Picture this scenario: You are sat in an airport arrival lounge, lost your luggage and missed your connecting cruise. This isn’t the best way to start a holiday, but at least you have travel insurance which will help to compensate you, but there could be several reasons why your claim can be rejected by the insurer. Make sure this doesn’t happen to you by following simple steps to ensure your claim is water tight and you don’t risk having your claim rejected.
1. Lack of correct documentation or late claim
Always contact your insurer as soon as possible when a claim arises. For medical costs, failure to contact insurers before significant expenses are incurred (except in an emergency) could see your claim rejected. Insufficient medical or police reports, or other official documentation proving a loss was incurred, can cause a claim to be denied. Act fast and make sure you have all of the relevant telephone numbers stored in your mobile phone.
2. Declare pre-existing medical conditions
The price of a policy will vary depending on the information you give for any pre-existing medical conditions you may have. Don’t be tempted to keep any heart problems or high blood pressure under wraps in the hope of getting a cheaper policy. If you fail to declare the conditions during the screening process, any medical claims you make will almost certainly be rejected.
3. Excluded activities
If you plan on taking in some unprompted scuba diving, water skiing or parasailing when you are on a cruise, you will need to check your policy very carefully as not all will cover adventurous sports. It might be tempting to jump on the back of a jet ski but if you injure yourself while doing an activity you’re not covered for; your claim will usually be denied.
4. Excessive alcohol consumption
Most policies include a clause that states ‘claims will be declined if your alcohol consumption has directly or indirectly caused the loss’.
Travel insurance provider AllClear state that: ‘We do not expect you to avoid alcohol consumption on your trips or holidays, but we will not cover any claims arising because you have drunk so much alcohol that your judgement is seriously affected, and you need to make a claim as a result (e.g. any medical claim where in the opinion of the treating doctor, your excessive alcohol consumption has caused or actively contributed to your injury or illness)’.
5. Lack of reasonable care
Sometimes a momentary lapse of care and concentration might mean that you accidentally leave your wallet or purse in a restaurant, never to be seen again or didn’t lock your passports or valuables in the hotel safe, only for them to go missing too. If you suffer a theft under these conditions, then your insurer is unlikely to pay your claim as it could have easily been avoided.
*Top Tips*
- Remember to take your travel insurance policy number and emergency contact telephone number with you when you travel
- If a problem happens while you're away, keep receipts for everything you need to buy to support your claim
- If possible, get your insurer to agree to medical treatment before it's carried out
- Always tell your insurer about an existing health problem before you take out insurance, or you may not be covered
- Report lost or stolen belongings to the local police within 24 hours of them going missing. If this isn't possible, tell the person in charge where they went missing.
Hopefully you will never need to make a claim and can enjoy your trip without problems arising. If you would like to speak to one of our UK based travel insurance team for an insurance quote, please call on 01243 784000.
