Advertisement
Singapore markets closed
  • Straits Times Index

    3,224.01
    -27.70 (-0.85%)
     
  • Nikkei

    40,369.44
    +201.37 (+0.50%)
     
  • Hang Seng

    16,541.42
    +148.58 (+0.91%)
     
  • FTSE 100

    7,952.62
    +20.64 (+0.26%)
     
  • Bitcoin USD

    69,991.66
    -721.91 (-1.02%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • S&P 500

    5,254.35
    +5.86 (+0.11%)
     
  • Dow

    39,807.37
    +47.29 (+0.12%)
     
  • Nasdaq

    16,379.46
    -20.06 (-0.12%)
     
  • Gold

    2,254.80
    +16.40 (+0.73%)
     
  • Crude Oil

    83.11
    -0.06 (-0.07%)
     
  • 10-Yr Bond

    4.2060
    +0.0100 (+0.24%)
     
  • FTSE Bursa Malaysia

    1,536.07
    +5.47 (+0.36%)
     
  • Jakarta Composite Index

    7,288.81
    -21.28 (-0.29%)
     
  • PSE Index

    6,903.53
    +5.36 (+0.08%)
     

Travel Insurance Claims Guide — What to do, What Receipts to Keep and More

travel insurance claims
travel insurance claims

Nobody ever wants to make travel insurance claims unless they really, really have to. Why? Because it’s troublesome, lah.

It’ll always be a hassle to fill up forms and rustle up the required documents, but just like waxing your legs, if you already know exactly what to do and how to prepare, the entire process can be relatively quick and painless — sup sup sui!

How to make travel insurance claims

So the thing about travel insurance is that people only remember it when something unpleasant messes up our travel plans. Then, we panic and scramble when the insurer asks for things like the purchase receipt of a DSLR bought 6 years ago.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sound familiar? If yes, here’s a pro-tip — be familiar with what you can and can’t claim for, and make sure you have a rough idea of the supporting documents needed.

It’s good practice to have a copy of your insurance policy on your phone, so you can always check it as and when you need, even on the go. Some travellers also have a habit of snapping photos of their luggage and belongings before the trip, just in case anything gets lost, delayed or damaged.

The exact claim procedure will depend on your insurance provider, but generally, the process goes like this:

1. Contact your insurer as soon as possible.

Depending on your policy, there is usually a time limit as to how long you can wait to give written notice about your intention to claim.

Usually it’s 30 days, but even then you shouldn’t be taking your time. Remember that you may need to get others involved, like the police or your GP, and that will take time.

2. Download and fill up the travel insurance claim forms.

Not all travel claims forms are made equal. Make sure you know what you’re claiming for – if you’re claiming on medical grounds, or if there was a delay or cancellation, or even if it’s both.

Choosing the right form is important because leaving any blanks in the form could cause delays in the claim process.

Also note that, for claims that are a result of illness, injury or death, you may need a GP or Specialist to fill up sections of the form for you. Yes, that means even if you’re claiming for travel cancellation due to sickness, you will need to get your GP or Specialist to certify that your illness did not exist, or that you were not aware of it, before booking the trip.

3. Prepare your supporting documents.

This is the biggest cause of delayed or rejected claims, so make sure you have everything you need before filing the claim.

Other than a completed claim form and a copy of the policy/certificate of insurance, you will also need to include your passport/itinerary to prove that you had travelled or at least made travel plans.

Then there’s a whole list of supporting documents you’ll need to provide depending on the type of claim you’re making.

Type of travel insurance claim

Supporting documents needed

Personal accident and medical expenses

Original medical bills and receipts, medical report or discharge summary stating date, cause and nature of injury/illness, police report (for accidents)

Loss of personal belongings

Police report of lost items, property loss irregularity report, original purchase invoice and/or warranty card

Damaged personal belongings

Property damage irregularity report, photos of damaged items, diagnostic report from repairer stating cause and extent of damage, repair bill or quotation, original purchase invoice and/or warranty card

Baggage delay

Written confirmation from carrier/airline on period of delay or baggage return acknowledgement

Travel disruptions (delays, overbooking, etc)

Written confirmation from the airline/carrier, written confirmation from the tour agent/carrier/hotel on amount refunded and additional charges

Travel cancellation or curtailment

Written confirmation from tour agent/carrier/hotel on the extra charges incurred, hotel accommodation confirmation advice or travel deposit receipt

Travel cancellation or curtailment (if death or sickness is the cause)

Death certificate, proof of relationship with the person who is sick or dead, medical report certifying the diagnosis and that the insured is not fit to travel

Rental vehicle excess and other related expenses

Rental vehicle agreement, police report/evidence of motor accident (e.g. photographs), original excess payment receipt, repair bills

Personal liability

Letter of claim or documents received from the 3rd party, photographs of damaged 3rd party property

Generally, if it requires a police report, you will need to report it to the local police within 24 hours of the incident.

Also, if you intend to claim for belongings that were damaged or stolen, you’d need to produce the original purchase receipts and photos of it to prove that you own these items.

If you are a hardcore “KonMari” fan and have tossed the receipts for all your fancy gadgets — cameras, laptops, etc — then it’s best not to travel with these items.

4. If you get COVID-19 before, during or after your trip, prepare these additional documents.

Travel insurance providers these days have extended their coverage for COVID-19, but at a cost. It’s usually a $20 to $40 dollar add-on, and you need to check if your insurer requires you to take and receive a negative PCR test result immediately after buying your policy.

In the event that you do catch COVID-19 before, during or after your trip, here are the things you need to do:

Type of travel insurance claim

Supporting documents & actions needed

COVID-19 before your trip

  • Show your insurer that you have tried to get a refund from the vendor but was denied, or only partially refunded

COVID-19 during your trip

  • Doctor’s memo stating that you have caught COVID-19 and you require treatment

  • Fully vaccinated status

  • Flight itinerary or boarding pass

  • Medical report or inpatient discharge summary

  • Original medical bills

COVID-19 after your trip

  • Tap into existing government subsidies

  • Make health insurance claims via MediShield Life, Integrated Shield plans or private health insurance

  • Symptoms or diagnosis should be within 14 days of your return to Singapore

5. Submit your travel insurance claims online, in person or via snail mail.

Once you’ve got everything you need, you can officially file the claim. Most insurers now have online platforms for easy submission, which is great for the younger, more tech-savvy crowd.

I’ve personally done medical expenses claims via FWD’s website and it was surprisingly fast and seamless.

For those who prefer to do it offline, you can either mail your documents over or head down to the branch office directly.

How long will my travel insurance claims take?

Typically, claims take a week to a month to be processed. The first thing to do is to make sure they’ve received your supporting documents.

If you haven’t heard anything from them in 2 weeks, you should definitely be pro-active and contact your insurer. The last thing you want to hear is that they hadn’t even started processing your claims because you left something out, and weren’t informed.

My travel insurance claims got denied. Can I appeal?

Yes you can. If your claims were denied, the insurer is obligated to provide you with a valid reason and the grounds for their decision. Once you get that, you can then request for a claims appeal.

What happens moving forward depends on the insurer and how they handle your case, but let’s be honest here: there is always a conflict of interest when making an insurance claim.

Your agenda is to get as much compensation as possible. An insurance company’s agenda is to reduce your claim as much as possible. So yes, you can appeal, but it may not always be successful.

Still searching for the best travel insurance with the easiest claim process? We provide a comparison of travel insurance Singapore policies at MoneySmart.sg, so hop on over to try it out!

Any other tips for making travel insurance claims? Feel free to share them with us in the comments below!

The post Travel Insurance Claims Guide — What to do, What Receipts to Keep and More appeared first on the MoneySmart blog.

MoneySmart.sg helps you maximize your money. Like us on Facebook to keep up to date with our latest news and articles.

Compare and shop for the best deals on Loans, Insurance and Credit Cards on our site now!

The post Travel Insurance Claims Guide — What to do, What Receipts to Keep and More appeared first on MoneySmart.sg.

Original article: Travel Insurance Claims Guide — What to do, What Receipts to Keep and More.

© 2009-2018 Catapult Ventures Pte Ltd. All rights reserved.