Priya

Nine months is exactly why it is first on the list rather than a detail. Sorry that happened.

The ordering that matters on the day, since this is where people get it wrong and it costs them money.

Call the insurer's assistance line first, unless it is an emergency in which case get help and call afterwards. They do three things people do not expect:

• Tell you which local facility they work with, which avoids a place that will not deal with your insurer
• Arrange direct billing, so you are not paying a large sum up front and claiming later
• Give you a case number, which is what makes the claim straightforward

Skipping that call and going to whatever clinic is nearest is the single most common way a covered incident turns into a rejected claim or a big out-of-pocket bill.

Keep every piece of paper. Receipts, prescriptions, the doctor's notes, in the original language. Photograph them as you go in case the paper does not survive the trip.

Ask for an itemised invoice, which insurers generally require and which is much harder to obtain a week later from another country.

And read your policy's exclusions before you travel rather than after. The common ones, certain activities, pre-existing conditions, anything involving alcohol: are the surprises, and knowing them changes what you do rather than only what you claim.