Follow These Steps If You Lose A Physical Copy Of Your Health Insurance Policy
A health insurance policy is an important legal document that outlines the terms of agreement between the insurance provider and the insured party. This document needs to be kept safe at all times and presented in case a claim needs to be raised.
Yet, no matter how careful we try to be, there may be instances when we simply misplace or lose documents due to our own fault or as the result of circumstances beyond our control. If you happen to lose any papers of your health insurance policy, the insurance provider faces a certain level of risk of fraud in case the document falls into the wrong hands. Therefore, to safeguard yourself and the policy provider, be sure to follow these steps if you lose a physical copy of your insurance policy.
1. Contact the insurance company
As soon as you notice the loss of your health insurance policy, you need to contact your insurance provider. They may ask you to write a letter to them stating the policy details, reasons for loss, and date of loss. You may be allowed to email this letter to them or be asked to send a hard copy in the mail.
2. Publish a newspaper notice
Some insurance providers may request you to publish a notice or advertisement in the newspaper stating that you have lost your health insurance policy. This advertisement may need to be posted twice – once in an English newspaper and once in apaper that gets printed in the regional language of your state. You may also need to send a copy of this newspaper notice to the insurance company.
3. Provide indemnity bond
The insurance company may also request the policyholder to provide an indemnity bond on stamp paper. This bond is for the purpose of indemnifying the insurance company if the lost policy is found and misused by a third-party.
4. Make a police complaint
Finally, some insurance companies require that you file a complaint at your local police station stating that you lost your policy. A copy of this complaint should be attached to the letter you send your insurance company that details the loss. If you are emailing your provider, you may scan the policy complaint and add it as an attachment. All insurance providers do not need a police complaint filed so, only take this step if necessary.
Once satisfied that you have completed reporting of the policy loss as per their process, your insurance provider will issue you a new copy of your health insurance policy. Do note that if the policy was issued to two people jointly – such as husband and wife – both parties will need to complete the above process.
It is always advisable to purchase your health insurance online in order to avoid going through the hassles of losing a physical copy. When you receive your policy in your inbox, it stays safe there until such time you need to download and print it.
We hope this quick guide will help you.
