concern is the abscess in his lung, this will take a minimum of a three-week stay in hospital for the intravenous antibiotic Meropenem to be administered three times a day for three hours, and not to mention antibiotic pills to try and kill the bacteria."

The woman's partner is also unable to travel to his home country, Scotland, since a flight would worsen the abscess.

Massena Igoe has first fallen ill in January, but was initially given the all-clear by doctors after hospital tests, and told to take antibiotics and rest for a few days.

In February and March, the man - who previously never had any health issues - felt fine.

It was only this month that he fell ill again, and his worrying condition was diagnosed at the hospital.

The couple's insurer, Cigna Global, have denied all claims, insisting that Massena Igoe had been ill since January. The insurer maintains his condition had been hidden from the company when the insurance was taken out in February.

Castillo Fonseca, however, said that there was no indication when the insurance was taken out that her partner was in any way unwell.

Despite this, the insurer has not relented and will not cover their costs.

Other sources she has turned to for help, including an embassy, have refrained from getting involved.

"While we await more excuses from Cigna, my partner has to limit his treatment because we cannot afford it. If they had warned me in March, I would have sent him home to Scotland, I would have done things differently," Castillo Fonseca said.

"Please I implore someone, anyone to help us during these times... The love of my life is dying and there is nothing I can do besides ask people for help. So this is what I will do."

Anyone who wishes to give a donation to help the couple can do so by visiting this GoFundMe page.

Video message: 15 May 2020


Image
Spoiler:
Alana Castillo Fonseca is organising this fundraising appeal on behalf of Gerarde Paul Igoe.
Created 1 day ago
Medical, Illness & Healing

My partner a Scottish National, his name Anthony Ruaridh Massena Igoe, and I a Maltese national are currently living in Cambodia, supposed to be covered by Cigna Global health insurance. We have been together for 12 years, and he has never had any health issues before.

On January 25th 2020 My long term partner went to a local hospital because he had chest pains while breathing and a cough. The doctor at the time, got very concerned as he thought he had TB.
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So he was tested for TB and HIV and had a chest X-Ray, all of which came back negative and the doctor cheerfully gave us antibiotics and said he was fine and just to rest at home for 3 days 27th-30th January. Great we thought…. By the 4th of February we started our cover with Cigna Global, everything was dandy, Mid-March rolled in and schools closed, we moved to working from home.

On the 3rd May 2020 we came to hospital thinking they would just say he had a funny chest infection. This was not the case and he was hospitalised since. He is now Diagnosed with haemophilus pneumonia and an abscess in his lung caused by a bacterium that causes melioidosis. In short, a co-infection of 2 bacterium attacking his lungs.

Now the main concern is the abscess in his lung, this will take a minimum of a 3 week stay in hospital for intravenous antibiotic Meropenem, 3 times a day for 3 hours, and not to mention antibiotic pills to try and kill the bacteria. he can't even go back home because the abscess might expand during flight, or worse.

Cigna Global denied all our claims stating he was ill from January, even when we had told them in March when he started to show symptoms. Not only that but he seemed fine in February when we got the insurance and even found work by then.

Now there is a law in Cambodia that may protect us and that is article 20 of the insurance law in the country that states our insurance can not cancel on us if we were not aware or unintentionally withheld information. Not only that but when confronted Cigna Global stated they do not follow any particular law (I have this filmed).

If we wanted to hide this information we wouldn’t have told them in March and we certainly wouldn’t have brought the January results with us to the hospital we are in now. Instead we are being treated as liars, ignored by them and just denied for everything.

No one can help, even Embassy is just able to send us names of lawyers and refuse to get involved. While we await more excuses from Cigna my partner has to limit his treatment because we cannot afford it. If they had warned me in March I would have sent him home to Scotland, I would have done things differently.

We are now in a battle with insurance, where they are denying us everything, and we have literally just been told they have to remove my partner's lung. I don’t know if this is a story enough for you, just know that any little thing will help. Please I implore someone, anyone to help us during these times.

The love of my life is dying and there is nothing I can do besides ask people for help. So this is what I will do.
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https://www.gofundme.com/f/my-partner-i ... supporters.
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Jerry Atrick
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Re: UK National in Cambodia Risks Losing a Lung

Post by Jerry Atrick »

They're around $10'000 up so far, looks good.

Seems the hospital is raping them financially. I guess those dicks at Royal P.P?
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fazur
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Re: UK National in Cambodia Risks Losing a Lung

Post by fazur »

CEOCambodiaNews wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 5:47 pmThe couple's insurer, Cigna Global, have denied all claims, insisting that Massena Igoe had been ill since January. The insurer maintains his condition had been hidden from the company when the insurance was taken out in February.
so why did they accept the policy in February if he had a pre-existing condition in January?

insurance companies, bankers, lawyers. trashbags
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Re: UK National in Cambodia Risks Losing a Lung

Post by Bluenose »

Fazur, from the way I read it, when he took out the insurance in February he seems to have not mentioned the condition or treatment in January to Cigna. When you buy a health insurance policy with them you are asked specific questions and have to declare any kind of doctors/hospital tests or treatments in the preceeding 6 months or year. If he truthfully mentioned the episode in January then he would be covered. If not, then he has a problem.
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Clutch Cargo
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Re: UK National in Cambodia Risks Losing a Lung

Post by Clutch Cargo »

Bluenose wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 6:37 pm Fazur, from the way I read it, when he took out the insurance in February he seems to have not mentioned the condition or treatment in January to Cigna. When you buy a health insurance policy with them you are asked specific questions and have to declare any kind of doctors/hospital tests or treatments in the preceeding 6 months or year. If he truthfully mentioned the episode in January then he would be covered. If not, then he has a problem.
Re bold above, I'm not sure that's quite right Bluenose. If he had mentioned the lung condition (which incidentally was only 1 week before taking out the policy) I would think the insurance company would either: 1. say, OK we cover you minus any lung associated ailments, or 2. refuse cover. Probably the former..
the doctor cheerfully gave us antibiotics and said he was fine and just to rest at home for 3 days 27th-30th January. Great we thought…. By the 4th of February we started our cover with Cigna Global
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Re: UK National in Cambodia Risks Losing a Lung

Post by Bluenose »

Fazur, agreed regarding what the insurer would do, my gist was whether he mentioned it or not. Wonder how long he had been without health cover.
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newkidontheblock
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Re: UK National in Cambodia Risks Losing a Lung

Post by newkidontheblock »

He knew he had a lung problem in January and took the policy in February, expecting the insurance company to be on the hook. He paid premiums for maybe 3-4 months, maybe $500 total and now expects the company to pay out $26,000?

How fair is that to insurance company? How many customers’ premiums will be needed to cover $25,000?

Lung abscesses usually wall themselves off so antibiotics don’t reach them. He probably needs surgery to drain the abscess at this point.

Poor guy is in a bad place. He really needs to get back to NHS care.
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Kammekor
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Re: UK National in Cambodia Risks Losing a Lung

Post by Kammekor »

299$ a night in a ward is a bit expensive for Cambodia I think.....

Wonder what hospital they're in. Seems more expensive than the Bumrungrad....
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Re: UK National in Cambodia Risks Losing a Lung

Post by Anchor Moy »

I am truly sorry for this guy and hope he gets the treatment he needs. It looks like he should have flown home after the first scare in Jan.

Insurance companies are notorious for finding the slightest loophole to avoid paying, but if the couple did not disclose the man's previous 'minor' lung infection then they are in the wrong and there is no way the insurance will pay out. Unless they decide that they don't like the bad publicity and figure that $26,000 is worth paying out for brand promotion ?
The couple's insurer, Cigna Global, have denied all claims, insisting that Massena Igoe had been ill since January. The insurer maintains his condition had been hidden from the company when the insurance was taken out in February.

Castillo Fonseca, however, said that there was no indication when the insurance was taken out that her partner was in any way unwell.

Despite this, the insurer has not relented and will not cover their costs.
Getting sick in Cambodia without valid insurance is like Russian roulette. But, how many of you have current health insurance ? We all tend to think that it will only happen to someone else. :unknown:
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Arget
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Re: UK National in Cambodia Risks Losing a Lung

Post by Arget »

I have.

I only need one glove and one shoe but its not worth the risk.
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