Bupa Travel Insurance - Premium Plan

Bupa Failed Its Duty of Care – Unsafe, Inadequate, and Costly From the outset, Bupa failed to provide even basic support, forcing me to personally pay nearly $20,000 despite holding top level travel insurance. I was medically repatriated from Sweden to Australia after a fall that caused fractures to my hip and pelvis, yet no mobility aids or safe… Read more

transport were provided at any stage. Five months after my accident, the mobility aids requested from the outset have still never been supplied.

Transport from the airport to my home was rejected, leaving me in pain, immobile, and at serious risk. Instead of arranging safe accommodation, Bupa advised me to sit in a car and later at the airport while injured. I was not permitted to book accommodation myself in Malmö or Copenhagen and had to organise a hotel late in the day after enduring significant pain and distress.

Bupa pressured me into an unnecessarily long travel route that added more than 10 hours and involved multiple stopovers, delayed flights, and long layovers. Screenshots from the British Airways website show this route appearing as booked despite me not accepting or authorising it. I was told I could not take a shorter, safer route and that I might be cost responsible. Only after I paid for the shorter route myself was the exact same option approved, demonstrating reactive, unsafe, and inconsistent decision-making.

The limited services Bupa did arrange were unsafe and inappropriate, including a serious transport incident in London where the vehicle had steps unsuitable for my injuries, the driver drove in an unsafe manner while texting on his phone, we were told to be quiet while he told his boss that his car would not start, and later demanded a cash payment. Despite the risks and distress involved, Bupa subsequently offered compensation while maintaining that its internal review found no failures, a conclusion that does not align with the facts or outcomes.

Bupa also failed for two months to act on an outstanding medical invoice from Skåne Hospital, despite it being clearly listed as “UNPAID” in their own records and being the only hospital bill I did not personally pay. As a result, the invoice accrued penalties and escalated to debt collection through the Swedish Enforcement Authority, despite written confirmation from Bupa that it would be paid. My claim was closed while this liability remained outstanding, and I was asked to sign a deed of release while the bill was still unpaid.

Communication throughout the claim was fragmented and disorganised. Despite repeatedly instructing Bupa to contact me directly, they continued using my partner’s details, causing delays and confusion. I was forced to deal with four separate entities, Bupa, World Travel Protection, Zurich, and CoverMore, making the process disjointed, conflicting, and extremely stressful while I was recovering from serious injuries.

My daughter was forced to personally arrange appropriate, safe flights and accommodation because Bupa could not do so. Bupa later paid her for this time, effectively acknowledging that they were unable to fulfil these obligations themselves. Five months on, the saga continues.

Overall, my experience was unsafe, distressing, and completely mishandled, demonstrating systemic failures and a serious breach of duty of care. Based on my experience, I would never use Bupa for any form of care again.