Travel insurance is something that many of us have become reliant on when we are on holidays. As I mentioned here, it is important to have a valid travel insurance when on holiday as you can never know what might happen. It is also true that most reputable travel insurance companies are more than happy to cover expenses, arrange alternative accommodation, re-arrange flights and so on for their customers when they need it most. There are times however, when a claim is rejected by an insurance company. Below I discuss the most common main reasons that contribute to a claim been rejected and how to avoid them.
Are you actually insured?
This may seem obvious enough but don't take it for granted that simply because you think you have insurance, you are actually covered. To ensure that your policy is the correct one for your holiday and that any claims will be covered, check the following:
a) Is your policy valid: The quickest and most convenient way to purchase travel insurance is without a doubt online. It is also easier to find best quotes this way as various websites offer a system in which you can easily compare quotes over a range of different travel insurance companies. The sticking point with internet buying however, is that it can be easy to miss important information and tempting to go for the cheapest quote possible even if that means not disclosing all the information required. You must always disclosed all information required as honestly as possible when shopping for travel insurance. This will prevent your claim from been rejected should you find yourself needing to claim on your insurance while abroad. If there is anything you are unsure about when looking for travel insurance then please ask the company for clarification than taking chances.
Furthermore, check the type of insurance you have, the length of coverage offered, the geographic area covered, your excess and whether you need any additional features added to your policy or not. This is to ensure that the insurance policy you have is actually sufficient and fit for purpose of your type of holiday. If you are planning a holiday that will include 'high risk' activities like skiing for example, then make sure that this element is covered before you head off. It is important also to make sure the country you are visiting is reflected on your insurance, so if you are planning multi-trips to various geography locations then make sure you have cover that reflects this. Insurance is not transferrable in that, you cannot get a policy that only covers one geographic area but then decide to travel to another area and think you will still be covered.
Thus obtaining a policy that does not reflect the type, length, area of your travel will be deemed invalid and not covered.
b) Medical declarations: Make sure you declare all the medical questions asks when obtaining travel insurance. I have discussed the emergency medical aspect of travel insurance at length here, so do not be tempted to hide any medical conditions in order to obtain a cheaper quote. Doing so will not only invalidate your claim but is also fraud. Also understand that medical coverage under travel insurance is strictly for emergency cases only! Do not think that non emergency medical claims will be covered as they won't. There are medical policies that are not travel insurance policies, which cater for all/most medical claims abroad including the non emergency ones but these are run by private medical companies and have different modus operandi from travel insurance. Companies like Bupa provide these and you can find out if it's something you would like to have or not. Note that these medical covers are not travel insurance policies and therefore have different premiums and terms & conditions.
c) Common sense & sensibility: Travel insurance does not cover reckless behaviour so please do not leave your normal common sense at home when you travel abroad. You must show to have taken responsible care in the events you are claiming for in order for the policy to be valid, that's just how insurance policies work. Therefore if you decided to leave your luggage unattended outside a bus stop, as an example, and it was stolen along with all your precious possessions; don't be surprised if your claim is rejected. In short, as long as you behave sensibly and not recklessly and show that you did not, by your behaviour, encourage/facilitate or cause the events associated with your claim; you shouldn't have anything to worry about.
It is also for this need for reasonable responsibility on your part that suicides or any manor of self harm are not covered by any travel insurance. Self harm is very serious issue and can cause the need for emergency treatment however, it will not be covered under travel insurance regardless of the emergency medical need because it is self inflicted and thus is devoid of 'due care and reasonable responsibility' on the part of the insured.
These are some basic things that are easy to check before you travel and can ensure that your claim is likely to be covered. Remember also that if there is anything you are unsure of, to call your insurance company for clarification or advise before you set off.
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