u/BraveNature9598

I wanted to share an experience I’m currently having with Genki / DR-WALTER travel insurance because I’m honestly struggling to understand how this process is supposed to work in practice for international travelers.

I purchased this insurance specifically because it is marketed toward digital nomads and people living abroad. Like most people, I pay for it every month hoping I’ll never actually need to use it.

Roughly 2 months ago, I ended up hospitalized in Italy and had to pay over €3,500 out of pocket before being discharged.

The hospital initially provided:

• the invoice / receipt for payment
• a summary of the treatment and procedures performed

I submitted those documents to the insurer.

After reviewing them, Genki / DR-WALTER requested the full detailed medical documentation related to the hospitalization.

I then contacted the hospital again and obtained the additional records they requested. However, those documents were issued digitally only. No physical originals were provided to me.

The insurance company then informed me that they require the “original documents by post.”

At first I assumed they simply wanted printed copies, but after several exchanges it became clear that they specifically want original physical documents.

The issue is that the hospital has repeatedly told me:

• they only issue these documents digitally
• they do not send documents directly to third parties
• if I want physical copies, I would need to print them myself

So I am now in a situation where:

• the insurer insists on originals
• the hospital only issued digital documents
• I have already left Italy and I am now back in Argentina

What I find particularly frustrating is that nobody has been able to explain what the actual practical solution is supposed to be.

I understand insurance companies need verification procedures, especially for inpatient treatment. But this feels completely disconnected from how international healthcare and digital documentation actually work today.

The entire experience has been exhausting. I was hospitalized abroad, paid thousands of euros out of pocket, provided official invoices and proof of payment, and the claim now appears to depend on obtaining physical “originals” that may never have existed in paper form to begin with.

I’m posting this partly out of frustration, but also because I genuinely want to know whether others have experienced similar issues with Genki / DR-WALTER / MD Medicus, especially regarding inpatient claims and document requirements after leaving the country of treatment.