What to do with a denied travel insurance claim
When you plan a vacation, you expect to have a great time. You probably do have a great time – until something goes wrong. Unexpected events, such as a flight delay or baggage loss can make your vacation feel tedious. More serious incidents such, as personal injury or sickness, can have long-lasting effects even after the vacation is over. Some of these events are more tragic than others, but all of these events have one thing in common: they cost money.
If your flight is cancelled or delayed, it can cost in ticket change fees as well as hotel accommodations if you can only fly out the next day. Having your bags delayed or lost can be extremely inconvenient and it might be very costly to repurchase all of your personal items. Luckily, these expenses can be fully or partially covered if you purchased travel insurance.
But what happens if everything doesn't go as planned? In some cases, you might end up with a denied travel insurance claim. Here's what to do if your travel insurance claim is denied:
Contact your travel insurance provider ASAP
Travel insurance is just like any other type of insurance. A claim has to be reviewed before the proceeds can be paid out to the client. If your travel insurance claim is denied, the first thing you need to do is find out why.
Filing an insurance claim isn't always an easy process. There's a lot of paperwork involved, and sometimes you forget something. A travel insurance claim can be denied for a variety of reasons, from missing a signature to waiting on confirmation from your airline or hotel. It's best to contact your insurance provider as soon as possible to inquire why the claim wasn't paid.
Keep copies of everything and resubmit
Just because a travel insurance claim is denied once doesn't mean you can't resubmit paperwork and request that it be reviewed again. That's why it's important to keep copies of everything from your tickets and photos to your receipts and any correspondence from the airline, hotel, doctor, and hospital.
It can be as simple as missing documentation or your claim can be declined because your insurance policy doesn't actually cover the incident. It's important to note that travel cancellation insurance doesn't automatically cover all scenarios.
Double-check your travel insurance coverage
If your travel insurance claim was denied, it may be because you weren't covered for the event. Trip cancellation insurance may cover the costs if the airline, train, or boat cancels your vacation, but it may not reimburse the costs if you need to cancel your own trip.
This is why it's very important to review your travel insurance policy before leaving so you know what it covers. There are a variety travel insurance options available. Always remember to read the fine print.
Contact the travel insurance provider for reimbursement
If your trip is cancelled by the travel provider, they may cover some (or all) of your costs. Your travel insurance claim can be denied by the insurance company because the costs will be refunded by the travel provider. If your vacation is cancelled, delayed or interrupted due to circumstances beyond your control, contact your travel provider and insurance company as soon as possible.