Experience with

Experience with
Allianz Insurance

On Dec. 12, 2002, I visited a physician at the Omni Medical
Center, one of the hospitals in Jakarta registered as a member of
the Allianz Health Insurance network, for help with an annoying
pain around my "twelfth thoracic vertebrae". After the usual
physical examination, the doctor gave me a prescription for
medicine that cost Rp 127,750.

To my surprise, Allianz refused to cover the cost of the
medicine because the medicine, called Zinaxin High Strength,
contains "ginger extract", which according to Allianz falls under
the classification of "food supplement". Allianz employees Dewi
Kurnia and Dr. E Iken Lubis said that this kind of medicine was
excluded from coverage by Allianz Health Insurance.

Because I am not a medical expert, I did not know that Zinaxin
High Strength was classified as a "food supplement". What I do
know is that I was in pain, so I went to a doctor and medical
center included on the list of hospital network members of
Allianz.

Allianz strengthened its argument by citing article nine of
the policy contract: "Disease/illness and/or health care and/or
expenses/cost excluded by this Policy are: Experimental services
or medicines not yet approved by the Department of Health of the
Republic of Indonesia through the Directorate General for Drugs
and Food Supervision, including traditional medical treatments
and acupuncture."

But, as far as I remember, Allianz has never disclosed in
detail the list of medicines covered by the policy. In fact, I
felt better and my pain gradually diminished after taking the
Zinaxin High Strength. Why then should I use another medicine
that might upset my stomach or have other possible side effects
when Zinaxin High Strength can empirically take care of my pain?

BENNY SUDJATI
Jakarta