In case there are any unforeseen medical expenses while travelling abroad, does one have to pay first and then file a claim with the insurance company? What is the process to do so?
In the event of any unforeseen medical or non-medical emergency while travelling abroad, you need to register the claim first on the insurance company’s helpline numbers. There is generally a cashless facility available for travel insurance customers in case of medical claims. In case of reimbursement, you will need to send the requisite documents to the claims department in India after your arrival. The claims settlement takes a fortnight after receipt of the requisite documents.
I have recently moved back from the US. For the past six years, I had owned a car in the US and had a clean record, i.e. there were no claims. Can I leverage this history while buying a car insurance in India? Will I be charged cheaper premiums?
The India Motor Tariff allows consideration of ‘no claims bonus’ (NCB) earned abroad while calculating car insurance premium in the country. On producing the evidence of having earned NCB overseas, you may be granted NCB on a new policy taken out in India according to the entitlement earned abroad, provided the policy is bought in India within three years of expiry of the overseas insurance policy.
On Diwali, a firecracker burst by my neighbour accidentally flew into my house and damaged my property substantially. Luckily, I had insured my house. But, the claim has been stuck for a while now. The company sent representatives thrice to assess the damage (twice after we started the repairs). Now they say since just one room was affected, they will pay 50 per cent of the claim amount, despite my repeated complaints that most of my insured electronics were damaged. How can I seek redress?
You can approach the company’s grievance redressal cell or customer support to get clarification on the disallowed amount of the claim. You could also look at the company's website, where they would have provided their escalation matrix, to enable the customer to escalate his grievance to the next level if resolution provided is not satisfactory. If proper resolution is not provided to you according to the policy terms, refer your grievance to the regulator — IRDA. If the situation demands, you also have the option of approaching the office of the insurance ombudsman or the consumer forum for personal hearing and adjudication.
I will be travelling within India next month by rail. Does domestic travel insurance cover any loss of baggage or delayed departure by the train? Besides, my employer has provided medical insurance to me and my family. I have also purchased health insurance separately for my family and self. What additional advantages will domestic insurance give me?
Insurance companies offer domestic travel insurance in collaboration with the various ticketing sites and airlines. But, in case of railways, travel insurance does not cover loss of baggage and delayed departure. However, these covers are available in air travel. Besides providing coverage for medical expenses, domestic air travel insurance also provides other non-medical covers like trip cancellations and trip delays.
The writer is MD & CEO, ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company
