10 Common Travel Insurance Claim Submission Mistakes

Discover our expert travel insurance claim tips for a smoother claims experience

When things go awry on holiday, the last thing you want is for more things going wrong. Next time you need to lodge a travel insurance claim, avoid these common mistakes to help ensure your claim is assessed and resolved faster.

Source: Getty

Sometimes it doesn’t matter how well you plan a trip, something can still go wrong. From bags that don’t arrive at your destination with you to a slippery surface that causes you to fall over and break a bone… the unexpected can happen at any time during a holiday – and to anyone.

“We’re here to help travellers like you – especially when your holiday goes pear-shaped and you need to make a travel insurance claim,” said Adelle Perry, Head of Claims at Cover-More Australia.

“Our online claims portal helps make the travel insurance claims process as smooth as possible, which means you can get back to doing what you love: experiencing your holiday destination to the fullest.”

Need to make a claim?

“It’s important to know what to do – and what to avoid – when lodging a travel insurance claim,” explained Perry. “Getting your submission correct from the get-go can mean your claim is assessed and resolved faster.”

Here are the biggest mistakes we see from our customers – and our travel insurance claims tips to help you avoid them – to help make your claims experience as smooth as possible.

Mistake #1: Claiming under the incorrect policy

One of the most common mistakes is choosing the incorrect policy benefit under which to claim. This results in the online portal asking for the wrong information and supporting documents, which can delay the processing of your claim.

Our tip:

Read the PDS benefits table and relevant benefits section to check which benefit applies to your claim before lodging a claim online. If you’re not sure which benefit is the right one, give us a call and we can help.

Mistake #2: Inadequate or missing supporting documents

It’s important to submit your claim with all the required supporting documents. This can include:

• Receipts and itemised bills for travel expenses
• Documentation of any refunds or expense allowances received from your tour operator, airline, travel agency etc.
• Medical certificates and receipts
• Police reports or airline Property Irregularity Reports (PIR) if you’re claiming lost or stolen luggage or travel documents

The documents and receipts you need to include with your Cover-More claim depend on the type of claim you’re submitting. See more details here.

Our tip:

Be sure to include any and all documents linked to what you’re claiming for. Providing complete documentation from the start of your claims process can result in faster reimbursement.

We recommend keeping your travel insurance policy information easily accessible while you’re travelling so if something goes wrong, you can easily refer to your policy and collect the documentation you need along the way.

It’s also smart to keep either an electronic copy or a hard copy of your travel receipts or documents if you believe the expense(s) may be covered by your policy.

Got questions about any documentation required while you’re travelling? Call our 24/7 emergency assistance team for support.

Mistake #3: Forgetting to provide your bank details

It’s an easy part to overlook, but if your bank details are missing or incomplete, we can’t settle your claim.

Our tip:

Double check you’ve provided your full account number and BSB – along with the account name – so we can reimburse you for any approved claims without delay.

Mistake #4: Leaving the claims submission incomplete

Sometimes, our customers don’t have all the required documentation on hand when they begin to submit a claim online. However, it’s important to understand that selecting the “I will provide further documents later” option in the online claim process will put the claim on hold indefinitely until more information is provided.

Our tip:

If possible, gather all the required supporting documents in advance of creating your claim so it is ready to be reviewed upon submission. If you don’t want to wait, only nominate to provide further documents later when submitting a claim online if you intend to do so within the next few days.

Mistake #5: Attaching unreadable documents

Be wary of the quality of the documents you are attaching to your claim. Sometimes our customers include supporting documents by taking photos of them rather than scanning them. This can result in an unreadable resolution on documents, which can slow down your claim process.

Our tip:

If scanning isn’t an option for you, contact us and ask for a fillable PDF claim form rather than taking photos of a printed one with your phone. Alternatively, if you opt to take photos, make sure the camera is focused on the document text and check the text is legible before submitting the photos for review.

Source: Getty

Mistake #6: Not signing a claim form that’s mailed or emailed to us

Forgetting to sign a printed or PDF claim form before you mail or email it to us is an easy mistake to make, but it’s essential in helping us process your claim.

Our tip:

If you’re choosing to submit your claim via mail or email, always double check your claim form is properly completed before submitting. The signature space on a downloaded claim form must always be completed or we cannot proceed with the claim review. Note: This does not apply to claims submitted online.

Mistake #7: Submitting a claim without proper explanation

All submissions need an explanation to explain why you’re making a claim; failing to provide this can slow down a claim.

Our tip:

Even if you think the reason for your claim is obvious, our team needs a short explanation of the claim events. It doesn’t need to be an essay; a few sentences should be sufficient in most cases. For more complex travel situations or incidents, consider using a cover letter to provide adequate context.

If you don’t have receipts or are unable to obtain a document (from a provider such as an airline), it’s also helpful to provide us with as much information as you can (including why you do not have the required documentation) so we can take this into consideration when assessing your claim.

Mistake #8: Listing the same claim expense multiple times on the claim form

When submitting a travel insurance claim, you can only claim your travel expenses once, under the relevant benefit type listed in the PDS. If you list the same expenses on the claim form multiple times under multiple policy benefit sections, you could end up slowing down your claim process.

Our tip:

Make sure you only list each expense you wish to claim once and place it under the relevant policy benefit. (For example, the expenses related to a lost passport should be placed under the Luggage and Travel Documents benefit.) If you’re unsure which policy benefits is correct for your expense, please check the PDS or call our team – we’re always happy to help.

Mistake #9: Forgetting to sign medical authority forms

Encountering medical issues or illness while travelling can be stressful, and the last thing you want to think about is paperwork. However, failing to sign any relevant medical authority forms means we are unable to contact doctors for further information, which can slow down your claim.

Our tip:

Before submitting your medical claim, ensure the medical certificate’s authority section contains the signature of the traveller whose medical situation is resulting in your claim. This signature will authorise us to seek further medical information from traveller’s usual doctor if required, helping to speed up the claim process.

Mistake #10: Sharing supporting documentation via incorrect formats

Providing supporting documentation in an obscure file format that we cannot open or providing documents via a file sharing service such as Dropbox or Google Drive can make it impossible for us to access your documents – and cause delays in processing.

Our tip:

Provide supporting documents in supported formats: PDF, Word, or image file formats such as .JPEG. (Sharing documents via systems like Dropbox or Google Drive often conflicts with our internal IT security and should be avoided.)

Ready to lodge a claim?

Our online claims portal makes it easy to submit your claim while travelling, but don’t stress if you’re already back home: you can still submit a claim within 60 days of the return date shown on your Cover-More Certificate of Insurance.

Want more travel insurance claims tips or information? Read how to make a claim or call our helpful team on 1300 72 88 22. 
 

Disclaimer: The above information is general information about how travel insurance claims are processed by Cover-More. Every claim is assessed on a case-by-case basis and on its own merit. When processing claims, Cover-More acts as an agent for the Underwriter, Zurich Australian Insurance Limited.