Reimbursement
Reimbursement is your insurer paying you back after you have paid for medical treatment out of your own pocket.
Reimbursement is your insurer paying you back after you have paid for medical treatment out of your own pocket.
Also known as
Pay-and-claim, Indemnity, Refund, Expense recovery
Why travellers need to know
Most travel insurance operates on a reimbursement (pay-and-claim) model for outpatient care. You pay the provider, then claim back. This means you need: cash or a credit card to pay upfront, original itemised receipts, and a medical report in English (or with translation). The reimbursement model works smoothly when you collect documentation at the time of treatment. It becomes painful when you try to obtain receipts or reports after leaving the country.
Real-world example
You see a dermatologist in Barcelona for a sudden rash and pay EUR 120 by credit card. You photograph the receipt, the doctor's report, and your credit card statement. Back home, you submit these to your travel insurer online. After 3 weeks, EUR 120 minus your EUR 50 excess (EUR 70) appears in your bank account.
Country-specific notes
🇫🇷 France
French hospitals produce detailed itemised invoices (factures) required for reimbursement
French hospital billing is itemised and standardised. Keep all receipts — insurers require original documents or certified copies. Reimbursement typically takes 3–6 weeks for French claims.
Request the invoice in English or with an English summary if available — some international clinics in Paris provide dual-language invoices.
🇮🇳 India
Private Indian hospitals provide itemised English-language bills on request
Major Indian hospital chains (Apollo, Fortis, Max) have dedicated billing departments that produce detailed itemised bills. Photograph each page before leaving — getting records weeks later is slow.
Submit claims with a full itemised bill, not just a summary — insurers frequently reject summary invoices for Indian claims.
🇺🇸 United States
US hospital bills are notoriously complex and frequently contain errors
Request an itemised bill (not just the Explanation of Benefits summary) — billing errors occur in an estimated 80% of US hospital bills. Your insurer's assistance team can dispute charges on your behalf.
For any US bill over $5,000, ask the hospital's patient advocate or billing department for a line-item audit before submitting the claim.
Frequently asked questions
How long does reimbursement take?
Most travel insurers process straightforward claims within 2-4 weeks of receiving complete documentation. Complex claims (hospitalisation, multiple treatments, disputes) can take 6-12 weeks. Submitting complete documentation the first time is the best way to avoid delays.
What if my receipt is in a foreign language?
Most insurers accept receipts in any language as long as they are itemised (showing individual charges, not just a total). If the insurer requests a translation, a summary translation is usually sufficient. Medical reports should ideally be in English; request an English summary from the treating doctor at the time of treatment.
Nomedic stores your medical receipts, reports, and treatment summaries alongside your health records, so everything you need for reimbursement is in one place.