Skip to content
Back to Insurance
Back to Holidays
Back to Saga Money
Back to Saga Magazine
Mature man talking on mobile phone while sitting at hotel lobby

AVOIDING CLAIM REJECTION

Common reasons for why some claims are not successful

Help with travel insurance claims

Having to make a claim on your travel insurance usually means something has gone wrong on your holiday, which nobody wants. The last thing you need in this situation is more stress, so we aim to make the claims process as smooth as possible.

Sometimes claims are unfortunately rejected. Here are some common reasons why claims fail, so you can try to avoid them.

Failure to disclose medical conditions

One of the main reasons people take out travel insurance is to protect themselves against expensive medical bills should they fall ill or are injured while abroad.

However, if you fail to disclose medical conditions then you’re not covered if you require medical assistance relating to these conditions. This means that you’ll be left footing the bill and, depending on where you’re travelling to, this can be very expensive indeed.

To avoid any issues, make sure you answer all medical screening questions honestly and to the best of your ability to ensure the correct cover is in place.

If you take medication we need to know the underlying reason this has been prescribed. Contact our friendly team if you're unsure how to answer any of the medical questions.

Lack of documents

Unfortunately, insurance companies can’t just take your word for it. We require evidence in order to pay your claim. So it’s important that you keep any paperwork, receipts, and so on that you receive as we’ll need to see originals before payment is made.

Lack of reasonable care

Of course you want to let your hair down and have a good time on holiday, but having travel insurance doesn’t give you a golden ticket to leave all your common sense behind.

It’s up to you to take reasonable care and precautions while on holiday, this means not leaving your expensive designer sunglasses on your sunbed while you’re having a swim, remembering to lock your hotel room behind you when you go out for the day and not leaving possessions on show in your hire car, for example.

If you fail to take reasonable care, your claim is unlikely to be successful.

Defaqto 5 star rated travel insurance for Saga Standard and Saga Plus cover levels

Defaqto 5 Star rated travel insurance

We are proud to offer five-star treatment every day with Saga Travel Insurance – Saga Plus and Saga Standard are both Defaqto 5 Star rated.

Leisure and winter sports activities

Many sports and leisure activities are covered by Saga Travel Insurance, such as snorkelling, fell walking and hot air ballooning.

However, if you take part in any activities not covered by your policy and you’re injured; your claim is likely to be rejected. It’s also important to note that with some more adventurous sports activities you’re covered for injury but not for personal liability and/or personal accident.

Travelling against FCDO advice

If your claim is a result of travelling to a country or region to which the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) or the World Health Organisation (WHO) have advised against travelling, then your Saga Travel Insurance will not cover you. This is listed as a general exclusion in the policy documents.

Visit the FCDO website or the WHO website for further guidance and updates.

Need to make a claim?

To avoid your claim being rejected, make sure that your policy is suitable for you and your planned holiday, and take care while you’re away. Hopefully you won’t have to make a claim but, unfortunately, sometimes the unexpected does happen.

Visit our how to make a claim page to find out what to do in those circumstances.

Who underwrites Saga Travel Insurance?

Saga Travel Insurance is designed for people over 50 and is underwritten by Astrenska Insurance Limited, with claims administered on their behalf by Collinson Insurance Services Limited.

Get a quote for Saga Travel Insurance today