Let me tell you about my first time getting pre-authorization and filing a claim with an International Health Insurance policy.

Why and How I Bought It

As part of my failed attempt to get a third visa in Colombia, I had to get international health insurance that included repatriation of remains (this applies to almost all Colombia visa applications). This particular benefit was not included in my otherwise excellent SURA Prepagada private health insurance.

Instead of trying to mess with my SURA policy, I had my English-speaking SURA agent Angela Berrio find me an adequate international health insurance policy. She did this within a few days, and so by the end of May 2026, I had a 1-year Continental Assist policy with Repatriation of Remains (up to $20,000), with a premium of just under $500 for the year, valid from June 1st, 2026 to May 31st, 2027.

As you might already know, my visa petitions were denied anyway, so I had to exit Colombia at the end of June 2026. Even though I was disappointed about the visa, I was glad I had an international travel insurance policy, because I traveled to the Dominican Republic, and wouldn’t you know it…

I Suddenly Got Sick

On August 1, 2026 – almost exactly a month into my stay in the Dominican Republic – after a normal gym workout, I started feeling strangely fatigued, fuzzy-headed, and feverish. Later that evening I developed an itchy and sore throat, but I thought it was just temporary.

The next morning, I got SLAMMED with a whole bunch of symptoms all at once. I was like, oh no, I have the goddamn flu 😥

However, in that moment, I didn’t know WTF it was. I panicked because it’d been MANY months since I’d felt sick like this. Of course, being a solo traveler, living alone in a foreign land, chronically depressed, plagued by bad memories and Complex Trauma, and being (by necessity) chronically online… I started freaking out a bit 😰

For 1 more day, I channeled my Inner Toxic Masculinity and “manned TF up”, ready to ride it out LIKE A MMAAAANNNN 🙄 However, despite taking some locally-recommended pain killers to control the symptoms, I wasn’t even feeling any better. My thoughts were racing (well, more than usual) – I didn’t want to risk having an unknown disease progress to the point of near-fatality, like when I almost died in 2022 due to lack of health insurance ☠️

Eventually I said, fuck the machismo and fuck the voices in my head, I’m going to seek medical assistance. But first…

I Got Pre-authorization and a Referral

Since it was my first time in the Dominican Republic, I didn’t know which medical center to visit. I was worried about going to the “wrong” medical center that didn’t accept my insurance, and then being gringo-priced (as is very common in Latin America).

Therefore, I proactively – and smartly – reached out to Continental Assistance via WhatsApp, in order to get pre-authorization and a referral.

Like many other insurance claim systems, the Continental Assist automated/AI Customer Service via WhatsApp system started out with a few standard prompts to get my basic identifying information. Then, a live person got online and continued the process.

Aside from confirming my initial identifying information, he confirmed that I was NOT in a severe emergency, then he asked me for my:

• Symptoms
• Address/location
• Insurance policy document
• Passport biographic page
• Onward travel ticket out of the Dominican Republic

Then, he assigned me a remote physician who would triage my case and refer me to a medical center if necessary. He had me pick the time – I picked the earliest availability, which was about 90 minutes from that moment – and he sent me the videochat link

I noticed that our back and forth was quite delayed. His responses took anywhere from 90 seconds to even 3 or 4 minutes. I had to be very patient… which wasn’t a problem for me, having already spent 3.5 years in Latin America 😄

At the virtual screening, the physician was kind and understanding (I was coughing and hacking a lot) 🤧 He asked me more in-depth questions about my symptoms, and took notes. Also, the software/camera did some sort of scan of my face… the physician said it was enough to get my biometrics and some of my vitals in order to confirm that I was indeed, unwell. Honestly, I had never heard of this system in my life 🤷🏾‍♂️ Anyway, after that, he said that they’d refer me to a medical center shortly. The meeting lasted about 15 minutes.

Within 10 minutes, I got another message in WhatsApp AND in my email inbox, referring me to a clinic in Punta Cana, on the extreme east side of the country 😆 I immediately reminded the customer service rep that I was in Santo Domingo. He apologized, and within about 15 minutes, he referred me to a local clinic. I immediately got ready and took Uber to United Hearts Clinic, which I reviewed on Google Maps.

What I found interesting and low-key reassuring, was the fact that the Continental Assist Customer Service rep kept in touch throughout my 3 hours at the clinic. He checked up on my symptoms and how the clinic was treating me.

Even as his shift ended, he reminded me that if I needed reimbursement, that I should submit my documents ASAP… and he sent me the link to get that process started before he signed off.

I left the clinic with a bill for $0.00, something that would literally never happen in the dUSA even WITH “full coverage” insurance.

Granted, the clinic’s billing desk showed me that my visit cost “only” RD$ 1,100 (about $18), which would definitely not have bankrupted me… but still… it’s traumatic to know that if this had happened in the dUSA, there’d be at least TWO zeros behind that number… JUST FOR SHOWING UP at the clinic. And THEN they’d start sending me MORE separate multi-thousand dollar bills, for various “hidden” line items, fake line items, and sometimes for OTHER patients’ line items 😡

Anyway… back to the Continental Assist story. Let me tell you about…

The Reimbursement Process

Two days later, after I had bought my medications, I took pictures of the prescription document, the medicines, and the purchase receipts, and uploaded all of them to Continental Assist’s Reimbursement Request page.

The page then asked me to pick one of several currencies for my reimbursement. One option was Colombian Pesos (COP), so I selected that.

The page asked for my “bank account certification” letter… let me just call it what it is: “another Colombian low-trust bullsh!t bureaucracy letter” 😆 I got it from Bancolombia using – you guessed it! – their automated/AI Customer Service via WhatsApp. I’d done this once before a year or so back, so repeating it was a piece of cake. Within 3 minutes I got the letter as a PDF message, uploaded it to the Continental Assist portal, and got confirmation of my submission.

Within 10 days, I got an email saying that my reimbursement was approved, and to expect the payment to hit my Bancolombia account within the following 12 business days.

If and when the reimbursement is complete, I’ll update this article.

Final Thoughts

Throughout this process, I didn’t need to print anything or physically sign anything with a pen. It was all done electronically. This is what we modern people, especially travelers, have come to expect.

It’s also important to note that my tired, jaded ass started these pre-authorization and claims processes with low expectations, so the largely positive experience and satisfactory outcome pleasantly surprised me!

Speaking specifically about Continental Assist, I would definitely recommend them. Just keep in mind the slow response times when communicating via WhatsApp.

On a related note, the automated/AI Customer Service via WhatsApp systems that I have used so far in Latin America, have worked surprisingly well. Even in Colombia. Go figure 🤷🏾‍♂️

Anyway… Safe travels, everyone! Try not to get sick 😄🤞🏾