ABC11 Troubleshooter helps NC couple get thousands back after getting sick on anniversary cruise

A Fayetteville couple was out thousands of dollars after having trouble getting reimbursed for medical expenses while on a cruise.

The couple bought trip insurance for the extra protection but still went through months of frustration.

It all started when the Soderholms decided on a cruise to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. Steve says, "We went all out because we said this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing for us." They paid for trip insurance just in case something happened. "It covers being sick if you get hurt," Soderholm adds.

Unfortunately while on the cruise last January Soderholm got sick while cruising and incurred a large medical bill on the ship.

"$4,500 is what we were charged for him getting sick and we had to pay that before we left," Beverly Soderholm tells ABC11.

They had to pay the medical bill with their credit card bill and then file a claim with their insurance and trip insurance. What they thought would be an easy process, went on for months.

"Eight months later and it's still a nightmare," Beverly said.

The Soderholms kept all of the paperwork they sent to their own health insurance company and their trip insurance company. Both companies wanted the other to take responsibility. "They said the exact same thing, you need to file with your insurance company. I said why don't you file, and they said it's not our job, and I said it's not my job either, we bought the insurance," Soderholm added.

ABC11 Troubleshooter Diane Wilson got in touch with the travel insurance company, who said they needed more documents to move forward with the claim, and are experiencing a surge in claims which is causing some delays.

Soderholm's health insurance company never got back to Wilson, but after several weeks of providing more information, the Soderholms got relief and a check arrived in the mail for more than $4,500 that covered all of the medical expenses while on the cruise.

The Soderholms are relieved they finally got reimbursed for their medical expenses.

When it comes to travel insurance, the fine print has the details. The more documents you have that prove your claim, the better. If you do get sick or have an incident while on vacation, don't leave without getting as much paperwork to prove your claim.