Travel insurance claim denied

An ITN subscriber was on a hiking tour in New Zealand in April 2014 when she came down with a respiratory illness. Feeling she couldn’t complete the week’s second hike, on the Routeburn Track, she took a bus back to Queenstown, a couple of hours away, but did not seek out a physician for an office visit because it was Saturday afternoon. She recuperated in a hotel for several days before taking her scheduled flight home. 

Having purchased a travel insurance policy that included coverage for trip cancellation or interruption, and seeking reimbursement for the part of the tour that she missed, she submitted a claim with her insurer. She cited her illness as the reason for canceling the second hike and explained why she did not have a note from a physician.

Her insurer denied her claim, explaining that any claim for reimbursement due to illness requires “the examination of a Physician, in person, at the time of Trip Cancellation or Trip Interruption” and that, “in the written opinion of the treating Physician, (the illness must) be so disabling as to prevent you from taking or continuing your Covered Trip.”

The woman felt that the insurer’s decision was unfair because, in her viewpoint, her predicament had prevented her from visiting a doctor, both in the wilderness and during a weekend in the city.

That’s just one example of someone who was surprised when her travel insurance did not cover her in a particular situation. Subscribers, tell us about a time when YOU submitted a claim to a travel insurance company and expected reimbursement but had your claim denied. We’re looking for any example of a particular problem, situation, incident or event — medical or nonmedical — that was NOT covered under a travel insurance policy. 

We will not be printing the names of any travel insurance companies; we just want general accounts. Describe the situation or what occurred. Include where and approximately when (year) this took place. Tell us what you thought you were covered for but were not. As closely as possible, tell us the insurer’s reason(s) for rejecting your claim. Our aim is to make travelers aware of what they might be surprised to find they are NOT covered for, in certain situations, under travel insurance policies.

Bonus points — What did you learn from your experience? What do you now make sure you’re covered for when purchasing travel insurance? What “buzz words” in the fine print do you look for and why? Email editor@intltravelnews.com or write to Travel Insurance Claim Denied, c/o ITN, 2116 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818. Responses will be printed in a future issue. Trip photos are welcome.