A major issue while traveling or buying travel insurance is how quick or easy the claims review process will be. A policy can have great coverage and low premiums, but when it comes to the actual test, the process is so frustrating that you are fed up. While selecting a policy, check out reviews and feedback. See what these say about the claim review process. Is it quick? Do they take a long time to reimburse you?
Tips For Smooth And Faster Travel Insurance Claims
When you buy travel insurance and are traveling, take these steps as a basic measure:
1. Have your travel insurance contact details on hand
Before you start your trip, ensure you have your travel insurer’s contact number. This can be the 24-hour helpline or the insurance agent you bought the insurance from.
If you purchased the insurance online, note the contact details on the website, like its helpline or email address.
Make sure that a family member or friend knows your insurer’s contact details. If you cannot contact the insurer yourself (e.g. you don’t have a data connection or are hospitalized), they can try to contact them on your behalf.
2. Take pictures of your bags and belongings
Keep a picture of your luggage, along with the baggage tags. Also, take a picture of valuables, like laptops and cameras. This makes it easier to file claims for any damages. In addition, if your luggage is lost, you can show these photos to airport staff. This makes it easier to pinpoint your stuff from a photo compared to a written description.
3. Travel with items you have receipts for
An insurer may require you to provide a receipt when you make a claim. This is not universal, but it’s not uncommon either. It’s best to travel with items you have receipts for.
You can also call your insurer before traveling and ask about the process for filing a claim on your laptop or smartphone if you have no receipt.
4. Make a timeline
When writing about any incident like theft, robbery, or injury, it is useful to make a timeline. This is a list of events that happened from the earliest estimated time to the latest.
Timelines make it easy to organize your thoughts and provide a quick summary for reference. This is an easier way to describe the situation than writing about it essay-style.
5. When possible, contact your insurer before seeing a doctor
Contact your insurer before seeing a doctor if you don’t need instant medical attention. This is a good idea because most insurers have arrangements with specific hospitals. The insurance claim process can be much smoother if you visit the recommended hospitals and clinics.
In addition, be aware of what situations your insurance covers for you.
6. Be aware of what documentation your insurer will require.
Your insurer may require documents that you may not have with you. For instance, most insurers require a police report if you were robbed. However, some countries have police forces that do not issue such reports to outsiders or cannot issue a report unless they open an official investigation (which they may not be willing to do).
Rather than arguing with local authorities, ask your insurer if alternative documentation will do. For example, a letter from your country’s embassy may work instead of a police report.
Sadia Zaheer holds a Masters in Business Administration from IBA, Karachi. After working in several financial institutions in Client Management, Corporate Lending, Islamic Banking and Product Management she jumped careers to pursue a career in writing.
She is a Finance, Business and HR Development writer with four years of experience. She reads a lot and takes care of her multiple cats to remain calm.
