For almost all claims, you would first pay for the costs yourself before being reimbursed by the insurer, provided that your claim is successful. One general exception to this is emergency medical treatments in the hospital. In this case, your insurance provider offers a payment guarantee, so you do not have out-of-pocket expenses.  When filing a claim, be sure to have all the necessary documents and upload them to the online form for the claims procedure. Checking your travel insurers’ claims webpage can help you be aware of any rules specific to claiming with them. Another important note is that you do not have to wait until you get home to claim because this process can now be entirely online. You just need to fill in a form, even in your hotel room on your trip.