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You can lead a horse to water but can’t make him drink.

That proverb couldn’t be more true when it comes to travel insurance. There are lots – and I mean LOTS – of people who don’t buy travel insurance. Maybe they think bad things only happen to other people. Maybe they figure they have insurance from their credit card, so they’re “good to go.” And if they’re in the unfortunate position where an emergency happens (they broke their leg while skiing in the Swiss Alps, they were late getting back to their cruise and the ship left without them, they got word that a parent unexpectedly passed away, the list goes on and on), that’s when you read stories on Yahoo News, and see GoFundMe pleas, with people saying they will never travel without travel insurance again.

But buying travel insurance is only half the battle. There’s also the potential battle if, heaven forbid, you need to make a claim, like I did.

My experience

Back in the late 90s, I was supposed to go on a cruise with a bunch of friends. I had bought travel insurance, but over 25 years later, I don’t remember the details of the policy. I know that I looked at several policies and considered things that “could” happen.

Unfortunately, my dad passed away a day or two before I was supposed to fly to Florida (I lived in the northeast at the time and the cruise was departing out of Cape Canaveral). So, of course, I cancelled and made a claim for my round-trip airfare, hotel and the cruise itself. I had to gather LOTS of paperwork, including his medical records from when he was admitted to the hospital, his death certificate, all my travel documents and receipts, etc. I admittedly lucked out in that I worked at the hospital where he was admitted and eventually died, so getting a copy of his medical records was easier than it would have been for Chris Q. Public. Anyway, many months after the fact, I was reimbursed for the cost of my trip. I felt very fortunate for that.

Other peoples’ experiences

Others who’ve bought travel insurance haven’t been as lucky as I was. Insurance companies are well known for denying claims. The reasons for these denials can run the gamut, but a handful of reasons in particular cause the most denials.

Why claims are denied

Read them. Know them. And do what you need to do so it doesn’t happen to you.

Your policy didn’t cover this kind of claim

Again, there are hundreds upon hundreds (if not more) policies out there. If the reason you’re making the claim isn’t included in your policy, or if you didn’t follow the rules of the policy, you won’t be covered.

Case in point – hurricane insurance. It’s practically a “must” if traveling to the southeast U.S., especially the Caribbean during hurricane season. The policy will only cover you if you buy it before the storm is named. Once it’s named and that storm is why your flight to Miami didn’t happen, you won’t be covered.

Oh, and if a storm is coming and you were too afraid to go on that cruise, that won’t count. If the cruise still happened, it’s not on the insurance policy that you didn’t go because you were scared.

If your parent died while you’re traveling and you want to get home NOW, your insurance company will tell you to pound sand if you didn’t get a policy that covers the death of a parent.

And if you had to be hospitalized in a foreign country because your gout was acting up, you better have insurance that covers pre-existing conditions.

You have no proof

Everything needs a paper trail.

• If you have an ear infection and can’t fly, you better have documentation, dated before your travels, that says, “Dr. So & So says you shouldn’t fly because you’ll be at risk of perforating your eardrum.”
• If your flight is cancelled, keep those text messages from the airline that say so.

Insurance companies will never take you at your word. They’ll always want you to “prove it.”

You didn’t get all the paperwork you needed or didn’t fill out the correct claim form

Back in the late 90s, I was super efficient. I knew what paperwork I had to fill out, and I was diligent in ensuring I had all my ducks in a row. Working in the hospital admittedly helped 😉

Keep receipts and printouts from hospitals, doctors’ offices, police records, lost luggage forms, unexpected hotel nights, and anything important to your claim.

And follow the insurance company’s documentation requirements to a T.

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