Travel Insurance Claim Denied? Here's How to Get Your Money Back

You had travel insurance. Your trip fell apart or you got sick. You filed a claim expecting reimbursement. Then came the denial: "Pre-existing condition" or "You didn't claim in time" or "That exclusion applies."

Travel insurance denials are frustrating but often reversible. Understanding why they happen and how to appeal gives you a real chance at getting your money back.

Why Travel Insurance Claims Get Denied

Understanding the specific reason is your first step.

Pre-Existing Condition Exclusions

This is the most common travel insurance denial. Insurance excludes coverage for medical conditions you had before you bought the policy.

But "pre-existing" is often misapplied:

• You may have had symptoms you didn't realize were a condition
• Your condition may have worsened after policy purchase
• You may have purchased the policy after symptoms appeared but before diagnosis

Challenge pre-existing denials by:

• Getting your doctor to document when the condition actually started
• Showing that diagnosis came after policy purchase
• Showing that the condition is different from what you had before

Timing Issues: Claim Submitted Outside Deadline

Travel insurance typically requires claims within 90 days of:

• Returning from the trip, or
• Discovering the loss (for things like delayed reimbursement claims)

Miss the deadline by one day, and automatic denial. But timing denials aren't always fair:

• You may have been hospitalized and unable to claim
• You may not have realized you had a claim
• Insurance may have been slow to respond to your inquiry

Argue that:

• You were incapacitated and couldn't claim earlier
• You weren't aware of the claim until later
• Circumstances prevented timely filing

Medical Claims Denied as "Not Emergency"

Travel insurance covers emergency medical care. They may deny non-emergency claims saying treatment wasn't an emergency.

This is debatable. What feels like an emergency to you in a foreign country may not meet insurance's narrow definition. Argue that:

• Your symptoms were severe and required immediate treatment
• Delaying treatment could have worsened the condition
• The treatment was appropriate for the symptoms

Get your physician to document that the condition required urgent treatment.

Claims Denied for Pre-Travel Medical Condition History

Some travel policies require you to declare pre-existing conditions at purchase. If you didn't declare a condition you then claimed for, insurance denies.

But they may only deny if:

• The condition existed before purchase, AND
• You knew about it and failed to declare it, AND
• The policy specifically excluded it

If any of these don't apply, the denial is weak.

Activity Exclusions

Some travel policies exclude coverage for specific activities:

• Extreme sports (skydiving, mountaineering, etc.)
• Professional sports
• Racing
• High-risk activities

If you were injured doing an excluded activity, denial may be valid—unless the activity wasn't truly in the excluded category.

Claims Without Receipts or Proof

Travel insurance requires documentation:

• Medical claims need medical records
• Cancellation claims need proof of cancellation
• Lost baggage claims need proof of loss and itemization
• Receipt claims need receipts

If you're missing documentation, it's harder to claim—but you can gather it for resubmission.

Claim Submitted Before Entire Trip Concluded

Some policies deny if you claim before the trip is completely over. They argue they can't process until they know the full trip outcome.

This is weak if you already know you won't return (medical emergency, hospitalization). Argue that you don't plan to continue and claim should be processed.

Gathering Evidence for Travel Claims

What insurance needs depends on the claim type.

For Medical Claims

Collect:

• Medical records from treating providers
• Itemized receipts or invoices from providers
• Proof of payment
• Prescription receipts if medications claimed
• Physician letter confirming diagnosis and necessity

For Cancellation Claims

Collect:

• Original travel booking confirmation
• Policy documents showing coverage
• Physician letter explaining why you couldn't travel
• Medical records supporting the reason
• Evidence of cancellation attempts
• Cancellation fees or evidence of loss

For Lost Baggage Claims

Collect:

• Baggage tags or proof of checked baggage
• Airline incident report (if baggage was lost)
• Itemized list of lost items
• Receipts or proof of value for items
• Photos of items (if available)
• Communication with airline about the loss

For Delayed Baggage Claims

Collect:

• Airline incident report
• Receipts for emergency purchases (clothing, toiletries)
• Proof that baggage was delayed vs. lost
• Documentation of when baggage was finally delivered

For Trip Delay Claims

Collect:

• Airline communication about the delay
• Proof of delay duration
• Receipts for additional accommodation or meals incurred
• Proof of payment for accommodations/meals

Building Your Travel Insurance Appeal

Structure your appeal around the specific denial reason.

Opening

"I am appealing [Insurance]'s denial of my travel insurance claim dated [date]. I believe the denial was based on [reason], which does not apply to my situation. I request reversal of the denial and reimbursement of [amount]."

Your Claim Summary

Briefly explain what happened:

• When did you travel?
• What happened that required a claim (illness, cancellation, lost baggage, etc.)?
• What did you claim for and how much?

Insurance's Stated Reason for Denial

Quote the denial reason directly from insurance's letter.

Why That Reason Doesn't Apply

Address the denial reason specifically.

If pre-existing condition denial: "Insurance denies based on alleged pre-existing condition. However:

• The condition was not pre-existing. I first experienced symptoms [date], which is after my policy purchase date of [date].
• Alternatively, I was not aware of the condition before purchasing the policy.
• Alternatively, my policy does not specifically exclude [condition].

The pre-existing exclusion should not apply."

If timing denial: "Insurance denies because the claim was submitted [X] days after the deadline. However:

• I was [hospitalized / incapacitated] and unable to claim earlier. [Medical documentation attached.]
• I was unaware of the loss until [date].
• Insurance was slow to respond to my inquiry, causing delay beyond my control.

Circumstances beyond my control prevented timely filing. The claim should be processed despite the timing."

If activity exclusion denial: "Insurance denies claiming the injury occurred during an excluded activity. However:

• The activity is not [extreme sport / high-risk]. It is [description of activity showing it's routine/low-risk].
• The policy specifically excluded [specific activity]. My activity was [different activity].

The exclusion should not apply."

If documentation denial: "Insurance denies for missing documentation. I was unable to obtain [specific document] because [reason]. However, I am now resubmitting all available documentation, including [list what you're including]. This should be sufficient for processing."

Supporting Evidence

List all attached documents:

1. Medical records
2. Receipts and invoices
3. Travel bookings
4. Physician letter
5. Airline incident report [etc.]

Request for Reimbursement

"Based on the above, I request that [Insurance]:

1. Reverse the denial of my claim
2. Reimburse me for [specific costs claimed]
3. Pay [amount]

[If applicable: Additionally, I request reimbursement for interest or penalties incurred due to this wrongful denial.]"

Country-Specific Escalation for Travel Claims

USA

If insurance denies your appeal, escalate to:

• Your state's insurance commissioner
• Your credit card company (if you purchased insurance via credit card; they often provide chargeback assistance)
• Legal consultation for large claims

United Kingdom

If insurance denies appeal, escalate to:

• Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)
• www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

Australia

Escalate to:

• Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA)
• www.afca.org.au

Singapore

Escalate to:

• FIDReC (Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre)
• www.fidrec.sg

Hong Kong

Escalate to:

• Insurance Authority (IA)
• www.ia.org.hk

Malaysia

Escalate to:

• Ombudsman for Financial Services (OFS)
• ofsmalaysia.my

Timeline: Act Quickly

Travel insurance claims have strict deadlines:

• File your appeal within 14-30 days of the denial
• If escalating to a regulator, file within your country's timeframe (usually 1-2 years)
• Don't miss internal appeal deadlines—they're rigid

The faster you appeal, the better your chances of success.

When to Consider Chargeback

If you purchased travel insurance with a credit card and the claim is substantial:

• Contact your credit card company
• Explain that insurance wrongfully denied your claim
• Request a chargeback for the insurance premium

Many credit card companies will reverse the charge if insurance denies wrongfully. This gets you money back even if you ultimately lose the insurance claim.

Getting Help With Travel Insurance Appeals

Travel insurance appeals require understanding the specific policy terms, which vary widely. You need to identify why insurance really denied your claim, gather the right evidence, and present a compelling case.

ClaimBack helps you analyze your travel policy, understand the specific denial reason, gather required documentation, and draft an appeal letter that challenges the denial effectively.

Get help appealing your travel insurance claim →

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Disclaimer: ClaimBack provides AI-generated appeal assistance for informational purposes only. ClaimBack is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Always review your appeal letter before sending and consider professional advice for complex or high-value claims.

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