Sadly it is true, and I happen to know this person, and before anyone asks his case is unrelated to the main topic.
It would appear that HW are now in the business of denying claims by fair means or foul, with the mealy mouthed reason of "preexisting" even though yet again in this case it wasn't, and EK have paid up on the loss of licence on his case too.
API now have to justify as to why there appears to be no right of appeal,how HW can refuse to accept the claim when yet again his medical has been pulled by the GCAA.
To quote Shakespeare " There is something rotten in the State of Denmark" and the API need to sort it out pdq, otherwise they may end up facing further legal action from a myriad of pilots, who have been regularly paying into a scheme that now seems shy of paying out when the need arises.