People are travelling more in the twenty-first century than ever before. While there are many factors contributing to this surge in the number of globe-trotters, it has also highlighted the need for a travel insurance policy to financially protect them for emergencies in a foreign land. In addition, travelling can open doors to new worlds that exist within the world that we live in.
However, it can also expose travellers to unforeseen risks such as diseases, illnesses, accidents, and various other mishaps. Hence, you need a travel insurance policy. For example, imagine planning a trip and reaching the airport only to find that the flights to your destination country have been cancelled due to a natural disaster. Without a travel insurance policy offering coverage for trip cancellation, the financial implications of such an event can be huge.
While an increasing number of travellers have started opting for travel insurance plans, there are many cases where insurers reject the claims. This can be demotivating since the purpose of buying the policy gets defeated. However, claim rejections usually happen due to some error made by the policyholder. Here are five ways that you can prevent the rejection of your travel insurance claim.
5 Ways to Avoid Travel Insurance Claim Rejection
Here are ways to void travel insurance claims rejection:
- Read the fine print
Insurance providers follow all the terms and conditions specified in the policy document to the last word. Unfortunately, many people assume that the fine print is standard and avoid going through the details of the policy. This can lead to a situation where the insurer rejects the claim citing a specific condition mentioned in the policy document. Hence, make sure that you read the fine print and understand all the terms and conditions before buying it.
- Be aware of the ‘Exclusions’ list
All international travel insurance policies have a list of factors under which the claim will be rejected by the insurer. For example, if you were to get injured due to an accident but were under the influence of alcohol, then the insurer can reject your claim. In addition, the Exclusion List is usually detailed in the policy document. Make sure that you understand all the factors and avoid filing a claim if your situation belongs to the exclusion list.
- Be honest with the insurer
Many people tend to hide their medical history from insurers so that they can get maximum coverage. However, if they face a medical emergency in a foreign land and the doctors find out that you have a pre-existing condition, then the same will be mentioned on your medical reports. This can get your travel insurance claim rejected from your travel insurer. Hence, be honest with the insurance provider and disclose any pre-existing illness before buying the policy.
- Keep a file for all bills
One of the biggest reasons behind the rejection of travel insurance claims is the failure to produce the documents required to back the claim. Hence, if you are faced with an emergency in a foreign country, then make sure that you get a bill of every cost that you incur and maintain it in a file in an organised manner. This will make the process of claim filing easy and reduce the chances of rejection.
- Avoid travelling to dangerous places
Governments usually announce travel warnings to people to help them avoid going to places that are too risky. The risks can be due to a natural disaster, man-made disaster, or any other reason. If you choose to travel to a country against which a travel warning has been issued and have an emergency, then the insurer can reject your claim. Hence, avoid such trips.
Summing Up
Remember, a travel insurance policy is designed to help you manage the expenses associated with emergencies while you are travelling. However, insurers are specific about the conditions under which they will not offer coverage. All these conditions are mentioned in the policy document. Therefore, it is important to go through the document carefully before signing the dotted line.