Reviews filtered by category

Reviews of IATI medical assistance

Real experiences from travellers who have needed to use IATI Seguros' medical assistance abroad: hospitalisations, emergencies, consultations and expense reimbursement. All reviews published here are categorised as "medical assistance" and come from users who have passed our editorial review.

What IATI medical assistance typically covers

IATI travel products usually include coverage for medical emergencies abroad: consultations, hospitalisation, surgery, pharmacy, diagnostic tests and transport. The maximum amount varies according to product (IATI Estrella, IATI Mochilero, IATI Estudios, etc.) and destination: USA, Canada and Japan usually require products with higher coverage limits than Europe.

Points users typically assess

  • Direct billing vs. reimbursement: whether IATI pays the hospital directly or the insured has to advance and wait for the refund.
  • 24h assistance response times: how long it takes to pick up the call, authorise the expense, assign a case file number.
  • Assistance language: whether attention is in Spanish or English in non-Spanish-speaking countries.
  • Quality of referred hospital: whether the assigned centre is public, private, with accredited standards.
  • Post-assistance reimbursement process: deadlines, documentation requested, disputes.

Common situations covered

The most frequent categories in medical assistance reviews include: gastroenteritis or poisoning in tropical countries, motorcycle or water sports accidents, fractures from falls, heart attacks in older travellers, emergency appendicitis surgery, hospitalisations for dengue or malaria, and emergency dental consultations.

How to strengthen your review if you share one

If you have had a medical experience with IATI and want to share it, including these details helps other travellers learn from your case: country, type of incident, whether assistance coordinated direct payment, response times, reimbursed amount if there was an advance, and any dispute that arose.

Published reviews

Published reviews — Medical assistance (23)

Medical assistance

New arrivals from India

📅 2026-09-23
★★★★★

My partner and I were travelling round India for about 17 days, including flights and so on, and my partner came down with indigestion, so we had to go to hospital and she was admitted for 24 hours, as there was no way to get in touch with IATI’s assistance service. Now, from Spain, we’ve managed to contact them, but they won’t cover the costs because we don’t have the supporting documents they’ve asked for. If this ever happens to you, make sure you ask the doctor, hospital or whoever for everything, just in case – and even then, you’ll see how it goes.

By Abel
Medical assistance

A bittersweet taste, but not too bad

📅 2026-09-09 🌍 Thailand
★★★★★

On my trip to Thailand with my partner, we had to go to hospital because of food poisoning; we had trouble getting in touch with IATI, which meant we had to pay the hospital bill up front. After we managed to get in touch with IATI and submit the expenses to them, there were some things they refused to cover, such as the initial consultation and first-aid treatment, although they did cover the overnight stay. Well, that’s what I wanted to share.

By Abel
Medical assistance

Waiting for the refund

📅 2026-09-05
★★★★★

My wife, my two children and I went on a trip, and our youngest had a minor operation. After speaking to IATI on the phone and having to pay the money up front, two months on I’m still waiting for them to reimburse us. On the phone they say everything is in order, but there’s no way of getting the money back.

By Juan L.
Medical assistance

Enfermedad durante crucero

📅 2025-12-30 🌍 Crucero 🧾 Seguro de viaje
★★★★★

Mi hijo enfermó durante un crucero y seguimos sin recibir los pagos dos años después.

By Margalida
Medical assistance

Reembolso por enfermedad inferior a lo esperado

📅 2026-06-29 🌍 Essaouira, Marruecos 🧾 Seguro de cancelación
★★★★★

Cancelé por enfermedad y el reembolso inicial fue muy inferior al que esperaba; actualizo mi reseña porque después me ofrecieron una cantidad mayor.

By Susana
Medical assistance

Dificultades para conseguir cita médica

📅 2023-05-12 🧾 Asistencia de viaje
★★★★★

Me solicitaron información adicional después de emitir mi póliza y no conseguí respuesta efectiva por email ni por WhatsApp para concertar una cita.

By Florencia
Medical assistance

Factura hospitalaria pendiente

📅 2024-10-29 🧾 Asistencia de viaje
★★★★★

Llevo tres meses esperando a que se abone la factura hospitalaria de una emergencia de mi padre.

By Rosemary Oliveira
Medical assistance

Asistencia por fractura y silla de ruedas

📅 2022-01-26 🌍 São Paulo, Brasil 🧾 Asistencia de viaje
★★★★★

Tuve dificultades para contactar y para desplazarme a un hospital lejano; después hubo desacuerdo sobre la cobertura de una silla de ruedas que no estaba prescrita expresamente.

By Leoncio Cardenas
Medical assistance

Condición preexistente y cobertura

📅 No especificada 🌍 Medellín, Colombia 🧾 Asistencia de viaje
★★★★★

Tuve una incidencia médica relacionada con una condición previa; la empresa respondió que no contemplaba tratamientos derivados de síntomas existentes en el momento de contratar.

By Gabe Ortisi
Medical assistance

Factura médica pendiente durante meses

📅 2025-10-27 🧾 Asistencia de viaje
★★★★★

Llevo meses persiguiendo el pago de una factura médica de importe reducido y critico la falta de respuesta.

By Monica Mat
Medical assistance

Disagreement over a medical test

📅 2026-05-01 🧾 Travel assistance
★★★★★

My father had an accident and I disagree with the refusal to cover the cost of an ultrasound scan that his doctor had requested.

By Natalia Gamez
Medical assistance

No answers to medical queries before taking up employment

📅 2026-05-21 🌍 Europe and Canada 🧾 Privileged Plan
★★★★★

I asked for pre-contractual clarification regarding the cover for an elderly female traveller and went over a week without receiving a specific reply.

By Liz Urbina
Medical assistance

Healthcare issues in Japan

📅 2026-07-01 🌍 Japan 🧾 Travel insurance / IMA Ibérica
★★★★★

I experienced issues with the app; I had to find a doctor myself; I was given the wrong address; and there were delays in communication and with the reimbursement; I eventually received the reimbursement for the medication.

By Ligia Berg
Medical assistance

Disagreement over cancellation and refund

📅 2026-02-10 🧾 Travel insurance
★★★★★

My mother was treated as an emergency on the day of the trip and was subsequently admitted to hospital; my ticket was not refunded because of their interpretation of the cover.

By Mari Carmen Rodriguez Lopez
Medical assistance

A response that came far too late to the illness

📅 No especificada 🌍 United States 🧾 Travel insurance
★★★★★

I fell ill whilst on a trip to the United States, and the response to my request for assistance arrived almost two months later.

By Peter T.
Verified Medical assistance

Asistencia urgente durante viaje a Japón

📅 2025-10-28 🌍 Japón
★★★★★

Relata una urgencia médica rumbo a Osaka y afirma que la llamada de seguimiento prometida no llegó, por lo que terminó acudiendo por su cuenta a un hospital.

By juan martinez Source: es.trustpilot.com ↗
Verified Medical assistance

Lack of a specialist during a stay in China

📅 2026-06-19 🌍 China
★★★★★

She recounts an incident in China: the initial care was adequate, but she claims she was unable to see the specialist she needed or receive sufficient follow-up care.

By Jon Hou Source: es.trustpilot.com ↗
Verified Medical assistance

Questions about how to activate support

📅 2026-07-20
★★★★★

He welcomes the option of booking online, but asks what he should do if he needs medical attention whilst travelling.

By María Luz Cunillé Source: es.trustpilot.com ↗
Verified Medical assistance

No solution to the intestinal problem in Asia

📅 2026-07-26
★★★★★

He states that he sought help for a stomach problem whilst in Asia, waited for advice on a clinic, and eventually sorted the situation out himself.

By Yoganna Barcelona Source: es.trustpilot.com ↗
Verified Medical assistance

Medical care whilst travelling in Greece

📅 2026-06-03 🌍 Greece 🧾 Health and travel insurance (type not specified)
★★★★★

She explains that she fell ill in Greece and that the care she received did not meet her expectations, particularly with regard to home care.

By Erika Zapata Source: es.trustpilot.com ↗
Verified Medical assistance

Problems with healthcare and reimbursement

📅 2026-08-16
★★★★★

It recounts an injury sustained whilst on holiday, concerns about the amount authorised at A&E, and a subsequent wait for a refund of medical expenses.

By Emilio Jose Source: es.trustpilot.com ↗
Verified Medical assistance

Delays in medical care in Bali

📅 2026-08-21 🌍 Bali, Indonesia
★★★★★

It recounts a case of salmonella in Bali and states that the process of organising assistance took more than 24 hours and required numerous phone calls.

By Tiago Ferreira Source: es.trustpilot.com ↗
Medical assistance

Refusing to pay for a procedure

📅 2026-07-15 🌍 Thailand 🧾 Traveller
★★★★★

My husband had to have emergency surgery on his knee because he couldn’t even walk, and after speaking on the phone with the people at Iati – who, right from the start, told us it was covered but that we’d have to pay for the operation up front, only to be reimbursed later – it turned out that they then claimed my husband’s knee was already in a bad state before we took out the insurance, so they didn’t refund us anything – a very bad experience.

By Laura

Frequently asked questions about IATI medical assistance

How does the 24h medical assistance work?

Call the 24h international-prefix phone from the policy. IATI coordinates care with the hospital and often covers the expense directly.

Does IATI pay the hospital directly?

Depends on the country and hospital. Direct billing usual in hospitals with international agreements. Confirm before proceeding.

What documentation is required for reimbursement?

Original medical reports, detailed invoices, prescriptions, discharge, case file number and prior communication with 24h assistance.

What in an emergency if I cannot call first?

Life first: go to the nearest medical centre. Life-threatening emergencies are an exception to prior authorisation. Contact IATI ASAP.

Did you have to complain after a medical assistance? Our complete complaints guide details the legal deadlines and routes (SAC, DGSFP, arbitration, judicial).

Share my experience   See complaints guide   How to activate 24h assistance