Claim Settlement Guide for Domestic Travel Insurance

Benefits you will get from Travel Insurance

In some countries, it is mandatory to have Domestic Travel Insurance policy.

Why should you take travel insurance? Just go through the following benefits that it offers.

• It covers all accidental medical expenses

  An ideal travel insurance plan helps you when you need it the most. So, if you fall sick or meet with an accident at your destination, a travel insurance plan can help you meet the expenses incurred in availing the medical facility.

• Compensation for lost baggage/ delayed baggage

  Nowadays, all airlines provide compensation for lost baggage. Regardless of the trifling reimbursement, they cannot help you while you struggle without your belongings. Travel insurance assures that you will get the cost of lost goods or baggage. It will also take into account the expenses spent on additional personal effects and accommodation while waiting for your delayed luggage.

• Covers trip cancellation expenses

  Sometimes, weather conditions or technical issues can delay your trip or even cancel it entirely. In such a situation, your domestic travel insurance policy can reimburse you the pre-paid non-refundable costs of the trip.

• Covers third-party damage expenses

  Travel insurance providers adopted this option only recently. With this, any accidental damage to any third-party or their asset will be compensated by the insurer. If you are travelling with kids, then this might turn out to be a total blessing.

Who can buy travel insurance?

Any person travelling within the country can buy a domestic travel insurance policy. The person must be between 18 and 65 years old, but the age limit varies from plan to plan. The coverage type of the plan also depends on some factors like the destination, your medical condition and duration of the trip. Additional benefits of travel insurance vary over plans and providers. As travelling always comes with risks, it is always good to have a backup plan.

What can you avail though travel insurance?

Even though travel insurance gives you financial protection against unexpected losses, there are some things that it does not cover at all. It will neither cover any pre-existing medical issues nor compensate for any self-inflicted injury, suicide attempts, HIV/AIDS and some other health issues.

Situations under which you can’t claim for under travel insurance-

• Claim for Non-Medical expenses
• Travelling against doctor’s advice
• Travelling for a medical treatment
• Injuries and accidents while intoxicated
• Involvement in any criminal activity, riots, etc.

Types of Domestic Travel Insurances

Many insurance providers offer lucrative travel insurance policies. If you are looking for such companies and travel insurance plans, then here you go:

1. Bajaj Allianz Domestic Travel Insurance

    Bajaj Allianz Travel Insurance offers plans that cover various things like:

• Loss of life in an accident during the trip
• All the medical treatment expense arising out of an accident during the trip
• Gives 24x7 hours assistance for medical referrals, arranging ambulance, medical evacuation, case management, claims assistance, claims processing, and other medical issues
• Covers trip cancellation cost­- you will be provided with compensation for the loss of accommodation due to trip cancellation as a result of death, serious injury or sudden sickness of the insured or any close family members
• Covers the cost of stolen baggage whether the theft takes place in the airport, hotel, or during transit (bus/taxi/train)
• If your baggage is misplaced by the airline, even then the plan will cover the costs.
• Covers the delay of flight beyond 6 hours of the actual departure time

2. TATA AIG Domestic Travel Guard Policy

    This plan covers following things:

• Medical expenses or hospital bills for treatment due to an accident during the trip
• In case you miss the flight or train, it will help in recovering the actual cost of the tickets of the flight or train. However, you need to have a valid proof for that.
• If you are paying for additional accommodation due to delay or cancellation of the trip, you can claim for those expenses as well.
• You will get 24x7 customer support during the trip.
• It also covers accidental death.

 3. Apollo Munich Easy Domestic Travel Insurance

     It comes with special low rates and with affordable plans and covers you on domestic trips. The plan covers:-

• Personal accident claims
• Medical expenses related to an accident during the trip. It includes expenses of medical treatment, medical assistance, medical Evacuation and transportation of mortal remains, etc.
• Trip cancellation cost
• Trip Curtailment cost
• Flight delay
• Emergency travel
• Emergency accommodation cost
• Loss of checked-in baggage

Note: Most plans come with some exclusions. You must give them some consideration as well.

How to claim travel insurance?

In case you are admitted to a hospital, then you can follow these steps:

After hospitalization, the insured (or someone on behalf of the insured) can call the insurance service provider.

A valid insurance certificate number, the name of the hospital, its proper address & telephone number, and the name of the treating doctor has to be provided. If possible, the total amount of medical expenses incurred and other necessary information should be divulged to the insurance provider.

Then, the provider will extend a GOP (guarantee of payment) to the hospital. After that, the expenses covered by the policy will be settled directly with the hospital. The amount of settlement depends upon the terms and conditions of the insurance provider.

In case of loss of baggage, you need to collect:

• The Claim form
• Copies of boarding pass/baggage tags/tickets
• PIR report (can be obtained from the Airline authorities)
• Copy of the correspondence with airline authorities
• Details of the compensation received from Airlines/Other authorities.

After you inform the airline about the loss and file a complaint about the same, obtain a claim form, attach necessary documents, and send that to the insurance provider.

In case your baggage is delayed, you must submit:

• Fully filled claim form
• Copy of boarding pass/baggage tags/tickets
• Copy of the correspondence with the airline authorities verifying the delay
• PIR report
• Original invoices pertaining to expenses incurred during the delay period
• Details of the compensation received from airlines/other authorities.

Going by the benefits mentioned above, it is apparent that travel insurance not only gives you financial assurance against the expenses incurred on your medical treatment in an unfamiliar place, but it also provides you peace of mind while travelling. You can easily compare different plans online and settle for the one that fits your insurance needs. There are different insurance providers, Bajaj Allianz etc., that offer good features and provide instant claim settlement. So, make sure to you get a good travel insurance plan to cover your trip.