How To File a Travel Insurance Claim

How Do I Submit my Travel Insurance claim?

After medical treatment or medical services for a particular injury or illness, you should always submit a claim to your travel health insurance company. This process notifies your Insurance carrier that you are receiving medical treatment and allows them to oversee the process for appropriate billing to be filed on your behalf.

If you have any specific questions regarding how to file a Travel Insurance claim, including the time frame for submitting it, contact your Travel Insurance carrier or your Broker to provide immediate assistance. Otherwise, follow these basic Standard Operational Procedures to submit your Travel Insurance claim.

Standard Operational Procedures to File your Travel Insurance Claim

Procedure 1: Collect Itemized Receipts

If you are traveling abroad; you will have to pay your medical bill at the time of service and then submit a claim for reimbursement. It is imperative that you ask the Hospital Administration for all itemized receipts that details the medical services and treatment you received. Make sure the receipts are printed with an official letterhead or have them stamp their contact information on the receipts.

Procedure 2: Submit your Claim Online

Next, you’ll need to upload all supporting documentation, which will be determined by your type of claim. For example, if you’re submitting a trip cancellation claim, you’ll need to upload the following:

Trip itinerary which includes traveler information, trip details, a breakdown of costs, and payment information.
Proof of payment, including receipts and credit card statements.
Penalty/refund information, which is needed to substantiate payments were nonrefundable and, if applicable, if there were any pertinent refunds or penalties.
Proof of incident, which could include a police report, or in the case of a medical event, a physician visit summary or other documentation .
Letter from employer, if applicable, to verify relocation, reason for leaving.

If you are traveling abroad, the simplest way to file your Travel Insurance claim is to submit it electronically through your Travel Insurance carriers online member portal. Follow the instructional prompts to complete the electronic claim form. The information will provide more information on the illness or injury for which you received treatment.

While submitting your claim, you will be asked to attach all itemized receipts from your visit. You can use your cellphone or digital camera to snap pictures of the receipts, or you can find a place that will scan them so you can upload them to your electronic claim form. Make sure the pictures or scanned copies are legible and the contact information can easily be found. Some Travel Insurance carriers may require the claims to be submitted via email. If that’s the case with your Insurer, complete their claim form online and attach your itemized receipts to the email.

Procedure 3: Monitor Your Claim’s Progress

Once your Travel Insurance claim has been processed, depending on the Travel Insurance carrier, you will receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) that details how your claim was paid or they may request additional information needed to process your claim. If your claim was submitted through your Travel Insurance carrier’s online member portal; you can log in to your member account and track your claim’s progress. If additional documentation is needed, you should have the capability to submit those documents within your member portal.

How Do I get Reimbursed?

Industry standards suggest that a typical Travel Insurance claim can take up to 90 days to process. This varies between the Insurance carrier and the Insurance type. The process can be delayed if you are required to submit additional information towards your claim. Review your Explanation of Benefits carefully to ensure your provider has everything they need.

Claim reimbursements are typically issued via mail in check form and mailed to the permanent address you have on file with the insurance carrier. The reimbursment amount you that you will receive is based on your eligible medical expenses minus your deductible and/or out-of-pocket expenses.

What To Do If your Claim Is Denied

If your Travel Insurance claim is denied, contact your Travel Insurance carrier or Broker who sold you the travel insurance plan. Both parties can assist you with the process of filling an appeal. 50% of Travel Insurance claims appeals are honored and most cases, there is a discrepancy with your documentation. If your Insurance carrier does not honor your appeal, the next step is to contact the state Insurance Commissioner see if they can assist.