Deepak Yohannan
MyInsuranceClub.com

Although I personally haven’t experienced any mishap ever while travelling, neither on work agenda nor on a family vacation, but a lot of my friends and colleagues have shared their horror stories of a holiday gone completely wrong. There have been quite a few experiences of lost baggage, sudden hospitalisation, several expensive international calls to insurance companies and service providers and situations which spell “utter chaos”. Hopefully you will never be faced with any such situation, but below are a few things to be aware of about Travel Insurance and claim process -

BEFORE YOU TRAVEL
The insurance company should be provided with maximum information about your trip so that it is available on record in their system. While filling up the application form, do not overlook the questions / information asked by the insurance company. Ensure that you answer all questions in detail and accurately. Often people answer only questions marked as mandatory and ignore the optional questions. Remember that we take an insurance policy for our security and it is in our interest that we provided detailed information to the insurance company.

WHILE PACKING
Take at least two photocopies of your Travel Insurance Policy and keep it in separate bags. It will be a wise to inform your spouse or one more family member about the same. You should also keep a photocopy of your passport and credit card/s. These are handy in case one loses the wallet.

TYPES OF CLAIM
Medical Expenses: Travel insurance policy will cover your medical expenses due to accident and sickness while travelling.

Flight Delays: If your flight has been considerably delayed (usually 24 hours) then you can claim for accommodation, meal, etc. Keep all the receipts of the expenses incurred on food, drinks, stay etc occurred in this period of flight delay. Also obtain a written confirmation of the delay from the Airlines staff.

Baggage loss: If the baggage is lost due to fault of the airlines, then it will be covered by the airline but this takes a lot of time to process. Your insurance company should be able to cover you in the interim period. In case you buy clothes, bag/s, accessories, when your baggage is lost then keep the receipts of all these replacements. It goes without saying that do not pick very expensive branded stuffs in hope that insurance company will compensate for all of it.

Baggage delay: In case the baggage arrival is delayed due to connecting flights or any other reason, the insurance company will compensate for reasonable expenses incurred for purchase of emergency personal effects.

Loss of Passport: Compensation for expenses incurred in obtaining a duplicate or new passport will be paid by the insurance company.

Personal liability: In case of death, bodily injury to a third party or damage to property caused involuntarily by the insured, the insurance company will compensate for the same.

Personal Accident: In case of Accidental Death and Dismemberment of the insured, compensation will be paid by the insurance company

Sickness Dental Relief: A travel insurance policy will pay for any immediate dental Treatment occurring due to sudden acute pain during the course of an overseas Insured Journey. Dental benefits will be provided for Medically Necessary filling of the tooth or surgical treatment, services, or supplies.

EXCLUSIONS:

A person is not covered if any expenses incurred directly or indirectly in respect of:

1. The Insured Person is travelling against the advice of a Physician; or receiving or on a waiting list for receiving specified medical treatment; or is travelling for the purpose of obtaining treatment; or has received a terminal prognosis for a medical condition
   
2. Any Pre-existing Condition or any complication arising from it
   
3. Suicide, attempted suicide (whether sane or insane) or intentionally self-inflicted Injury or Illness, or sexually transmitted conditions, mental or nervous disorder, anxiety, stress or depression, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Human Immune deficiency Virus (HIV) infection
   
4. Serving in any branch of the Military or Armed Forces of any country, whether in peace or War,
   
5. Being under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or other intoxicants or hallucinogens unless properly prescribed by a Physician and taken as prescribed
   
6. Any loss arising out of War, civil war, invasion, insurrection, revolution,  act of foreign enemy, mutiny, use of military power or usurpation of government or military power
   
7. Any loss, damage cost or expense of whatsoever nature directly or indirectly caused by, resulting from or in connection with any act of terrorism regardless of any other cause or event contributing concurrently or in any other sequence to the loss.

The author is CEO of MyInsuranceClub.com and can be reach at deepak@myinsuranceclub.com