YOUR INSURANCE TRAVEL CLAIMS WILL BE DENIED

We’ve all seen the stories: A couple goes away on a trip having bought what they believe is adequate health travel insurance. While on the vacation, one or both fall ill and get medical treatment. Five months later when they are home and have all but forgotten about the incident, they are hit with a six-figure bill from the hospital. They are understandably crushed when the insurance company denies the claim. But just to set the record straight: insurers say that only about 2%-3% of travel insurance claims are denied every year. Five reasons an insurer might deny a travel insurance medical claim:

1 You didn’t fill out the form correctly, or you are missing information

This can involve even a simple issue, such as forgetting to include your birth date But inadequate disclosure of health is probably the biggest mistake a traveller can make on an insurance application, such as failure to include an unstable pre-existing medical condition or a new medication you’ve been given recently Your claim can be denied even if the missing information seems to have nothing to do with what sent you to hospital

2 You didn’t get pre-approval for treatment of your ailment

When you get your travel insurance you are given a “travel insurance assistance phone number” to call in case you need to use a medical service This is so the insurer can direct you to a pre-approved clinic or doctor Failure to receive approval may be a reason for not getting reimbursed for your medical costs If possible, don’t wait until you get home to inform the insurer of your impending claim

3 You claimed for expenses that aren’t included

If you have gone online to get your insurance, you may not know exactly what you are signing up for You may have been after the leastexpensive policy, and indeed, received it, but there may be a reason why it’s the cheapest

4 You thought you were covered because you were the last time

Some insurers are getting tighter with their qualifications For example, if you took eight prescription drugs last year, you may not qualify for the same insurance this year because the insurer has tightened up the qualification

5 You failed to get proof of all your costs

Ask the hospital or clinic for a line-by-line copy of every service that you were given and include all bills