In the end, due to lack of advice from the customer officer, we decided to postpone our flight, only to find out later ACE couldn't allow us to claim for the postponement penalty (which cost us more than S$1000).
Since then, we tell ourselves that we will not get another travel insurance from them.
TBH, I don't know if the policy wordings has been changed since, but it currently says the following;
SECTION 16 – JOURNEY POSTPONEMENT
If, an Insured Person is forced to postpone the Journey prior to the commencement of that Journey during the Period of Insurance as the direct and necessary result of any Specified Cause (as defined in Section 15), the Company will indemnify the Insured Person in respect of Postponement Expenses occurring up to thirty (30) days prior to Scheduled Departure Date, up to the Benefit amount as specified in the Certificate of Insurance subject to the terms and conditions of this Policy, provided always that this coverage is effective only if this Policy is purchased before the Insured Person becomes aware of any circumstances which could lead to the disruption of his Journey.
where Specified Cause includes
(ii)
the death, of the Insured Person’s Family Member or Bodily Injury or Sickness of such person necessitating him to be Confined to a Hospital
and Family Member includes
Family Member means an Insured Person’s spouse, parent, parent-in-law,
grandparent, child, brother or sister.
Based on that, you should be able to claim for any postponement or cancellation charges.
I submitted a post-travel claim through ACE and was really disappointed that when it was refused. The reason given was ALTHOUGH SHE SAW A DOC ABROAD, BECAUSE SHE DID NOT PAY, IT WOULD NOT BE ENTERTAINED.
I was bewildered at this but decided not to pursue the matter as I think it would be futile.
No more ACE!
Hmmm, maybe they changed this after your case... The policy wording that I have is the same as angcsbunny, and no mention of needing a prior claim from an overseas doctor.
I think the lesson learnt is that like all insurance companies, where they can get away with no paying you, they will do so. So, read the policy and know what can and cannot be done.