Ask a Claims Manager

Ask a Claims Manager

Q. What are the top 3 claims filed by your policyholders?

A. In 2013, the top 3 claims filed by ACE policyholders are for:

1. Medical expenses
2. Travel delay
3. Damage baggage

Q. What happens after a claim is submitted?

A. We will acknowledge receipt of your claim and provide you with your claim number within 1 working days for emailed claims and within 2 days for mailed claims.

We will then check whether the policy covers the loss event and that the claims documents submitted are complete and in order. If the documents or information you have provided aren’t complete, we will ask you for the missing items, before we can proceed further with your claim.

Q. Typically, how long does it take for Claim Department to process a claim?

A. It may take about 1 week from the time we receive the claim, for the outcome to reach the claimant.      

Q. What is your advice to policyholders for their claims to be processed promptly?

A. For claims to be processed without delay, policyholders play an important part in the process. I advocate the "TOS" rule:

1. T for Time - the claims should be submitted within 30 days of the loss event.
2. O for Online - use the online claims form as far as possible. Alternatively, download a hard copy from our website. Do remember to complete all the required fields.
3. S for Supporting documents - remember to submit the required supporting documents. Do remember that there are specific documents for the various types of claims and this information is detailed here. Also, fill in all relevant sections of the claim form to ensure that you have provided information that is complete so the claim can be processed in a timely manner.

Q. Can you share with us some examples of claims that are not claimable?

A. Two types of claims come to my mind. The first type relates to pre-existing conditions. An example of this will be an insured with an existing heart condition. Whilst his heart condition was stable and under control, he experienced some chest discomfort and arrhythmia during the trip. The medical treatment, and any claims that may result from this on the trip, will unfortunately not be covered under most travel insurance policies.

The second type relates to “known events”. These are typically situations that the insured knows or may be in the public domain before the trip before the insurance policy is bought. For instance, if news that a particular travel agency may be in some sort of trouble has been published or in the media news, and a policyholder’s trip is indeed affected due to the subsequent closure of the travel agency, claims for the trip not being able to be fulfilled will not be covered if the insurance is taken up after the news was circulated.