What to Do When Ill or Injured On Your Trip
It is always a good idea to protect yourself and those who travel with you by signing up for a single trip holiday insurance plan. These low-cost options will prove to be a big help, especially when you are in a foreign environment where the climate, cuisine and terrain are very different from what you are used to.
Now let’s say that you find yourself ill or figure into an accident while you are on your break. What do you need to do in order to make a successful claim on the single trip holiday insurance plan you took out?
Determine whether you are covered or not
One of the first things you need to do is actually find out if your insurer is obliged to pay for the medicines or procedures you need. For example, your insurer should cover injuries you sustain from a road accident – but not if you are drunk or if you sustain those accidents from a sporting event. Your insurer may also cover hospitalisation fees but not your medication. You will also have to take policy excess into consideration, where you will have to pay more than a set amount out of your pocket before your insurer steps in to cover the rest. This is why it is always important to go over your coverage with a fine-toothed comb before you sign up.
Contact your insurer as soon as possible
If you want to successfully lodge a claim on single trip holiday insurance, you need to alert your provider of your dilemma at the soonest possible opportunity. If your claim is valid, they will guide you step by step on what other things you need to do. If you are not facing a life-threatening situation, your insurer will determine which clinic or hospital you will need to go to. This allows them to more easily handle your claim by working with institutions that they are networked with in the area. They will also send you a form via email that you need to fill out and send back. This is the first step among many that involves properly documenting all procedures and expenses you will incur.
Prepare and present all relevant documents
Your single trip holiday insurance provider won't reimburse you if you don’t have the necessary documents to back up your claims. The most common documents you might need include: claim form; booking invoices and itinerary; medical reports and invoices; payment invoices or statements; hotel invoices; third-party details (i.e. invoices and insurance provider of liable party).
Do make sure all invoices are converted to the currency used in your home country, like GBP for Britain or USD for America. You will also need to create a copy of these documents for your personal records since you will be sending the original documents to your provider later on.
Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be able to successfully claim on your policy if ever you find yourself needing medical attention while on holiday.
Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of Insuremore. We provide low cost travel insurance and offer a range of policies including single trip holiday insurance, annual, multi-trip and family cover. For all your travel cover needs, Insuremore can help you in the quickest and most cost-efficient way.