travel insurance masterWith hurricane season, cold season, and more upon us, one thing is always for certain - the need for travel insurance. Well, what happens if you need to cancel your trip?
One of our trusted providers, Berkshire Hathaway says your first step should be to look over your policy and find the trip cancellation section. Your policy has a schedule of benefits where it outlines what’s covered, and in what amount. Next look for the covered reasons for cancellation. They’re generally listed out and if your reason is one of those reasons, you’ll need to contact your travel-insurance company and let them know what’s going on!
If you don’t have a travel agent, first contact your accommodations and transport services, flights, etc. to document everything including your reason for cancellation. Make sure to save any cancellation requests and confirmations for your records. In the end, if your reason for cancellation is legitimate and you’ve done a good job documenting, your claim will usually be processed quickly.
Need more info? Check out the steps below and visit your Provider Page.
CONTACT YOUR INSURER
What happens if you need to cancel? Contact your insurer immediately. They will advise you on how to proceed with filing the claim and will inform you of what documentation they need.
Comprehensive travel insurance plans or those with Trip Cancellation can be useful in this scenario. This benefit will cover you 100% for covered reasons, most commonly when you, your family member, or a travel companion gets sick. Trip Cancellation gives you the ability to cancel your trip before it starts and receive a 100% reimbursement of your otherwise non-refundable prepaid trip costs. See your certificate of insurance for all covered reasons for trip cancellation, timing, and what is required.
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
You will also want to contact your insurer as soon as reasonably possible if an emergency arises. Your policy will include a claims phone number and a 24-hour assistance number for both inside and outside the United States, ensuring you can get in touch with them at any time. When traveling internationally, make a collect call with the out-of-country emergency number.
Some companies may require pre-certification, or that you contact the company before receiving medical treatment or having an evacuation performed. If you find yourself in a dire medical emergency, you would want to seek care immediately and worry about claims once you’re stable. You will also want to find out what documents will be most important for you to have before returning home, as these can sometimes be difficult to get once you have left.
BE PREPARED AND FILE A CLAIM
Preparation is key for any travel insurance claim! Remember to save all your receipts and relevant documentation. Proof of expenses will come in handy for claims like costs for hotel or meals due to delay, records for emergency treatment received, and more. Accurate documentation for any loss should be at the top of your claim’s checklist. The number one reason for a claim being delayed is lack of information to support the claim. Be familiar with your policy, what is required, coverage limits, as well as how to file a claim. Every claims situation is different, so there are differences in how you will respond to them. Travel Insurance Master’s Filing a Claim page is a great resource to find out where to start with your particular provider.
FREE LOOK PERIOD
Travel Insurance Master recommends the best plan and value for your trip. After your purchase, you will receive the plan to your email. Take advantage of what’s called the Free Look Period, usually 10 days after your purchase. During this time, you’ll be able to review your policy. If something doesn’t seem like a good fit for your trip, you can cancel, receive a refund, and purchase another plan.
READY TO PROTECT YOUR NEXT TRIP?
Visit TravelInsuranceMaster.com and enter your trip details in just 3 easy steps. You’ll find your recommended travel insurance plan from one of our various trusted providers, as well as side by side comparisons of other plans that may be a good fit. You can even utilize customizable filters to narrow down plans by the benefits most important to you. Select the plan you’d like to purchase, fill out your payment details, and receive the plan straight to your email!
