Why is my insurance company asking for the same documents over and over and over?

John Christensen’s vacation to New Zealand should have been the trip of a lifetime. Instead, it turned into a medical nightmare, and then a travel insurance nightmare.

Christensen developed Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) after flying from Albuquerque, N.M., to Auckland. DVT is a painful and potentially deadly condition where a blood clot forms in a deep vein, typically in the legs.

He spent three days in the hospital, racked up $3,867 in medical bills, and missed a tour he’d already paid for. Then came the hard part: getting his travel insurance company to reimburse him. 

He filed a claim with his travel insurance company, Allianz Global Assistance, and waited. And waited. And waited.

Five months later, Christensen was still waiting. Allianz kept asking him to send documents he’d already submitted.

“I am beginning to believe Allianz is incompetent!,” Christensen finally said in exasperation. 

His case raises several important questions:

• How long should a travel insurance claim reasonably take to process?
• What should you do when your travel insurance company keeps requesting documents you’ve already submitted?
• What are your rights when a travel insurer delays payment without explanation?

First, let’s take a look at how Christensen ended up in this document loop.

When your vacation takes a dangerous turn

Christensen bought travel insurance for his New Zealand trip, which was a smart move. Travel insurance exists precisely for those moments when your carefully planned vacation goes sideways.

Shortly after landing in Auckland, Christensen was diagnosed with DVT, which can develop on long flights like the one from Los Angeles to Auckland. A blood clot that typically forms in the legs can be life-threatening if it travels to the lungs. He spent three days in the hospital. 

You pay your premium, you get sick or injured abroad, the insurer covers your medical expenses, right?

Not always.

Christensen submitted his claim to Allianz barely two weeks after leaving the hospital. He included all his medical receipts, documentation of his hospitalization, and proof of payment. Everything appeared in order.

Then the waiting began.

A month later, Allianz sent Christensen an automated email requesting “an explanation of benefits or denial of coverage from your primary and/or supplemental health insurer.” 

Fair enough. Insurance companies often want to know if your primary health insurance will cover any portion of the claim first. Christensen provided it.

Two days later, Allianz confirmed receipt of his documents. “A team member has been notified and will contact you if anything else is needed,” the email promised.

Weeks passed. Then months.

The document loop tightens

Two months later, Christensen was getting antsy. He’d paid thousands of dollars out of pocket for emergency medical care, and his insurer had gone radio silent.

So he emailed Allianz customer service: “What is the status of this claim?”

A representative responded, telling him he had the wrong department. So he reached out again. This time, he received an automated response promising that “a member of our claims team will respond to you within one to two business days.”

Nobody followed up.

Nearly four months after filing his claim, Christensen sent another email.

The next day, Allianz confirmed receipt. Again. “A team member has been notified,” the email said.

A few days later, Christensen checked his claim status online and discovered something infuriating: The claim had been moved back to “more information needed.”

More information? He’d sent everything multiple times.

So he sent all the information again.

 “Five months have passed,” he finally wrote to Allianz. “That is terrible customer service.”

What should you do when your insurer keeps asking for the same documents?

If you’re stuck in a document loop, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common, and most maddening, problems I see with travel insurance claims.

Here’s your action plan:

Understand what’s happening behind the scenes 

Insurance companies process thousands of claims, and documents get misfiled all the time. Claims get assigned to multiple adjusters who don’t always communicate with each other. Your paperwork might be sitting in someone’s inbox while another department keeps sending automated requests for it.

Document everything meticulously

Remember to keep copies of every email and document you submit, and every confirmation you receive. When Christensen sent his paperwork, he received a confirmation email the next day. That confirmation became crucial evidence that Allianz had received his documents.

Create a paper trail with timestamps

Email is your friend here. When you resubmit documents, reference the previous submission in your message. That’s what Christensen did, and it really helped his case. If you must call to follow up, write down the date and time of your call, and get the name of the representative.

Escalate your case strategically

If you’ve submitted the same documents three times and you’re still getting requests for them, it’s time to move up the food chain. Ask to speak with a supervisor. Request the contact information for the claims department manager, or use our executive contacts for Allianz.

Set a deadline

After your third submission, send an email that says something like: “I’ve now submitted these documents three times, most recently on [date]. Please confirm receipt and provide a timeline for claim resolution within five business days, or provide a detailed explanation of what additional information you require.” You may also want to suggest that you have other options, including …

Contact your state insurance commissioner

Every U.S. state has an insurance regulator who handles consumer complaints. If your insurer continues to request documents you’ve already provided, file a complaint. Insurance companies hate these complaints because too many can trigger regulatory scrutiny.

Bottom line: Don’t let an insurance company’s bureaucratic maze intimidate you into giving up. You have rights. If the insurer has received your documents, it has an obligation to either process your claim or provide a specific, detailed explanation of what’s missing.

In Christensen’s case, Allianz didn’t provide that explanation. The company just kept asking for documents, over and over. 

Which brings us to the next question: How long is too long?

How long should a travel insurance claim take to process?

The short answer: Most travel insurance claims should be processed within 30 days.

The longer answer: It depends on the complexity of the claim, whether you’ve submitted all required documentation, and, let’s be honest, how competent your insurance company is.

• Most travel insurance policies don’t specify an exact timeframe for claim processing, but state insurance regulations often do.

• Many states require insurers to acknowledge receipt of a claim within a specific timeframe (often 15 days).

• The company must approve or deny it within 30 to 45 days of receiving all necessary documentation.

• The key phrase: “all necessary documentation.”

That’s where things get sticky. Insurance companies can extend the processing time indefinitely by claiming they don’t have everything they need. But here’s what they’re supposed to do: When they need additional documentation, they should tell you specifically what they need, why they need it, and by when you need to provide it.

Allianz just kept sending generic requests for documents he’d already submitted, without explaining what was missing or why.

What are your rights when a travel insurer delays payment?

You have more rights than you might think. And insurance companies are required to follow specific rules when handling claims.

• Right to timely claim processing. State insurance regulations typically require insurers to acknowledge your claim within 10 to 15 business days. They must approve or deny it within 30 to 45 days of receiving complete documentation.

• Right to a clear explanation of a denial. If your insurer denies your claim or requests additional information, it must tell you specifically what’s missing and why. Form letters and automated emails that say “we need more information” without identifying what information doesn’t cut it.

• Right to appeal. If your claim is denied, you can challenge that decision. Most insurance policies outline an internal appeals process. (If that fails, you can file a complaint with your state insurance commissioner.)

You may have other rights, depending on your state. That could include the right to interest on delayed payments and a right to damages. Of course, you always have the right to contact your state insurance commissioner to file a complaint.

Christensen did all of those things. He kept meticulous records. He followed up persistently. He called. He emailed. He resubmitted documents. He did everything a reasonable consumer should do.

But after five months, even the most patient consumer reaches a breaking point. That’s when he contacted my advocacy team.

Will we get a resolution?

My team reviewed Christensen’s case. We looked at his email correspondence with Allianz. We saw the confirmation that his documents had been received. We saw the phone call where a representative told him the documents were in his file. We saw the frustrating cycle of submissions and generic responses.

Our advocate Dwayne Coward reached out to Allianz to find out the status of Christensen’s claim. 

A week later, Allianz contacted us. It reviewed his case and approved his claim. 

“Mr. Christensen should receive his payment shortly,” a representative said.

Total approved: $3,867, the full amount of Christensen’s bill.

What’s the takeaway?

Christensen’s experience is not unusual. Travel insurance claim delays happen all the time, and consumers often feel powerless to do anything about them.

But here’s what bothers me: Allianz had all of Christensen’s documentation. The company confirmed receipt multiple times. There was no legitimate reason for a five-month delay on a straightforward medical claim.

Was someone at Allianz deliberately stalling? Probably not. More likely, Christensen’s file got stuck in the system. His emails generated automated responses. His documents sat in someone’s inbox, unreviewed. And without someone with influence applying pressure, nothing happened.

Christensen shouldn’t have needed my advocacy team’s help. He shouldn’t have had to wait five months. And he definitely shouldn’t have been stuck in a document loop, repeatedly sending the same paperwork to a company that kept insisting it needed more information.

Your travel insurance company has an obligation to process your claim promptly and fairly. Hold it to that standard.