The World's Worst Travel Insurer

International Medical Assistance has a terrible reputation despite being my leading source of business. It often calls over a hundred times per year. Almost every doctor who knows IMA including the colleague who covers when I’m away, refuses its calls because it’s so hard to get paid.

Most travel insurers pay within a month or two. If they don’t, a call to the claims department corrects matters.

IMA never pays within two months. When I call, the claims department assures me that a check will be mailed in the near future or that my invoice never arrived. When I call a week later, I might hear the same explanation.

IMA was in business when I took up hotel doctoring in the 1980s and, for obvious reasons, happy to send patients. It didn’t take long for me to grow annoyed. Payment could take six month and required persistent phone calls. In 1993, with my practice prospering, I began refusing its calls.

In 1998, IMA changed ownership. A representative called to apologize for past difficulties and promise that it would now pay promptly.

But nothing changed. Checks didn’t arrive. I resumed pestering the billing department. By that time hotel doctoring was catching on so I had several competitors. IMA was irritating to deal with, but it provided plenty of business and – eventually – paid.

My frustration tolerance has diminished with age. In 2012 I was considering dropping IMA when a representative called to announce that it was again under new management. Payment would now be made every month directly into my checking account.

Sure enough, in January 2013, December’s payments appeared – minus several visits. Wearily, I picked up the phone. The problem remained when the February payment appeared, also for too little. The March payment was too much but it didn’t even out. April’s payment was also excessive; now I owed them. The May payment again missed several visits. By 2014 IMA had given up bank deposits and was back to sending checks. Slowly. That’s when I realized that IMA is cheap and stupid but probably not dishonest. Delaying payments saves money in the short run, but the P.R. damage far outweighs it. On the other hand, I have no competition for its business in Los Angeles.