Regent Insurance - Unfair Repatriation

I am posting this as a complaint under the Hollard Insurance Company and Regent Insurance Company since they "are now one team" according to Regent's website. I am posting this on behalf of my mother, Mrs. Petzer. My mother has travel insurance with Regent Travel. She arrived in Namibia from South Africa on the 12th of October and returns on the 3rd of December 2017. She is covered for this whole period with the policy only expiring on the 3rd of December. Her intermediary (who sold the policy to her) is Hepstar Financial Services. The insurer is Regent Insurance Company. The the claims co-ordination company, authorised by Regent to assist in the management and control of claims, is Europ Assistance. We have been in communcation with Europ Assistance. On the 7th of November, Mrs. Petzer fell at her daughter's residence. Mrs. Petzer was taken to a GP who sent her for X-rays of her left femur and then on the 9th of November an orthopaedic specialist referred her for a CT scan. It revealed the top of her left femur had been broken. Europ Assistance was notified and she was hospitalised, with an operation due on the 10th of November 2017. The x-rays, doctors appointments and pharmacy costs are yet to be claimed. Europ Assistance issued a Guarantee of Payment (GOP) for the hospital, CT scan, post-op x-rays and physiotherapy. Mrs. Petzer concluded her treatment and was discharged from hospital on the 16th of November. The follow-up appointment was on the 21st of November. The doctor gave a post-op medical report stating she is only fit fly on the 3rd of December. Please note that Mrs. Petzer is not mobile and still struggles to help herself. She uses a walking frame and wheelchair. Which Regent does not pay for. Regent Provided excellent service UP UNTIL today, the 23rd of November 2017, when the Case Manager, Ms. Rinet Vertyn, notified us telephonically that Mrs. Petzer needs to be repatriated on the 25th of November. And if Europ Assistance does not receive any response from Mrs. Petzer they will proceed to cease all cover on her policy on the 25/11/2017. This is after the treating doctor has instructed that she can only return on her original return date, the 3rd of December. There is already a ticket paid for the 3rd of December by Mrs. Petzer's daughter. Section 1, paragraph 3 of the policy wording states: "We have the right to request that you are repatriated in order to receive treatment if our medical practitioner and the treating physician agree that treatment can be postponed until you have been transferred to your country of permanent residence. If you refuse to be repatriated all cover on this policy will cease." Yet, Mrs. Petzer has no outstanding treatments, she will only need a post-op medical consultation and X-ray, according to the treating doctor, 6-8 weeks after her operation (which took place on the 10th of November). She has no outstanding treatment that needs to take place before her original return date which is the 3rd of December. Her 6-8 weeks post-operation appointment in South Africa will only be on or after the 22nd of December. She will be home by then, with her medical aid paying, if she returns on the 3rd of December. The policy wording is being contradicted since the treating doctor has instructed that she must return on the 3rd of December 2017. Ms. Rinet Vertyn telephonically stated that it is an "IATA rule" which allows them to repatriate policyholders. In accordance with the The South African Consumer Protection Act, No. 68 of 2008, Mrs. Pezter has the right to disclosure of information, and the policy wording nowhere mentions the IATA. At the moment there is no assistance for Mrs. Petzer at home in South Afirca. Only on the morning of the 3rd of December is when Mrs. Petzer's husband will return to home. If Europ Assistance repatriates her on the 25th of November they will need to provide the following up until the 3rd of December: - Transportation to the Windhoek airport - Transportation from the East London airport - A locksmith to open her house since her husband has all the keys - A careworker to provide care until the 3rd of December since she cannot make food on her own, get water on her own, bath or shower on her own, dress on her own, get on/off the bed by herself or go the toilet by herself - Someone that can buy groceries for her. Mrs. Petzer has only incurred medical expenses up until the 16th of November when she was discharged from the hospital. No other expenses have been incurred after that. Regent has also made no payment on her hospital account yet. If Regent/Europ Assistance does not rectify the situation with Mrs. Petzer, I strongly recommend that no one makes use of their services. They repatriate policyholders unnecessarily, against the terms of their policy wording (and make more costs for themselves in doing so) (and interfere with the policyholder's personal feelings and plans). I believe they do this as a mechanism to force policyholders to cease their cover. Europ Assistance also asks documents from policyholders without stating what these documents are being used for. They deal less with the the treating doctor and go on how the patient says they feel, while ignoring the seriousness of the injury they have have sustained.