How to make a travel insurance claim

You’re either reading this because you’re prepared for your journey, or you’re in a hot situation and are thinking of claiming on your travel insurance. Don’t worry; the process is very simple, and well documented on (a) each travel insurer’s website and (b) right here.

Before we take you through the process of making a travel insurance claim, here are some things to remember when first taking out your insurance policy that could help make your claims process smoother later on:

• Know what you’re covered for. Be sure to read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) thoroughly when taking out a policy, because this document will take you through the inclusions, exclusions, terms and conditions of your cover. That way, you’ll know beforehand what you can and can’t claim for.
• Disclose any pre–existing medical conditions. You should disclose any pre-existing medical conditions you may have because you risk any claims relating to that condition being denied by your insurer if you don’t. Some insurers may not cover your condition while others might, so it’s worth shopping around for a policy that does.
• Keep a list of emergency contacts and make copies of your important documents. Having a list of contacts handy – including your policy’s claim line – can help you get on top of a tough situation quickly. Making copies of documents like your passport and visa can also ensure you’re not left high and dry if they’re stolen or damaged.

How to make a travel insurance claim

Step 1. Report the incident

Let’s say that your suitcase was stolen at the train station, and we’ll assume your travel insurance policy covers the theft of your belongings (and there aren’t any exclusions that would prevent you from being able to claim). What should you do next?

To start you should file a report with the police and your transport provider (e.g. the airline or rail company where the incident occurred), and make sure you get a copy of this report. Such reports will help your insurer validate your claim – indeed, depending on your travel insurance policy you may not be able to claim unless you report the incident to the relevant authorities within 24 hours.

When it comes to a couple of other common situations:

• A valuation from your rental car insurer would be ideal for claims involving motor accidents.
• Discharge papers from your healthcare physician will demonstrate you were ill or injured.
• Receipts, bank statements and even instruction manuals will help validate your ownership of stolen or lost belongings.

Step 2. Contact your insurer

For most claims, it’s best to alert your insurer early on. Not only can they let you know what they’ll need from you to complete your claim, but they will also be able to direct you to medical facilities, embassies or consulates that will (hopefully) get you back on your feet faster.

Of course, if it’s a medical emergency, the first thing you need to do is call for an ambulance or go directly to hospital before contacting your insurer.

When you do get in touch, explain what happened and ask what they’ll require from you. They deal with thousands of these kinds of enquiries every year, so they should be able to point you in the right direction. If you don’t have supporting documentation for your claim yet, you can always start the claim process now and forward documents to the insurer later on.

Many travel insurers can be contacted 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world. However, their helpline’s hours of operation are still worth checking out prior to leaving (make sure you write them down), especially if you’re heading across time zones.

Step 3. File your claim

This part of the process basically comprises of gathering those reports from step one and then following the instructions your insurer has given you from step two. You should be able to file a travel insurance claim by post, fax, email or online.

Your insurer may periodically contact you to let you know how your claim is progressing, or they might provide you with a way of checking this out yourself online.

Is there anything else I should know?

• Any payment on your travel insurance claim is likely to be paid in Australian dollars and may not come through to your account immediately. Check with your insurer to see if they can give you an estimate of when your claim will be paid.
• If you receive compensation for an incident elsewhere (e.g. from an airline), your travel insurer may not pay out your claim, unless it’s to make up the difference of what was fairly owed to you.
• You may have to pay an excess when you claim. An excess is an additional amount owed and (eventually) deducted from what you get back in a claim.