My travel insurance denied my claim for a sudden illness on my trip. Why, and is that allowed?

Travel insurance can pay for a trip you must cancel or for a medical emergency while you travel [1]. But each policy has its own list of what is covered and what is excluded. Washington State's insurance office tells buyers to review the policy for both [2]. It also tells buyers to ask about pre-existing health conditions [3]. A denial for an illness can come from one of these limits.

Rules on how an insurer must deny a claim differ by state. Here is one example from Washington. The insurer must say within 30 calendar days after your claim notice whether the claim is accepted or denied [4]. It may not deny on a specific policy term unless the denial points to that term, and the denial must be in writing [5]. So a letter that gives no reason is a problem to raise. Other states have their own rules.

If the answer still seems wrong, you can complain to your state insurance department. In Washington, you can file a complaint against an insurance company [6]. These sources do not say how long you have to appeal a travel denial under your own policy. Read the denial letter for any deadline.

Open your travel policy and read the sections on covered events, exclusions and pre-existing conditions. Then compare them to the reason in your denial letter. The Washington rules above are one state's example; the sources do not give the rule for your state or for plans sold by travel sites — "Don't know yet". Your state insurance department's site shows how to complain.