How to Avoid Your Claim Being Rejected
If you’re well prepared, claiming on your travel insurance should be straightforward.
Here are some of our tips of how you can avoid a failed claim. That way, should the worst happen on your travels, you’ll have our support.
1. Always tell us about your pre-existing medical conditions
It’s important to declare your pre-existing medical conditions on your travel insurance. That way, if you have a medical emergency caused by that condition, you’ll be protected if you needed to claim.
Many don’t realise that some bank travel insurance policies won’t always cover you if you have any pre-existing medical conditions.
Not covering your medical history with travel insurance means your policy won’t be tailored to your personal needs. In fact, 1 in 4 British travellers rely on their bank travel insurance, an incentive that’s included with their bank account, but they may be unknowingly under-covering themselves.
If you didn’t have medical travel insurance or hadn’t properly covered your conditions, and had an emergency while on holiday, you could end up with a large medical bill. We recently looked into how much a medical emergency abroad without travel insurance can cost you. Medical treatment in the USA has the highest average price for a medical claim at £9,941.
Make sure you get travel insurance that covers your medical history, in case disaster strikes when you’re on holiday.
2. Tell us if anything changes
Keeping your policy up-to-date with any changes to your health is very important.
Whether you have a new diagnosis or test results, it’s important that you let us know of any changes to your health, so you’re covered if you have a medical emergency while on holiday.
3. Contact us as soon as you can
If you fall ill abroad and it isn’t an emergency, you must give us a call before you receive treatment. That way, we can guide you to a medical facility that can help and we can confirm what is covered by your travel insurance. If you’re worried about talking to the local doctor abroad, our team can help with any translation difficulties you may have.
If you’re unable to contact us immediately, someone must contact us on your behalf within 48 hours.
Once you’re back home, you must contact us either over the phone or online, within 28 days of your emergency happening. We will need any certificates, information, evidence and receipts to support your claim.
4. Know what information you’ll need to supply
It’s important that you have given us the right information when you make a claim. You can choose to submit your claim online, or download our form to fill in manually.
If your claim is for a medical emergency you had while you were on holiday, make sure you include a document signed by a certified doctor that confirms you received the treatment you’re claiming for.
5. Buy your policy when you book your trip
By buying your travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday, you’re covered if you needed to cancel your trip. If something were to happen after booking your holiday but before you bought your travel insurance, you wouldn’t be covered.
If you have an Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance policy, make sure your policy is active as soon as possible, so you’re covered in case you needed to cancel your trip.
6. Check FCDO or WHO advice
Make sure you’re going somewhere that’s safe to travel to.
If you travel to a destination that the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) or WHO (World Health Organisation) have advised against travelling to, we won’t be able to cover you if you needed to claim.
This includes regions within countries, so it’s important you keep up-to-date with the latest travel advice.
7. Check what you’re covered for
Make sure you read your policy limits carefully, to check you’re covered for everything you need. 3 in 4 people don’t read the terms and conditions* of their travel insurance thoroughly and end up buying something they aren’t clear on.
