There is simply no denying that travelling is indeed one of the best ways to unwind, let loose and detach oneself from all responsibilities for a short period of time. However, as much as going on vacation seems exciting at face value, a trip can always go wrong when you least expect it. From flight delays due to unexpected bad weather to travel cancellations because of a family emergency, many things can prevent our adventures from being smooth sailing. This is where travel insurance and its claim benefits come into the picture. While it might not be the solution to preventing all these hiccups from happening, the best type of travel insurance coverage in Singapore can provide some much-needed financial protection from unexpected derails in your trip.
But here’s the catch — whether you’re just a cruiser or an experienced traveller in fantastic shape, travel insurance can only be the best investment for those going on trips outside of Singapore if they know how to properly make a claim.
Here, we’ll cover some of the most important steps you should take to get a reasonable reimbursement when filing a claim with your travel insurance provider in Singapore.
What is the Most Common Travel Insurance Claim?
Before we dive head-first into the best way to make the most of a travel insurance claim, it helps to understand the types of unforeseen circumstances in which this insurance coverage comes in handy. While the specific coverage and benefits vary depending on the type of travel insurance policies — single, annual, individual, and family — you have signed up for, the most comprehensive ones tend to offer benefits for personal accidents, travel delays, trip cancellation, loss of baggage, and medical expenses. As such, these make up some of the most common travel insurance claims in Singapore and beyond.
Tips for Filing a Travel Insurance Claim
Common travel insurance claims made aside, to increase your chances of a reasonable and prompt reimbursement, there are several boxes to check when making the initial claim. To make your claims process smoother and delay-free, take these steps:
1. Know What Should You Say on a Travel Insurance Claim
It is completely understandable when emotions run high when a trip goes haywire and the last thing you’ll want to do is to sit down and file a claim in the midst of all the chaos. But in order to get reimbursed quickly for all the covered losses you have experienced before or while travelling, you will need to do so — and in the most succinct and concise manner possible. But how?
Rather than overexplaining every little detail or submitting a single sentence like “I cancelled my trip”, provide the processor handling our claim with a clear summary of what happened, the causes and the involved parties. Consider including these Ws and Hs in your claim:
- Who is/are the affected insured person(s) and the other parties involved?
- What happened and what claim are you filing for?
- When it happened with details such as the date and time.
- Where did it occur?
- Why are you filing the claim as a final statement?
- How did it affect you and bring about the losses?
Including all these information makes it easy for your claims processor to review and possibly expedite your claim processing.
2. Understand the Policy and What You Are Covered For
Before you start preparing all the relevant supporting documents for your claim, you need to ensure that you are indeed covered for what you are claiming. This makes it essential that you read the travel insurance policy carefully, including the small print to determine if it includes anything that disallows you from claiming and all the exclusions that are not covered. For example, while serious illnesses will be covered under trip cancellation, injuries may not.
Also, take the time to know what the threshold for benefit limits is so that you spend accordingly when covering your losses out-of-pocket. And finally, know the time limits to file a travel insurance claim. This is because most, if not all, travel insurance providers in Singapore have a strict time frame for you to file a claim from the date of the covered loss. But whatever the timeframe may be, it is always best to act sooner rather than later.
3. Know What Counts as Proof
Even though the process of making a claim may vary depending on the specific policy and travel insurance provider, the general process remains the same throughout. This involves the key step of submitting the proper documentation and evidence to support your claim.
“Proper documentation” may include things like medical bills, doctor’s notes, receipts for lost or damaged items, written bank confirmation, police reports, airline letters on the flight delay, damage reports, and more. “Proof” like at-home tests for COVID simply will not cut it!
Consider Your Travel Insurance Options Upon Booking Your Holiday
Filing for a claim without the proper documentation and understanding of the policy you have bought can leave you on the receiving end of a note stating that your claim cannot be reviewed or has been rejected. Therefore, it is important to always be prepared and be in the know-how when filing a travel insurance claim in Singapore. But more than that, purchasing the best and right type of travel insurance will ensure that you get the proper protection against unexpected events and have peace of mind and financial security while you are exploring the world.
