If you become ill, suffer an injury, or need urgent medical assistance while travelling abroad, the first step is to contact the assistance service or insurance company using the details provided in your policy. The specialists will tell you which clinic to visit, coordinate the medical assistance, and explain how the costs will be paid. You should pay for treatment yourself without prior approval only in a genuinely urgent situation where waiting could put your health or life at risk.
Travel health insurance is not only needed for obtaining a visa or formally meeting travel requirements. Its main purpose is to help you receive medical assistance abroad and reduce unexpected expenses if you suddenly become ill, suffer an injury, or face another situation covered by the policy.
Through Superpolis.md, you can buy travel health insurance online for trips abroad. Depending on the policy terms, it may cover emergency medical care, hospitalisation, medicines, medical transportation, and other expenses within the insured amount. The exact list of covered risks, exclusions, and the procedure for obtaining assistance should always be checked in the insurance contract.
When is a situation considered an insured event?
Not every visit to a doctor abroad automatically qualifies as an insured event. Insurance applies only to situations covered by the specific contract.
Travel health insurance is generally intended for sudden and unexpected health problems that arise during a trip. Depending on the policy selected, coverage may include:
- sudden illness;
- injury or accident;
- the need for an urgent medical consultation;
- hospitalisation;
- surgery;
- medicines prescribed by a doctor;
- medical transportation;
- emergency dental treatment, if included in the contract;
- medical repatriation in serious cases;
- other expenses expressly included in the insurance coverage.
It is equally important to consider the exclusions. For example, a standard policy may not cover planned treatment, chronic or pre-existing conditions, injuries sustained while practising certain sports if that activity was not included in the policy, cases related to alcohol or drug use, or other situations specified in the insurance terms.
That is why, before travelling, it is useful to read not only the list of covered risks but also the exclusions section.
What should you do first?
If you experience a health problem during your trip, the first thing to do is assess how urgent the situation is.
If your condition allows you to wait a few minutes and there is no immediate threat to your life, find your policy and contact the assistance service or insurance company using the number stated in the document.
If the situation is not an emergency, it is better not to choose the first available clinic on your own and pay for treatment immediately. The assistance service may direct you to a specific medical facility it works with, coordinate the necessary procedures, and explain who will cover the costs.
If you need immediate help — for example, there is a risk to life, severe bleeding, loss of consciousness, a serious injury, a severe allergic reaction, or another dangerous condition — contact the local emergency service or go to the nearest medical facility first.
In such a situation, your health takes priority over prior coordination with the insurer. Once your condition has stabilised, notify the insurance company or assistance service as soon as possible.
Who should you call and what information should you provide?
The assistance service contact details are usually stated directly in the policy. Before travelling, it is a good idea to save the number on your phone and keep the insurance document available offline.
During the call, you may need to provide:
- the insured person’s full name;
- the insurance policy number;
- the insurance validity period;
- the country and city where you are located;
- a contact phone number;
- a brief description of the symptoms or incident;
- information about when the problem started;
- your address or current location;
- details of the medical facility, if you have already visited one.
Try to be as specific as possible. Instead of simply saying “I feel unwell,” explain, for example, “I have had a temperature of 39°C for two days,” “I injured my leg in a fall,” “I have severe abdominal pain,” or “I need urgent dental care.”
This helps the operator determine the next steps more quickly.
Why you should not pay for treatment yourself without prior approval
One common mistake travellers make is going to an expensive private clinic on their own, undergoing tests and treatment, and then expecting all expenses to be automatically reimbursed after returning home.
It does not always work this way.
The insurance contract may set out a specific procedure for obtaining assistance, such as:
- contacting the assistance service in advance;
- being referred to an approved clinic;
- obtaining confirmation for certain procedures;
- getting prior approval for expenses.
It is also important to clarify in advance how medical care is paid for: directly by the insurer or initially by the traveller, followed by reimbursement.
If the traveller chooses a medical facility independently and pays for services without prior approval, the insurance company may request additional documents, assess whether the treatment was medically necessary, and check whether the expenses comply with the policy terms. Some costs may not be covered.
Therefore, if there is no medical emergency, it is better to contact the assistance service first.
How the insurance company or assistance service arranges medical help
After you contact the assistance service, the operator will clarify the circumstances and check the policy details. The next steps depend on the country, the situation, the insurance company, and the terms of the contract.
There are generally two main scenarios.
Direct arrangement and payment of medical assistance
The assistance service tells you which clinic to visit, contacts the medical facility, and coordinates the provision of services. In this case, the expenses may be paid directly by the insurer or assistance company within the limits of the insurance coverage.
Payment by the traveller followed by reimbursement
In some situations, the traveller pays for medical services personally, keeps all supporting documents, and then submits a claim for reimbursement.
With travel insurance, the insurer may either pay the clinic directly or reimburse the insured person after the necessary supporting documents have been provided.
That is why it is important to understand the procedure set out in your policy before the trip.
What documents should you keep?
If you need medical assistance abroad, keep all documents until the insured event has been fully settled.
You may need:
- a medical report or discharge summary;
- the diagnosis;
- confirmation of the treatment provided;
- the doctor’s recommendations;
- prescriptions;
- examination or test results;
- invoices from the clinic;
- receipts and proof of payment;
- documents confirming the purchase of medicines;
- proof of payment for medical transportation;
- a copy of the insurance policy;
- correspondence with the assistance service or insurance company;
- any other documents requested by the insurer under the contract.
If the documents are issued in a foreign language, do not discard the originals. The insurance company may request them when reviewing your claim.
What to do if you need urgent medical assistance
If there is an immediate threat to your life or health, do not wait for a response from the assistance service.
Contact the local emergency service, go to the nearest medical facility, or ask someone nearby to help call an ambulance.
Once your condition has stabilised:
- notify the insurance company or assistance service;
- explain where you are and what happened;
- provide the insured person’s full name, the insurance company, the policy validity period, and the details of the medical facility you visited;
- ask which further procedures need to be coordinated;
- keep all medical documents and receipts.
If you are unable to contact the insurer yourself, ask a relative, travel companion, or member of the medical staff to help communicate on your behalf.
Do not refuse urgent medical care simply because you were unable to reach the assistance service immediately. After receiving first aid, however, it is important to notify the insurance company as soon as possible and follow the procedure stated in the contract.
What to do if the situation is not covered by the policy
Sometimes, after contacting the insurer, it may turn out that the situation falls under the policy exclusions.
For example:
- the activity during which the incident occurred was not included in the coverage;
- the medical condition is related to a pre-existing condition;
- the expenses exceed the limit set by the contract.
In this situation, ask the insurance company or assistance service to clearly explain the reason for the refusal and identify the relevant clause of the contract.
It is advisable to:
- request a written decision if reimbursement is refused;
- check the relevant section of the contract;
- keep all documents and correspondence;
- ask whether additional documents can be submitted;
- contact the insurance broker for clarification in case of a dispute;
- use the available consumer protection mechanisms if necessary.
How to submit a reimbursement claim
If you paid for treatment yourself and the contract provides for reimbursement, contact the insurer after receiving medical care and follow the procedure and deadlines stated in the policy.
You will generally need to:
- complete an insured event claim form;
- describe the circumstances of the incident;
- attach the medical documents;
- provide invoices and proof of payment;
- attach prescriptions and receipts for medicines;
- provide a copy of the policy, identification documents, and your passport;
- submit any additional documents requested by the insurer, if necessary.
Do not delay submitting the documents. The contract may specify deadlines for notifying the insurer and filing a claim.
Before travelling, you can review the terms and buy travel health insurance for trips abroad through Superpolis.md.
FAQ: what to do with travel insurance if something happens abroad
Who should I call if I become ill abroad?
Contact the assistance service or insurance company using the number stated in your policy. Provide the policy number, the country where you are staying, your symptoms or the circumstances of the incident, and a contact phone number.
Can I go to a hospital on my own?
Yes, in an emergency you should seek medical assistance immediately. If your condition allows, it is better to contact the assistance service first and ask which medical facility you should visit.
Do I have to pay the doctor myself?
It depends on the terms of the contract and how the assistance is organised. In some cases, the insurer pays the clinic directly. In others, the traveller pays the expenses and later submits the documents for reimbursement.
What documents are needed for reimbursement?
You will usually need medical documents, invoices, receipts, prescriptions, proof of payment, and an insured event claim form. The exact list should be checked in the terms of your specific policy.
Does travel insurance cover medicines?
It may cover medicines if they are prescribed by a doctor and the relevant expenses are included in the contract. Keep the prescription and the pharmacy receipt.
What should I do if I cannot reach the assistance service?
If the situation is urgent, obtain the necessary medical help and keep all documents. Then continue trying to contact the insurance company and notify it as soon as possible.
What should I do if the insurance company refuses reimbursement?
Request a written explanation of the refusal and check whether it complies with the contract terms. If necessary, contact the broker for assistance and use the available consumer protection mechanisms.
Can I buy travel insurance after I have already become ill?
The policy must be purchased in advance and does not cover an event that occurred before the policy became effective. Therefore, travel health insurance should be purchased before the trip and before an insured event occurs.
Buy travel insurance before your trip
Travel health insurance is useful not only because it can cover medical expenses. It is equally important that, in the event of an insured incident, the traveller has a clear procedure to follow: contacting the assistance service, getting help in choosing a clinic, coordinating medical services, and potentially receiving reimbursement within the limits of the contract.
Before travelling, check the countries where the policy is valid, the insured amount, covered risks, exclusions, and the assistance service contact details. Save the policy on your phone and make sure it can be accessed even without an internet connection.
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