How to Actually File a Travel Insurance Claim (And Not Get Denied)

A few years ago, someone analyzed 500 real digital nomad insurance claims — the approvals, the denials, the appeals. The data was published on a travel blog and has been circulating through nomad communities since.

Here is what stuck with me: across all three major providers, the first-submission approval rate ranged from 81% to 94%. That means somewhere between 1 in 5 and 1 in 20 claims gets denied on the first try. But then the data shows something more interesting: 60-80% of denied claims are overturned on appeal.

And yet — fewer than 1% of nomads actually appeal.

If your insurance claim gets denied, the single most valuable thing you can do is appeal. Most people don’t. Here is how the whole process actually works, from filing to fighting back.

Before You File: What Insurers Actually Look For

Insurance companies do not make money by paying claims. They make money by collecting premiums and minimizing payouts. This is not cynicism. It is their business model. Understanding that upfront will make you a better claims filer.

The three most common reasons claims get denied:

Pre-existing conditions. Most travel insurance excludes anything you had before the policy started. There is a narrow exception for “acute onset” — a sudden, unexpected flare-up of a pre-existing condition that requires immediate treatment. This is a high bar. If you have ongoing health issues, you need comprehensive international health insurance (IPMI), not travel insurance.

Activity exclusions. Your policy covers certain activities and excludes others. Scuba diving below a certain depth, motorbike riding without a valid license, and certain adventure sports are commonly excluded. Read your policy’s exclusions before you book the activity.

Documentation gaps. This is the most fixable reason for denial. Missing receipts. No doctor’s report. A claim submitted without the required paperwork. Most insurers list exactly what they need. Give them exactly that.

How to File a Claim That Gets Paid

Do this at the hospital or clinic, not three weeks later from a different country:

  1. Get the doctor’s report with a diagnosis. The report needs to state what was wrong, what treatment was provided, and why it was medically necessary.
  2. Get an itemized bill. Not just a total. Every test, every medication, every procedure — listed separately with individual costs.
  3. Get official receipts. Credit card slips are not receipts. You need the hospital or clinic’s official receipt with their letterhead, stamp, or registration number.
  4. Submit through the insurer’s app or portal. Most insurers now have digital claims systems. AXA reports processing over 80% of eligible claims within 48 hours when submitted digitally with complete documentation.
  5. Keep copies of everything. You will not need them unless your claim gets denied. If it does, you will be very glad you kept them.

What to Do If Your Claim Gets Denied

Do not accept the first no.

Read the denial letter carefully. It must state the specific reason for denial. The most common reasons — as noted above — are pre-existing condition exclusions, activity exclusions, and documentation gaps. If the reason is documentation, provide the missing documents. If it is a judgment call (was this really an “acute onset” or a pre-existing condition?), appeal with additional evidence.

Write a clear, factual appeal letter. Attach any additional documentation. Reference the specific policy language that you believe supports your claim. Do not write an angry email. Write a letter that makes it easy for the claims adjuster to reverse the original decision.

The claims data shows that the appeal success rate is high. You just have to actually do it.

The One Piece of Paper That Matters Most

If you take one thing from this article: get the doctor’s report with a diagnosis before you leave the hospital or clinic. Not later. Not “they said they would email it.” Get it in your hand, take a photo, and save it to the cloud.

Everything else — receipts, bills, claim forms — can be reconstructed. The doctor’s report cannot. If you leave the country without it, you are relying on an overworked hospital administrator in a different time zone to email it to you. They will not prioritize this. Get the paper before you go.

Claims statistics from analysis of 500+ claims published on Lazy Gals Guide and cross-referenced with provider transparency reports, 2024-2026. Insurance processes described reflect common provider procedures — verify your specific policy’s claims process.

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