Top Common Reasons for Travel Insurance Claim Rejection

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the travel industry was shaken as several countries closed borders and flights were repeatedly cancelled. As the situation gradually improved, several precautions were outlined to prevent it from reversing – right from travel restrictions to issuing advisories. In these uncertain times, travellers could secure themselves by simply making a travel insurance claim if they found themselves in a fix during their trip.
To ensure that your insurance provider does not have your travel insurance claim rejected, it is important to read the inclusions and exclusions mentioned in the travel insurance documents. Here are the common reasons for travel insurance claim rejection:

Incorrect Information in the Form Filling

Documentation is a crucial aspect when purchasing travel insurance. When you fill out all the necessary forms, it is important that you verify all the information before providing it to the insurance company. Ensure that you don’t add any incorrect data or miss filling out some sections. Any such mishap gives the right to your insurance provider to reject your insurance form.

Additionally, it is imperative that you disclose information about your health, such as any pre-existing health ailments or even new medication that you have recently been prescribed. This includes information about the previous hospitalisation for any reason. The insurance company verifies the information that you have provided and may connect with your doctor. If the data disclosed by your doctor mismatches with the one provided by you, then you will not be reimbursed when you make the travel insurance claim.

Trip Cancellation for Personal Reasons

In the event that you cancel your travelling plans for any personal inconvenience, and the reason is not included in the list of your travel insurance plan, then you will get your travel insurance claim rejected.

Travelling Despite COVID-19 Restrictions

The insurance company will not entertain your travel insurance claim if you are travelling despite government-issued guidelines and restrictions concerning COVID-19. In the uncertainty of the post-pandemic world, it is recommended for every traveller to check the COVID-19 conditions to the destinations they are journeying to and make a note of the government-issued advisories.
Along similar lines, if the borders of the destination you are travelling to are closed for tourists and travellers, it is highly likely that your travel insurance plan will not cover you. However, if the COVID-19 restrictions come into play just before you are about to take your journey, the insurance provider will honour your travel insurance claim.

Misplaced Bills

When you make a travel insurance claim for reimbursement, the insurance provider will ask you to attach all the relevant bills. The bills are substantial proof of the expenses you have incurred. It is therefore always advised to safely store your bills which might comprise tickets, relevant paperwork, medical and other bills, etc. Ensure that your medical bill includes a list of all the services you have availed yourself, along with details about the treatment you have received.

It is also good practice to get the contact details of the doctor who was responsible for your treatment. When you go to your insurance provider with all this information, they will reimburse you without hesitation.

Being Unaware of the Rules

Insurance providers revise their terms and conditions every year. Even if you purchase travel insurance from the same provider every year, it is essential that you read the rules carefully every time they are renewed. It is possible that your insurance provider has tightened the qualifying criteria, which are, in a certain way affecting the coverage amount or the premiums payable. And so, to protect yourself from any unpleasant surprises in the future, it is recommended that you go through the revised rules by your insurance provider.

In case you have purchased a travel insurance plan from Tata AIG, you do not have to worry about the claim process. At Tata AIG, we have a team of claim settlement specialists who will help you through the entire process. At Tata AIG, you can calculate travel insurance premiums and also compare travel insurance plans before you choose a product.

Travel insurance is an essential travel document that covers you against a host of unpleasant scenarios when you are away from home. However, prior to investing in a travel insurance plan, it is important to read the inclusions and the exclusions of the policy thoroughly, so you are not taken by shock in distressing times.