When a trip to the US earlier this year turned into a painful medical emergency, a 62-year-old woman was allegedly left stranded with heavy hospital bills and no insurer support. The Chandigarh consumer commission has now stepped in, ordering a private insurance company to reimburse her costs of USD 944, which stands at over Rs 89,000.A bench of president Pawanjit Singh and Brij Mohan Sharma also ordered Rs 30,000 compensation for causing mental agony and harassment, as well as costs of litigation.“After reaching the USA, i.e., during the currency of the subject policy, she suffered an injury to her nail for which she purchased medicines and also visited the Franciscan Hospital and thereby incurred total expenditure of 1,224.61 USD, but when she submitted the claim documents to the opposite parties, they failed to reimburse the claim, which amounts to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice on their part,” the commission said on October 23.Concluding that the insurance company is guilty of deficiency in service and unfair trade practices, the order noted that no deficiency in service or unfair trade practice was proved against the online insurance broker.Insurer denied USA medical bill reimbursementThe complainant bought an international travel insurance optimum plan issued by a private insurance company through an online insurance broking service. The policy covered her from February 17 to April 9 this year with a total medical coverage limit of 500,000 USD. She traveled to the USA on February 18.According to the complainant, on March 5, while closing a door during household work in the USA, she injured her toenail. Due to continuing pain, she bought medicines from a local pharmacy and visited the emergency department at Franciscan Hospital on multiple occasions for medical treatment, paying the bills out of her own pocket. As the pain did not go away, her doctor advised her to see a surgeon. However, because she had exhausted her funds, she had to reschedule her return flight back to India for March 24, earlier than her originally planned return date of April 1, at extra cost.After returning to India, the complainant claimed that she submitted her medical bills and requested reimbursement from the insurance company and online insurance broking service. However, she alleged that the insurance company failed to release the claim amount. She requested them multiple times to accept the claim, but received no relief, leading her to file a consumer complaint alleging deficiency in service and unfair trade practice.Story continues below this adThe insurance company submitted that no valid insurance claim was proven because the complainant had only submitted medical bills without attaching the corresponding medical treatment papers to prove the injury.The online insurance broker service argued that it acted only as an insurance broker/digital platform to help users enroll in insurance policies, and any decision to accept or reject claims rests solely with the insurer.Insurer wrongly withheld amount: OrderThe commission noted that the complainant had purchased a valid plan from an insurance company through an online broker, covering her trip from February 17 to April 9 with a sum insured of USD 500,000 for medical expenses resulting from illness or injury during the trip.The commission observed that the complainant suffered a toenail injury while in the USA within the policy’s valid coverage period, underwent treatment at Franciscan Hospital and a local pharmacy, and incurred out-of-pocket medical expenses.Story continues below this adThe commission rejected the insurance company’s defense that the claim was invalid due to missing treatment papers. It observed that the terms of the policy bound the insurer to guarantee reasonable and customary medical charges incurred to relieve acute pain from an accidental injury.Out of the total claimed amount of 1,224 USD, the commission observed that bills totaling 944.61 USD were directly related to treatment during her trip and were wrongly withheld by the insurer.TakeawayThis ruling protects travelers by holding insurers strictly accountable for legitimate emergency room claims abroad. It stops companies from hiding behind technical paperwork excuses, ensuring policyholders aren’t left financially stranded when unexpected injuries strike away from home.Consumers facing similar grievances may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states (Chandigarh: 0172-2700-183) or dial the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.Story continues below this adDon’t miss out on these stories:‘Wrongfully charged’ Rs 100 penalty despite positive FASTag balance, man wins Rs 4,000Son’s trip home from Canada cancelled but ‘flight refund denied’, father wins Rs 86,000Parents died in 2014 accident, LIC delayed benefits, daughter wins Rs 1 lakh payout