Travel insurance is one in which most fraudulent claims take place. Insurers have thus made the procedure very stringent for travel insurance claims, given the rapid increase in the number of false claims. Although these strict measures help the insurers to fight against fraudulent claims, it has made it very difficult for people who approach the insurers for genuine claims. Therefore, it is better for you to take all necessary precautions to abide by the requirements of your insurer while filing your claims. Let us check these out in detail.
The Precautions
Go through the details of your insurance policy document thoroughly. You should pay special attention to excesses. You cannot claim minor expenses that would cost less than the excess, like visiting a doctor on a holiday. Some policies have a per item excess claimed for. Insurers will fix the maximum value for your expensive items. It is better not to carry highly expensive items on a holiday. You have to be very careful about the maximum cover. Particularly, you should have enough awareness about the maximum cover for personal liability. That is because you may hit someone accidentally or inadvertently cause damage to property. You can also consider filling the E111 form if you are going to an EU nation since this will help you to be at par with the citizens of the member country in terms of receiving healthcare.
• It is better to disclose the risks that you might encounter during your holidays to the insurer, such as your participation in horse riding or jet skiing. This will help you avoid the exclusion cause when you go in for the claim.
• Keep the travel insurance documents with you while you travel and read the fine print thoroughly. The documents will let you know who to contact in case something gets stolen or if you fall ill.
• Most of the travel insurance frauds take place in terms of claiming expensive items such as a camcorder or a digital camera. It is better to have proof that you did own it.
• Insurance companies have apprehensions about claims that are associated with theft of a huge sum of money. Many people falsely claim it. Even if that is true, the insurers are not going to believe that. It is better not to carry heavy amounts of cash when you go out. You should keep your valuables in a very safe place.
• If you find that something is stolen, you should report it immediately to the relevant people such as your travel representative, hotel manager or airport baggage handlers. Get a signed document as proof. If your policy requires the incident to be notified to the insurance authority immediately, do so.
When You Make The Claim
You should be very scrupulous when you make the claim and follow the policy documents very carefully. Send copies of the reports of any incidents to the insurer. If you need to send the original documents, go for a courier service with recorded delivery. Many executives will speak to you on phone regarding the claim. Make a record of who you spoke to and the details of the conversation.
Your insurance company might take a few weeks to process your claim. At the end of the deal, if you do not like the verdict, you should appeal to your insurer first. If your insurer does not satisfy you and you think you got a raw deal, you can go to the regulatory authorities by getting a letter of deadlock from your insurer.