Travel Insurance company hard to deal with

[buckbs]

Just had to cancel a trip because of impending spinal surgery which curtail normal activity for three months. Norwegian was great on refunding their part of the travel insurance immediately to my credit card balance. The travel insurance company is nothing but a farce. They sent me a five page email detailing everything that I already told them on the phone, asking for my doctor to fill out a form, the hospital where I am to have the surgery, and told me that a "committee would review the returned form from them to determine the validity of my claim". I love Norwegian Lines, but this insurance company is a really, really, bad mark on my consideration of booking Norwegian again and you should take this into consideration when you decided which cruise line to book. Norwegian is a good line, but just go with another travel insurance company.

[Bo1953]

Just had to cancel a trip because of impending spinal surgery which curtail normal activity for three months. Norwegian was great on refunding their part of the travel insurance immediately to my credit card balance. The travel insurance company is nothing but a farce. They sent me a five page email detailing everything that I already told them on the phone, asking for my doctor to fill out a form, the hospital where I am to have the surgery, and told me that a "committee would review the returned form from them to determine the validity of my claim". I love Norwegian Lines, but this insurance company is a really, really, bad mark on my consideration of booking Norwegian again and you should take this into consideration when you decided which cruise line to book. Norwegian is a good line, but just go with another travel insurance company.

 

 

Usually, which is a generalization, but in at least 99.90% of ALL insurance claims, telephone conversations are NOT substitute for an application for insurance coverage. I think you will find, albeit possibly buried in the application that written documentation would be required to substantiate any claim(s).

 

Even in auto claims, home claims and the like. Some statement on paper rather you complete it or not, has to be filed.

 

If you do not live and claim in the U.S., then I do not know what the process/procedure is for filing.

 

Good luck regardless and so sorry about your impending surgery, I trust it will correct any challenges it is to alleviate.

[buckbs]

Documentation on most insurance claims have to be filled out, but Norwegian IMMEDIATELY refunded their half of my claim. I had to call the independent insure three times, talked for some length of time, and then received FIVE pages to document my claim. I will use an independent insurance company next cruise, not some company that had the lowest bid for a contract with Norwegian.

[Philob]

Sorry for you troubles, but even with an 3rd party insurance company they will ask you to fill out 5+ pages and to provide almost endless documentation. In insurance lingo it's called "proof of claim".

 

You can have car accident, lose a leg and show up at the claims adjusters office and they'll want you to prove that you lost your leg because of the accident and not on purpose to get out of the trip :eek: :p

[Bill S]

buckbs, no one likes to have to cancel a cruise, and I am also sorry that you have had to do that. I guess the good news is that you did pay for cancellation insurance. Just think if had not done so.

 

I am not being cynical about your situation, but in essence, those of us who purchase travel insurance place a "bet" with the insurance company that something is going to happen to force us to cancel the cruise. Most of the time we, the insured, "lose"the "bet" and the insurer wins and gets to keep your money. However, when we "win", the insurance company has to pay off on your "bet", and before they do that, they are entitled, by the terms of your contract with them, to have you prove with documentation that you are actually entitled to the proceeds of your "winning bet". It is even the same way for life insurance policies-the insurers need absolute proof that the insured person is actually deceased.

 

I know it is a hassle for you, and seems unnecessary to you, but that is the way that insurance companies work.

 

But, you were smart to take out insurance in the first place! We always take out insurance and we have lost that "bet" multiple times, but we had the peace of mind that we would be covered if something did happen. BTW, I do not work for nor am I affiliated with any insurance company.

 

My best wishes to you.

[swokie]

May I ask what is the name of a reputable company to purchase insurance? We are booked with Carnival but have not yet purchased the vacation protection.

[Hlitner]

Am wondering what the OP expects from an insurance company. Would they expect their claim to be paid just because they make a phone call? The reality is that there is an awful lot of fraudulent claims and any insurer is going to ask for documented proof of a medical issue. And having a licensed physician verify any claim related to a medical issue is standard practice in the insurance industry.

 

Hank

[buckbs]

While Norwegian returned their part of my refund, Aon Affinity of Jericho, NY sent five pages of claims to be filled out by me, my physician, hospital surgery information, and they are making me go to all kinds of trouble when I am in pain. Kudos to Norwegian. Not the same kudos to Aon Affinity of Jericho, NY.

[thinfool]

While Norwegian returned their part of my refund, Aon Affinity of Jericho, NY sent five pages of claims to be filled out by me, my physician, hospital surgery information, and they are making me go to all kinds of trouble when I am in pain. Kudos to Norwegian. Not the same kudos to Aon Affinity of Jericho, NY.

 

You won't get any money out of the insurance company if you refuse to comply. Fact of life. Without proper docs the insurance company will be subject to sanctions from insurance regulators, possibly stockholders or other investors and could be out of business for fraudulent practices.

 

Wouldn't that be nice? File a claim with an insurance company that has gone out of business.

 

The only way around this is to self-fund your insurance.

[GeezerCouple]

May I ask what is the name of a reputable company to purchase insurance? We are booked with Carnival but have not yet purchased the vacation protection.

 

We'd suggest that you contact TripInsuranceStore.com

 

CALL them, don't just read through the policy summaries on their website; there is a *lot* of potentially critical fine print, depending upon one's circumstances.

 

They sell a variety of policies from several vetted insurers, and there is no extra cost to you. (The insurers pay any commission, not the client.)

 

We've had great help from them, and with our first policy, we had a last minute cancellation for a high-priced trip, and it was paid within about 2 weeks from when we submitted the necessary/appropriate documentation.

 

GeezerCouple

[buckbs]

thinfool must think that I am a naïve fool myself. I had no problems with cancellation and reimbursement from Norwegian. I called Aon Affinity three times and after they answered, I was hung up on. Finally, on the fourth time I had a long conversation with their rep giving the cruise number, ship, sail dates, etc, as well as the amount of money that Norwegian told me that they would reimburse me. I got a five page email of forms to fill our when I could have sent them a copy of the Norwegian cancellation and an affidavit from my physician telling them about the surgery and the fact that there would be a three month recovery period. Instead, I have to run everywhere getting their complicated forms filled out. From now on, I will purchase my own travel insurance from a reputable company rather than getting coverage that may or may not be valid from the cruise line that I am using.

[GeezerCouple]

thinfool must think that I am a naïve fool myself. I had no problems with cancellation and reimbursement from Norwegian. I called Aon Affinity three times and after they answered, I was hung up on. Finally, on the fourth time I had a long conversation with their rep giving the cruise number, ship, sail dates, etc, as well as the amount of money that Norwegian told me that they would reimburse me. I got a five page email of forms to fill our when I could have sent them a copy of the Norwegian cancellation and an affidavit from my physician telling them about the surgery and the fact that there would be a three month recovery period. Instead, I have to run everywhere getting their complicated forms filled out. From now on, I will purchase my own travel insurance from a reputable company rather than getting coverage that may or may not be valid from the cruise line that I am using.

 

You might be surprised to find that there are multiple pages to complete on claims with a "reputable company" as well.

 

We had to file a claim for cancellation due to a last minute medical emergency (within the 100% penalty phase).

 

In addition to completing the multi-page form, we had to provide proof of payment for ALL non-refundable expenses, which varied from cruise deposit and final payment, separate airline reservations, private tours (some were refundable, but those that were not, we had to get a written statement from the tour vendor in addition to proof of payment).

Yes, this was a bit of a burden, because we charged these things over quite a few months.

 

What we ended up doing rather than scrolling through all charge statements was that we just printed pdf copies (online) of ALL statements from the first deposit, and sent the whole document.

I "apologized" for all of the grocery charges, department store charges, cable bills, and who knows what else...

 

DH and I decided that in this day and age, if our charge card companies knew all of this, so did much of the financial world also already.

And there wasn't anything "confidential" on there, so... let THEM sort through the "proofs of payment".

 

We did, of course, itemize the total payments by category (cruise, air, tours).

But it did indeed get annoying - too annoying - to try to copy pages with each charge, redact everything else, etc.

 

This was the first time we got travel insurance (and was our first really "expensive" trip since our honeymoon), and... we actually used the insurance.

So while we spent a few months dealing with the medical situation, it was awfully nice NOT to need to fret about the lost $$$$$ also. Yes, we could have covered it easily, but it would have made us mighty unhappy to have to "pay again" to take that same trip.

In our case, because the medical emergency occurred before departure, there were no medical claims. IF it had happened just 2 weeks later... the claim amount would have skyrocketed.

 

GeezerCouple

[klfrodo]

thinfool must think that I am a naïve fool myself. I had no problems with cancellation and reimbursement from Norwegian. I called Aon Affinity three times and after they answered, I was hung up on. Finally, on the fourth time I had a long conversation with their rep giving the cruise number, ship, sail dates, etc, as well as the amount of money that Norwegian told me that they would reimburse me. I got a five page email of forms to fill our when I could have sent them a copy of the Norwegian cancellation and an affidavit from my physician telling them about the surgery and the fact that there would be a three month recovery period. Instead, I have to run everywhere getting their complicated forms filled out. From now on, I will purchase my own travel insurance from a reputable company rather than getting coverage that may or may not be valid from the cruise line that I am using.

 

Your expectations vs. reality are 2 different things.

You are going to have the same experience no matter what insurance company you use.

[dsrdsrdsr]

I think perhaps part of the reason Norwegian need less paperwork is that they know you didn't turn up for the cruise. Your insurance company doesn't.

 

Is Norwegian statutorily required to reimburse half if you cancel, or is it subject to conditions?

[GeezerCouple]

I think perhaps part of the reason Norwegian need less paperwork is that they know you didn't turn up for the cruise. Your insurance company doesn't.

 

Is Norwegian statutorily required to reimburse half if you cancel, or is it subject to conditions?

 

In the USA, there is a schedule of penalties, depending upon how far in advance one cancels.

It can be up to 100% for very late cancellations.

 

NCL is not required (in the USA) to offer any refunds other than the percentages they state in the penalty schedule.

 

That's what insurance is for, be it through NCL or third-party insurers (which we *strongly* recommend).

 

On the other hand, for very early cancellations, there is NO penalty, which I think is different for reservations made in some other countries.

 

GeezerCouple

[dsrdsrdsr]

In the USA, there is a schedule of penalties, depending upon how far in advance one cancels.

It can be up to 100% for very late cancellations.

 

NCL is not required (in the USA) to offer any refunds other than the percentages they state in the penalty schedule.

 

That's what insurance is for, be it through NCL or third-party insurers (which we *strongly* recommend).

 

On the other hand, for very early cancellations, there is NO penalty, which I think is different for reservations made in some other countries.

 

GeezerCouple

 

So the point is, if NCL is obliged to refund 50% of the fare for everyone who cancels at the OP's stage, and have no legal right not to pay 50%, then they're hardly going to go into detail as to why the OP doesn't travel.

 

Wheras the insurance company only has to pay out under specific circumstances, so they're going to need to know what has happened.

[Philob]

If the cancellation is early enough, NCL may also be able to sell the "cancelled" cabin.

[klfrodo]

So the point is, if NCL is obliged to refund 50% of the fare for everyone who cancels at the OP's stage, and have no legal right not to pay 50%, then they're hardly going to go into detail as to why the OP doesn't travel.

 

Wheras the insurance company only has to pay out under specific circumstances, so they're going to need to know what has happened.

 

You are correct

[alexspepa]

Buck - this was everything I had to file for a recent claim from a reputable insurance company - it's not just your company:

 

Trip Cancellation Form – to be filled out by me explaining the circumstances of the claim and the claim amount.

· Patient Authorization Form – a form signed by the patient authorizing release of records and listing information of all doctors and prescriptions…I made a copy of the hospitalization summary which fortunately had all that information and attached it to the form.

· Attending Physician’s Statement – my wife was able to get the Hospitalist seeing my brother in law to fill out the form – one of the questions for the physician does ask if he/she advised against taking the trip. Sometimes it is difficult to bring up something like trip insurance as the event is playing out – but I recommend anyone contemplating cancelling a trip to let the physician know about the trip cancellation before you file the claim.

I also needed to provide:

· Proof of payment – a copy of the credit card statements showing the cruise payment and travel agent cancellation fee.

· Cruise line Invoice showing cost of cruise and cancellation schedule.

· Email from travel agency confirming cruise cancellation.

[buckbs]

Alex,

Sounds like all the travel insurance companies are the same ....... open arms and ready to hug your neck when it is premium payment time, but you are "persona non grata" when they have to pay a claim. Seems to be universal everywhere, but I'm SURE THAT SOME COMPANIES ARE BETTER ON PAYING CLAIMS THAN OTHERS ARE.

[klfrodo]

Alex,

Sounds like all the travel insurance companies are the same ....... open arms and ready to hug your neck when it is premium payment time, but you are "persona non grata" when they have to pay a claim. Seems to be universal everywhere, but I'm SURE THAT SOME COMPANIES ARE BETTER ON PAYING CLAIMS THAN OTHERS ARE.

 

It's a conspiracy, they're all out to get you.

 

Or, over the years, for every good claim that was straight forward and easy to pay, they had 10 that were fraudulent and people trying to scam them. They had to become more diligent.

Those few who are honest and have valid claims just have to suck it up because of the knuckleheads.

[dsrdsrdsr]

Alex,

Sounds like all the travel insurance companies are the same ....... open arms and ready to hug your neck when it is premium payment time, but you are "persona non grata" when they have to pay a claim. Seems to be universal everywhere, but I'm SURE THAT SOME COMPANIES ARE BETTER ON PAYING CLAIMS THAN OTHERS ARE.

 

I'm sure they are too. But if you're looking for one that will pay you several thousand dollars just because you ring up and ask for it, you won't find it. None of them work on the basis that there are no liars in this world.

[alexspepa]

Alex,

Sounds like all the travel insurance companies are the same ....... open arms and ready to hug your neck when it is premium payment time, but you are "persona non grata" when they have to pay a claim. Seems to be universal everywhere, but I'm SURE THAT SOME COMPANIES ARE BETTER ON PAYING CLAIMS THAN OTHERS ARE.

 

Actually i found the process to be straight forward - they sent me a nice package with a cheat sheet explaining all the information they needed. I gathered the information - a little time consuming but not too difficult really - copies of cc statements, travel agent emails, etc. I always have a folder for most of that stuff anyway before going on a cruise. Getting the doctor to sign off was even easier than i anticipated - guess they do that a lot. I put the information in the exact order they requested with post-it notes to help. The lady who followed up with me was very nice and said that my claim should be easy to process and i had a check within 3-4 weeks.

 

If you are bored i posted a thread explaining the claim process when i filed it as i thought others might be interested:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2207632

[westcoastcruiser]

Alex,

Sounds like all the travel insurance companies are the same ....... open arms and ready to hug your neck when it is premium payment time, but you are "persona non grata" when they have to pay a claim. Seems to be universal everywhere, but I'm SURE THAT SOME COMPANIES ARE BETTER ON PAYING CLAIMS THAN OTHERS ARE.

 

Last year I had to cancel our cruise because of EMERGENCY spinal surgery. I had an independent trip insurance company that I chose because of the ratings and high level of benefits it provided.

 

It took 4 months before I received any money. I had to fax over 100 pages to them..some multiple times. I was BACK TO WORK before I got the check.

 

The insurance company was very challenging to work with and my phone calls were answered by a person without access to my file. I was never able to speak with the claims processor.

 

We make the best decisions based on the information available to us at that time. I thought I chose a good company. And, ultimately, after finally reaching a supervisor, my claim was processed. It was an exhausting and very frustrating process. I chose a different company for our next trip and, fortunately, did not have to file a claim. But I will always buy trip insurance! Like I said, it is a process regardless.

[sirwired]

The process you describe (several pages of forms to fill out, including medical records, credit card statements, etc.) is standard no matter which insurance company you go with. Everything is on standard forms because they contain all the information needed to process a claim in a format that's easy for the insurance company to evaluate. A self-produced letter from your doctor is likely to be missing required information, and I'm sure those forms are asking for a lot of things that weren't discussed on the phone.