5 handy tips for travel insurance claims

Hopefully you’ll never have to make a travel insurance claim but if you do these tips will help speed up the process.

1. Be upfront and honest

When you take out your policy make sure you disclose everything, especially things like pre-existing medical conditions.

HBF automatically covers some pre-existing conditions provided they are well controlled and you haven’t had any recent flare-ups. If your condition isn’t covered, you’ll need to mention it. To apply for cover for that condition you may need to pay an extra premium or supply some additional information, but being upfront and honest about it initially will save you time and hassle if you need to claim in the future.

2. Know the details of your policy

When you apply for any kind of insurance coverage it’s important to read your policy wording. You need to be aware of any exclusions, like civil unrest, pandemics or acts of terrorism for example. Your level of coverage also needs to be at the minimum prescribed level for your destination.

To check the complete details of all HBF Travel Insurance policies you can download a copy of our Policy Wording and Product Disclosure Statement. We strongly recommend that you read this before making your mind up about the coverage that you need.

3. Keep everything

Original receipts and documents are the most important forms of evidence to support your claim. If you’re traveling and you find yourself in a situation that you might be able to claim for, keep every document, receipt and report you’re given. Including these supporting documents will ensure a speedy claim process.

What kind of documents are needed

• If you receive medical treatment overseas you must supply the original receipt and documents from the hospital, medical centre or dentist.
• If you’ve had something stolen or lost you need to include the original police report and any documents that support your proof of ownership. This can include receipts, warranties, credit card vouchers, statements or valuations.
• For delayed luggage you need to include your lost baggage report and proof of ownership like receipts, warranties, credit card vouchers, statements or valuations.
   

4. Be as detailed as possible in your claim

Providing as much detail as possible when you claim will allow your claim to be processed quickly.

Always aim to:

• Answer each question with as much information as possible.
• Make sure your handwriting is neat and legible.
• Continue answers on another piece of paper if there’s not enough room on the form.
• Answer all the questions. Chasing up unanswered questions may delay the processing of your claim.

If you need more information, contact our Claims team before submitting your claim.

5. Be patient

We know it can be frustrating waiting for an insurance claim to be processed but the best course of action is to be patient.

At HBF we’ve adopted the General Insurance Code of Practice which means we are committed to processing each claim in a fair, transparent and timely manner. A member of our Claims team will notify you of the outcome of our initial investigation within 10 business days of receipt of your application. Some claims may need more investigation but we’ll always keep you informed of our progress with regular status updates.

We hope these tips will come in handy if you ever need to make a travel insurance claim. If you have any questions or comments about your travel insurance coverage, or if you’d like a quote, visit our website or contact us.