Today, many of us buy a travel insurance plan without a second thought. Getting too busy with the excitement of travel, be it personal or professional; we barely give a second glance to the travel insurance policy. But we wake up to a rude shock at the time you return and file a claim. It is highly disappointing and disheartening to find the insurance company rejecting your claim.
To keep you a step ahead and help avoid such unfortunate circumstances, we strive to give you a comprehensive understanding of top reasons that can lead to your travel insurance claim being denied. Stay hooked!
- Undeclared Pre-existing Medical Conditions
Most people do not realize that they have to disclose any medical condition and pre-existing disease at the time of purchasing travel insurance. Hiding it or not disclosing it can prove a costly mistake especially if you get unlucky enough to fall sick or meet any kind of accident while on travel. The sad part is that your reimbursement claim for your medical bills abroad can get rejected even if the reason for sickness or accident was not related to your pre-existing medical condition in any way. Hence, you must always declare all existing medical conditions at the time of purchasing travel insurance.
- Missing Invoice and Adequate Supporting Documents
It is a ground rule that no insurance company would approve your claim unless it is substantiated. In case your luggage has been stolen, it needs to be substantiated with a police complaint. Likewise, you must get a delay confirmation from the carrier for flight delays or proof of purchase for valuable jewellery, etc. If you want your claims to be approved by the insurance company, you must always provide sufficient evidence of loss or damage. Any carelessness here is likely to get your claim denied.
- Policy Exclusions
One of the most common and grave mistakes committed by almost all of us is not reading and understanding the fine print of the policy. We are under the myth that all bad situations and scenarios will be covered by The Travel Insurance. Unfortunately, it is not so. Each travel insurance plan would have its terms and conditions and exclusions. For instance, adventure sports and risky sports are not covered by most policies. You need to buy a separate cover for it. Likewise, any incident under the influence of alcohol and drugs would not be honoured. To avoid such scenarios, you must always read the fine print and understand what is covered and what is not covered.
- Claim Filing for Baggage Delays After 24 Hours
Delayed and missing luggage is one of the top reasons for which people buy a travel insurance. But it has certain conditions attached. Like, if you leave your luggage unattended and it gets stolen; then your claim is likely to get rejected. Again, if the baggage is delayed or stolen, you need to inform the insurance company within 24 hours of missing. If you report the theft after 24 hours, your claim is likely to get rejected. Hence, you must be aware of and stick to the rules to avoid any rejection and disappointment.
- Trips Cancelled by the Tour Operator
It is a common enough occurrence to book your trip via a tour operator. In scenarios where such a trip gets cancelled and you are filing a compensation claim; you will find it getting denied. This is because the insurance companies do not compensate trip cancellations by tour operators. You can only be reimbursed by that travel agency or the involved travel agent.
- Traveling Despite Warning from FCO and WHO
There are few locations and destinations marked by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Foreign and Commonwealth Offices (FCO) as risky and unsafe for travel. If you travel to these locations and face any kind of loss, accident or other unfortunate scenarios; your claim would not be honoured. It would get rejected even if you are fulfilling the conditions for claim approval.
- Filing Claims for Damage Due to Nuclear Radiations and Radioactivity
There are few destinations that are susceptible to nuclear radiation and radioactive contagion. If you travel to such a destination and face any kind of mishap; your claim would be downright rejected. Hence, it is best to avoid traveling to such sensitive areas.
Wrapping up
A travel insurance policy should never be taken lightly. You must investigate and carefully purchase a travel insurance policy. You must also walk the extra mile and know all about situations in which your insurance provider would not honour the claim. It would help you stay prepared and cautious such that your claim would always be approved.
