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Need to make a claim? Not sure what to do? We know getting caught out overseas can be stressful, particularly if you’re experiencing a medical emergency. The following will explain everything you need to know when making a travel insurance claim.
Remember individual insurers systems vary and cases are assessed on an individual basis, so there isn’t always a one size fits all. Typically though, claims are either paid upfront by the insurer, or you may be required to pay for your expenses out of pocket, then file a claim afterwards.
Follow these links to find advice on the different types of claims scenarios you might face:
Medical emergency claims
Luggage claims
Trip cancellation claims
FAQS
If you need emergency help or assistance, your first priority should be to contact the relevant local emergency service immediately.
Once you are able to do so, next, you should call or contact your insurer’s global emergency support team. Those contact details should be visible on your insurer’s homepage or printed on your Certificate of Insurance. Your insurer can then lead you through the next steps.
Your insurer’s emergency assistance team comprises of experienced doctors, nurses, travel consultants and case managers who can all help with your emergency.
If you suffer an illness or injury that requires emergency transportation, hospitalisation, or repatriation and/or is likely to cost more than A$1,000 to treat, you (or someone else on your behalf) should contact your insurer as soon as possible. You should contact your insurer if:
In most cases, if you are hospitalised, your emergency assistance team will coordinate payment directly with the hospital, provided your policy has been confirmed. If your medical expenses are likely to excess $1,000, payment will also usually be coordinated through your insurer.
It’s important to know that some overseas hospitals (particularly in South-East Asia and Indonesia) may refuse to treat you or provide you with medical assistance until they have received a guarantee of payment from your insurer or an upfront deposit. Your travel insurer can cover any initial deposits required once they have confirmed your policy number.
If your medical costs are unlikely to exceed $1,000, you are not in the United States (where medical costs are extremely high) and you do not require prolonged medical assistance, you will most likely be required to pay for your medical costs upfront and claim for reimbursement when you get home.
If you were injured or became ill overseas and have medical or hospital expenses to be reimbursed, there will be some specific documents that you will need to provide. These will generally include:
While the type of claim you make will determine the need for specific supporting documents, there are some required documents that are applicable to all claims. These will generally include:
While the total luggage limit on your policy may be $15,000, it’s important to note that sub-limits apply for certain items. A breakdown of the maximum coverage you can claim for is outlined below:
-Cameras, computers and video recorders: $3,000
-Mobile phones and tablets: $1,000
-Unspecified items: $750 (refers to belongings which you have not paid an additional premium to increase cover for).
-Credit card fraud reimbursement: $5,000
-Theft of cash: $250
-Delayed items (reimbursement for items of your luggage and personal effects when delayed by more than 12 hours): $250
-High value items: The most you can cover for any one item is $5,000 (which you can add to your policy online). These items will not be subject to depreciation.
Coverage will depend on the plan you’ve chosen. You can check these sub-limits in the PDS applicable to your plan.
Yes, you would need to pay to replace any lost or damaged belongings upfront, and claim back your costs later, attaching any receipts or required proof of purchase to your claim. The following outline the steps you would need to take when claiming for lost, stolen or damaged belongings:
1. Report your missing luggage and items within 24 hours
For any damage, loss or theft of your personal effects or luggage, you should report the incident to a relevant authority within 24 hours (police, hotel, airline, cruise company, tour guide etc) and obtain a copy of that report; this will be required in order to proceed with your claim.
2. Provide the essential documents
To support your claim, you will need to provide supporting documentation including, (but not limited to):
- Receipts or invoices for non- physical and physical purchases;
- proof of purchase/ownership certificates;
- documentation that confirms dates/locations (e.g. itinerary, ticket bookings, hotel confirmations);
- copies of credit card statements.
If you are unsure of what documentation you need to provide, our claim form details the documentation that you need to support your claim.
3. Understand depreciation
Depreciation is applied to all unspecified luggage items, or belongings you have not specifically told us about and that you do not wish to add extra cover for.
Depreciation refers to a reduction in the value of an asset over time, due to use over time and wear and tear. A nominated depreciation is applied to your item from the date of its purchase and applies for each month you have owned the item. For more information on specific depreciation rates click here.
Depreciation does not apply to luggage and personal effects purchased during your journey, specified high-value items listed on your Certificate of Insurance, or items purchased duty free prior to your departure.
If your trip was cancelled due to a natural disaster, bad weather, medical event or family emergency we will require some evidence from you. The documents you'll need are:
- Tax invoices with the total cost of your pre-paid travel and accommodation arrangements.
- Refund advice, penalty or cancellation fees (if applicable) to confirm whether your booking was non-refundable. Contact your travel provider first and ask for a refund. If they decline or partially pay the claim, ask for a Refund Advice document and provide to us.
- Proof supporting the reason for cancellation. For example, if your claim is medical, supporting documents may include a doctor's note. If your claim is non-medical, it may include a letter from the relevant authority such as an airline, cruise liner or tour company; or it may include a copy of a death certificate.
Depending on the circumstances, you would most likely be required to pay any additional cancellation costs upfront.
For instance, should circumstances out of your control affect your prepaid travel plans, you would need to pay for any alternative transport expenses or additional accommodation and travel expenses upfront and then claim back your costs later.
-Cancellation fees and lost deposits: cover for cancellation fees and lost deposits for unused travel and accommodation arrangements for which you have paid in advance
- Alternative transport expenses: cover for your additional travel expenses to reach wedding, funeral, conference, sporting event or prepaid tour arrangements on time if your scheduled overseas transport is cancelled, delayed, shortened or diverted.
-Family emergency: in the event a family emergency requires you to return home unexpectedly, you may be reimbursed for your return fare home.
-Alternative accommodation and transport expenses: if your scheduled or connecting transport is cancelled, delayed, shortened or diverted due to strike, riot, hijack, civil unrest, weather, natural disaster or accident affecting Your mode of transport. Cover applies if you become sick or injured and are unfit to travel.
-Disruption of journey: cover if your transport is cancelled or you are delayed for at least six hours.
It’s easy to make a claim online. You will need to fill out the online claims form, and attach receipts and other documents (all required documentation is listed on the page. Be sure to check this before you start your claim).
After you’ve made a claim online, you’re still able to send us further supporting documents if you forgot to do so in the first instance.
We strive to assess all claims fairly and keep our customers happy by resolving any disagreement as amicably and as quickly as possible. If you’re unhappy with the outcome of your claim, you can escalate it to be formally reviewed by our disputes and resolutions team. If you wish to lodge a complaint for formal review, visit the Making a Complaint page.
With online claims we only ask for the documents we really need. So the best way to find out exactly what documents we do need in your specific circumstances is to start an online claim. Your answers to the questions we ask you about your claim determine what documents you'll need to provide.
In terms of determining ownership or proof that you purchased something, these are examples of what we may ask for: Receipts or invoices for non physical and physical purchases; proof of purchase/ownership certificates; documentation that confirms dates/locations (e.g. itinerary, ticket bookings, hotel confirmations); copies of credit card statements
When you submit your claim, you'll need to provide certain documents for us to be able to assess your claim effectively. Below are examples of the sorts of documents we may ask for.
Medical, hospital or dental claims: original medical accounts (diagnosis, hospital discharge, summary, etc) and receipts.
Loss or theft of your luggage/personal effects: written notice of your police report. You'll also need to prove ownership for the items.
Damage or misplacement of luggage/personal effects, caused by the airline or any other operator or accommodation provider: report of damage/misplacement to an appropriate official, or any official documentation or offer of settlement that a travel provider may make.
Other information we might ask for (but not limited to): police reports valuations
As a guideline, we advise that you submit your claim within 30 days of arriving home from your trip. However, we understand that it is not always possible to submit your claim within 30 days. If that’s the case, we advise you to submit your documentation as soon as possible. Claims take up to 10 business days to process once we have received all the relevant documentation.
NOTE: If you have a medical emergency overseas, you must contact our emergency assistance team immediately.
If you need to cancel your trip, notify any travel providers (airlines, accomodation, tour providers, etc) of your intention to cancel.
Make sure you check whether your travel providers will refund you. Sometimes, they will return deposits, fares, etc., depending on when you cancel and what your original contract states.
If you aren’t reimbursed, then check certificate of insurance and the PDS to see whether your circumstances are covered.
Once you have done this, and you intend to claim, you’ll need to obtain and supply confirmations, refund advices, and terms and conditions. We request these for lodgement of your claim.
It’s important that you have all the right vaccinations before you travel. From malaria to meningococcal, find out what you need to know about vaccinations and travel insurance.
A pre-existing medical condition is something that must be disclosed when you’re purchasing travel insurance. Find out what they are and how they affect your travel insurance.
Repatriation is the process of returning a person home after a medical emergency or at worst case death. Being covered for repatriation is important, so read the ins and outs.
If you have any other questions or queries, please visit our Contact Us page.
If you are experiencing an emergency, please use the details on our Emergency Assistance page.
1Cover ® is a registered trademark of 1Cover Pty Ltd. 1Cover Pty Ltd ABN 91 105 954 265, is an authorised representative of Coffre-Fort Pty Limited ABN 66 125 358 518, AFS Licence No. 472457. Before you buy, please read the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination. Any information contained on this website is general advice only and has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider these having regard to the Product Disclosure Statement (‘PDS’). Before you purchase, please note in particular, the eligibility criteria, travel warnings in place and limitations to claim under multiple policy sections.
This insurance is underwritten by HDI Global Specialty SE – Australia.
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