Brit Woman Hit with £28k Medical Bill After Insurer Refuses to Pay Over Menopause Medication

A British woman is facing a staggering £28,000 medical bill after suffering a seizure while on holiday in Spain—because her insurer refused to pay out over undeclared menopause medication. Elle Dennis, from Rugeley in Staffordshire, had only just arrived in Majorca with her family last year when she was rushed to hospital after suffering a sudden seizure.

Doctors placed her in an induced coma for seven days as they fought to stabilise her, and tests later revealed she had a grade-three brain tumour, as reported by the Express.

But despite taking out travel insurance, Elle has been left to foot the enormous medical bill after insurers refused her claim, citing the fact that she hadn’t declared she was taking Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Speaking to ITV News, she admitted she’s at a loss over how to pay the bill. “I feel really depressed and angry and worried. I don’t know how I’m going to ever pay the bill.”

Elle had only started taking HRT weeks before the holiday and insists she barely even used it before the trip. “I’d only just got the tablets, literally just before we went on holiday. I hadn’t really taken them.” Her husband, Neal, said they had no idea that menopause medication needed to be declared, especially since doctors confirmed it had nothing to do with her seizure or brain tumour.

“The doctors were saying don’t worry because you will be covered under your insurance, there’s no way that you won’t be covered,” he said. “We had taken out medical insurance, we had our European health card. She was in a critical condition, so the concern was with trying to find out what exactly was going on.”

But after contacting Inter Partner Assistance (IPA), part of the AXA group, Neal was stunned to be told that Elle was not covered because she hadn’t disclosed her HRT prescription.

“We didn’t believe HRT was a pre-existing condition that had to be declared,” he explained. “Had we declared HRT, they would have insured us at no extra cost, just on a different type of policy. It’s a bit of a loophole they’re using to get out of paying this large bill.”

Elle is now undergoing cancer treatment in the UK and is unable to work, but the couple are still being chased by debt collectors for the money. Their complaint to the Ombudsman was rejected, with the ruling siding with the insurance company—though they did agree that IPA should refund the £36.45 premium she had paid for the policy.

Now, Elle is warning other women to be extra cautious when booking travel insurance. “Declare everything, it’s just not worth it,” she said. AXA has since defended its decision, stating: “It is crucial that any previous medical conditions are declared when purchasing a travel insurance policy. If she had declared, she may have been offered a different policy or we may not have been able to provide her with cover.”

Despite their stance, the case has sparked debate over whether menopause should even be considered a medical condition that requires disclosure—and whether insurers are being fair in how they apply their policies.