There are many ways a travel insurance company can go wrong and fail you. The stigma in the travel industry is summed up in a quote by Steinbeck. “A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it”. There is a need for travel insurance, but it is hard to know exactly how they help you. The truth is they don’t always help you. In fact when they do it is money out of your pocket. Travel Insurance goes wrong sometimes, and you are left stranded, sometimes with no money, or protection. Here is what you should do to prevent it from happening.

1.Get it in writing – Make sure you get a reason for denial or right to refusal in writing. Don’t accept a verbal backing out from someone on the phone. If you feel you have a real and validated claim from your travels, than you have a right under nearly all travel terms to officially file one. Once your claim has been filed insurance companies are obligated to review it and they have a responsibility to give you some sort of reason why they have denied your claim and left you stranded (ie. screwed you over). That reason needs to refer to the specific aspects of the policy as mentioned in their terms of agreement or company policy.

2.But sir that’s not included. – Many times patrons or travelers abroad, want travel insurance companies to front the bill for what they did “not enjoy” or felt their experience was partly to blame by the insurance company. This is why many times, people feel travel insurance companies treat them wrong, or provide bad service. Know before you go to China on a Ski trip, what you are going to be protected for, and how the company can help. If it isn’t written in their policies or bylaws, then you may not be covered. Read the Fine print.

3. Cover your Ass – Make sure you sign up for things you want covered. A father’s story: Son wakes up in the morning deathly ill from some sort of bite, while visiting friends in New Zealand. The medical coverage was non-existent. He only signed up for travel insurance for him and his wife to have medical coverage and for his children’s baggage and evacuation. You may call this father dumb, I simply would tell him the travel insurance let him down because of a flaw in the system and failed support of the travel insurance company.

4. The long, drawn out Travel Plans – You have planned and planned, and now comes the time to travel. Much like your travel plans, travel insurance companies can draw out litigation or payment to you in the event of accident, injury, or issue. Think of it as an auto insurance company that loves your monthly payment, but hates it when you get into an accident.

When travel life insurance or medical insurance goes wrong it can be a daunting task to get paid and a headache all around. Be confident in knowing others have gone through it. Be persistent, when it happens, but protect yourself before it happens. Make sure you cover you basis and have all the avenues figures out in the event something does go wrong. Worse case scenario: call your rich uncle. He can bail you out of the jam.

By: Brooke Abel