Usually you’re rewarded for showing up early. How could showing up 5 hours early cost you $10,000?

Last New Year’s Eve, a San Francisco man was rushed to the hospital for chest pain and he underwent heart surgery, reports CBS5. He hoped that the $10,000 supplemental Critical Care procedure he had just bought from Allstate would cover the procedure.

But a few weeks later he had reason to grab his chest again. It was a claim denial from Allstate. His coverage had started at 12:01 on January 1st, the letter said, and he had gone into the hospital at 7pm the night prior. See, he had almost died of a heart attack five hours too early.

Twice Allstate denied his claim appeals. Then he contacted his local news station. And two weeks after CBS5’s ConsumerWatch started asking Alllstate questions, the insurer sent the man a check for $10,000.

Allstate said they were “determined to do the right thing as soon as they were made aware of” the man’s case.

ConsumerWatch: Timing Key To Insurance Policy Claims [CBS5]

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