How to make a travel insurance claim - Filing a travel insurance claims is sometimes a big obstacle for insurance policyholders to get their reimbursement quickly because insurance procedures are considered troublesome.
This is what makes people hesitate to use travel insurance.
35% Insurance policies that are confusing
50% Rejection of high claims
15% expensive
Actually, travel insurance serves to give you additional protection for unexpected situations when your travel plans do not run perfectly. This is important to make your trip safe and comfortable.
And the process of submitting a claim for actual travel insurance is not complicated. There are a number of tips to simplify your travel insurance claim process.
What is a travel insurance claim?
An insurance claim is an official request made by the owner of an insurance policy in order to get paid due to losses received in accordance with the terms and policies of the insurance company.
Tips to simplify travel insurance claims:
- Read and understand all policy documents, requirements and procedures of insurance companies and understand the obligations and what you will get as an insurance policy owner. This is to avoid misinformation.
- Find out what coverage is provided by travel insurance. Does include medical care, flight cancellations, and extreme sports. If your insurance coverage is complete it will make your travel protection better.
- Understand clearly about travel insurance policy claims either without money or claim reimbursement. How the company will replace all losses.
- If your travel insurance covers for health, let them know about any health problems that exist before buying insurance (if you have an illness). And ask for information whether the disease you are experiencing is included in insurance protection. Because maybe the insurance only covers treatment for health problems just as long as you travel.
- Save all original equipment, equipment, and receipt documents in a safe place such as Google Drive or Dropbox. Just take a photo or copy in PDF form, to avoid damage or loss. Damage and loss of documents and receipts will make it difficult for you to make insurance claims.
- If you do not have proof of purchase, just take all the photos of your equipment and equipment with yourself. This is to show that you do have the item.
- If you are admitted to a hospital, keep the receipt of the hospital. This is very important as proof that you are doing medical treatment.
- Write or retrieve an insurance policy number, your emergency insurance contact number when traveling.
- If you experience theft or loss of valuables, immediately report it to the local police within 1x24 hours after your item is lost. And make a report with a simple story. The longer the story report loses your item, the easier it will be for the insurer to find a loophole to refuse your claim. If this happens it will be a loss for you.
- A record telephone call or video call conversations that come from a travel insurance company to be proof of filing a claim if in the future there is a misunderstanding of information.
What can you claim from travel insurance?
Travel insurance mostly covers:
- Lost money, damage or baggage was stolen
- Medical treatment fees
- Cancellation or you have to go home faster
- Delay
1. Lost money or baggage
If you lose the luggage while at the airport, the airline will be responsible for your luggage. Or you can also claim loss of baggage with the insurance policy that you have.
To make it easier for you to make insurance claims to lose luggage, you must prepare:
- Get a report for incomplete property / lost baggage from the airline.
- Make a written confirmation of your claim to the airline.
- You save the ticket and travel tag as proof to be sent to the insurance company.
- You have a receipt and proof of ownership of lost items.
2. Make travel insurance claims for items that are lost or damaged
Traveling makes the risk of being stolen or lost greater, you must be fully responsible for your own baggage and equipment. If you are negligent and your item is stolen or lost, the insurer wants proof that you really did experience that bad thing.
The best thing you have to do:
- Immediately report as soon as possible to the local police within 24 hours when your item is lost. Avoid making a long story when making a report. Just make a simple story to avoid a gap for the insurance company to reject your insurance claim.
- If it is not possible to make a report to the police quickly, try telling other people that you are experiencing theft or loss of property. You can report to tour representatives if you are traveling using tour services and hotel managers. And get a written report from them as a representative for your evidence.
- If you have to replace other people's items or are damaged, ask for proof of purchase and reports of damage to the goods.
3. Make claims of injury or medical care
When you get an injury or need medical care in a hospital, or when you need a medical flight in an emergency. Ask your travel insurance company to approve the treatment. And make sure you request a receipt from the hospital. You may be asked to pay upfront care for medical treatment and medication and can claim insurance after returning home.
You must know that the insurance company does not finance the health problems you have before. So you will not be liable for your old illness when you travel. You also cannot claim the cost of medicines that you must consume for your old illness.
Make sure your travel insurance provides coverage to cover the health of your pregnancy if you know that the pregnancy is still a few months.
4. Your flight is delayed
Flight delays often occur at airports all over the world. There are many factors causing this delay, and sometimes flight delays require a considerable amount of time.
If you experience a flight that has been delayed for more than 12 hours, you can claim a fee.
To file a claim, you must keep all receipts that you wish to claim again, such as food and accommodation or you also need a letter from the airline to confirm the delay, the reason and how long you have been delayed.
Make travel insurance claims for cancellations or leave early
Submitting travel cancellation claims before you leave requires a strong reason to make the insurance company pay your fees. Or if you have to go home earlier than your itinerary, the insurance company must return the travel expenses that you incurred and the extra time fees that are not used in vacation accommodation.
The following are some of the cancellation insurance coverage accepted by the insurance company:
- Death or injury suffered by you or someone who has traveled with you.
- Home fires, floods or robberies that occur in your home. And you must stay at home within 3 days (48 hours) of your departure date.
- Pregnant, so doctors and airlines do not allow to travel
- A job call, or a judge or witness in court.
What must be prepared to claim a quick cancellation or return while traveling?
To claim the cancellation or limitation of your vacation, you need proof of the insurance:
- Flight tickets, hotel bookings or other traveling documents that you have ordered for holidays.
- If you cancel your vacation trip due to death, illness or injury, you need medical documents from the hospital.
- Any documents that support the speed of your claim process.
Will you pay excess fees?
Yes, maybe you have to pay excess for claim fees. The insurance will only pay up to the maximum protection limit, so if your costs are greater than the claim costs you have to pay for it yourself. You must carefully check all policy terms and conditions carefully to avoid more expensive guarantee fees.
Travel insurance claims rejected
All types of insurance provide an opportunity to be refused to the owner of a travel insurance policy. The cause is due to a lack of evidence or not the same as the insurance company policy document.
There are several reasons for rejecting travel insurance claims:
- Medical rejection, often caused by an existing medical condition (illness or injury) before purchasing travel insurance. or travel abroad with the aim of obtaining medical care using purchased travel insurance.
- Cancel the trip due to the delay you go to the airport flight or shipping dock.
- Consumption of alcohol is too much, the insurance company can refuse accidents or be injured due to the influence of excessive alcoholic beverages.
- Decrease Precautions, Insurance will not pay for your lost items if you leave or do not supervise your goods.
- Travel expenses using gifts or awards
- The weather is bad and you decide not to leave while still inside the house. If you have been at the airport or plane, you are entitled to claim.
- Extreme high-risk sports. (There are several travel insurance that provides coverage for extreme sports.
- Health disorders due to AIDS, nuclear radiation, abortion, depression, and psychological anxiety disorders.
- Suicide, drug or illegal liquor accidents.
- Losses due to legal violations
- Lack of proof of ownership documents, receipt documents, and photos when insurance claims.
Deadline for travel insurance claims is processed
To submit an insurance claim, you do not need to wait until you arrive at home. The insurance company can send a claim form to you to be completed and returned with supporting evidence.
You can submit a claim as long as you are connected to an internet connection. All you have to pay attention to is the deadline for filing a claim.
Usually, insurance companies process to settle claims within 10 working days. But some companies may finish quickly or take longer than 10 or 30 days.
Fluency in settlement of insurance claims is strongly supported by your ability to submit supporting documentation quickly. And also what you want to claim.
Suggestions for travel insurance claims to make a complaint
Submitting a claim process may require your effort and time, and you might think that the insurance company will try to avoid paying claims for the insurance policies that you have.
One of the ways to simplify your claim process quickly is to read the policy, collect evidence and follow the procedures of the insurance company you are using. If you experience a rejection outside of common sense with valid evidence to submit a claim, you can contact the company to file a complaint formally.
But if you get that insurance company stays with their decision not to pay your claim. You can refer complaints to the Financial Ombudsman, who will help assess your claim independently.
Conclusion:
Following some of the tips above may be the same or different from your condition when making a claim.
To avoid difficulties making claims, make sure you choose a travel insurance company that many travelers have trusted. And understand all company policies, and prepare evidence for claims in full. Breaking one insurance requirement will be a gap for the insurance company to reject your claim.