Unfit for travel, vacationer recovers cost of holiday, thanks to travel insurance

Every year, Mr Tan Pang Tong, 64, goes on a long-haul vacation with his wife. They usually book a relaxing cruise in Europe as they like the convenience that a cruise holiday offers.

Before embarking on any trip, the Tans always ensure that they buy travel insurance about two to three months before their departure date.

They have been doing this for more than 20 years. To Mr Tan, buying travel insurance early gives him peace of mind as it can provide monetary compensation if there were unanticipated disruptions.

UNEXPECTED Change in Plans

For their holiday this year, instead of opting for a cruise for two, the Tans decided to book a 10-day guided tour to Israel with their friends.

Unfortunately, two days before he was due to depart, Mr Tan caught the flu. At that time, Mr Tan did not think much about it as his ailment did not seem severe. He consulted a general practitioner, who prescribed him medicine to treat his symptoms.

On the day of departure, Mr Tan still had an intermittent fever. Worried about his condition, he consulted his general practitioner again, and was referred to Changi General Hospital for a more detailed diagnosis.

After performing an X-ray, the doctor at the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department suspected Mr Tan had a lung infection, and declared him unfit for travel.

A SPEEDY CLAIM PROCESS

While Mr Tan was disappointed that he could not go to Israel for his holiday, he was relieved that the amount he had spent on the trip could be recovered under the TravellerShield Premier insurance plan, which he purchased two months prior to the trip.

According to Mr Tan, the travel claim process was painless.

“I only had to submit the invoice from the travel agent stating how much I paid for the trip, a medical memo from the doctor who declared me unfit for travel, and a note from the doctor at Changi General Hospital’s A&E department who had documented his findings from my X-ray.”

The claim process was done very quickly, with no delays, he added.

“After I had submitted all my supporting documents, the insurance company emailed me to say that my claim had been processed.

“All I had to do was to sign and return the acceptance form for the claim, which was the full payment I made for the Israel trip.”

Mr Tan said that he was also happy that the staff from the insurance company kept him updated on the progress of his claim.

“The customer service representative who served me was professional, friendly and responsive,” he noted.

Enjoy PEACE OF MIND

The Tans’ usual precautionary measure of buying insurance in advance paid off as Mr Tan got compensated for missing his annual holiday.

Mr Tan was glad that he did not wait until the last minute to buy his travel insurance.

Had he waited to purchase travel insurance only when he was about to depart, he might not have been able to recover any money from the trip.

“No one should try to save money by not buying travel insurance. The world is full of uncertainties; accidents and mishaps may happen any time,” Mr Tan explained.

Buying travel insurance way before a trip gives Mr Tan the assurance of being protected against unexpected occurrences that could take place before departure. In his case, it was a suspected lung infection.

“Having travel insurance coverage can help us enjoy our holiday without worries and help us recover some costs in the event of any travel cancellation or postponement,” he said.

This is the final story in a 15-part collaboration between TODAY and POSB. To read this story online, visit www.todayonline.com/posb.

TravellerShield is underwritten by MSIG Insurance (Singapore) Pte Ltd and is available at POSB.