If you take just one sentence from this page on your trip, make it this: if something goes wrong abroad, your first call is the insurer's assistance hotline. Not your family, not the travel agency, not your own arrangements – the assistance hotline. Available 24 hours a day, including in Hungarian, this service exists for exactly this moment: it organises, interprets, and acts on the insurer's behalf.
- The assistance hotline belongs to the insurer: it's available round the clock, and it doesn't just give advice – it also organises and pays, according to your cover.
- Have this ready before you call: your policy number, the patient's details, the location, and a short description of what happened.
- Reimbursement for care you arrange yourself is far from certain – if you can, call first, then act.
Why the assistance hotline – and why first?
Three reasons. Knowledge: the assistance service knows the local healthcare system – it knows where's worth going, and where they'll accept the insurer's payment undertaking. Money: the insurer typically settles directly with the care provider – so you don't have to pay a large amount upfront. Cover: the policy conditions typically require notification and coordination – a case started by bypassing the assistance hotline (especially medical repatriation and high-value care) can later be difficult or impossible to claim. In a life-threatening emergency, of course, the local emergency number comes first – the assistance hotline is then the second call, as soon as you can make it.
What to tell them when you call
For smooth handling, have ready: your policy number (or the policyholder's name and date of birth), the insured person's details, your location (country, city, accommodation), a short, factual description of what happened (what, when, how), and your contact details. The service uses this to identify the policy and tell you the next step: where to go, what to bring, what to expect. Tip: save your policy number and the assistance hotline number to your phone before you set off – the travel document checklist and the in-case-of-trouble card can help with this.
What to photograph and keep
Start gathering material on the spot for your later claim: photos of the scene and the injury or damage, medical papers, prescriptions, every receipt and invoice, transport tickets, official reports (police, airline) – the full list is in the document article. The rule is simple: more paper is better than less – getting hold of it later, from abroad, is hard.
And what's the broker's role in an emergency?
To be clear: the primary route for any claim is always the insurer's assistance hotline and claims service – that's the fastest path, and that's what you should call. My role begins when a case gets stuck or becomes disputed – for example, when a bill is rejected: in that case, as broker, I help the client liaise with the insurer, where I can. The disputed claims article covers this in detail.
Frequently asked questions on this topic
What if I don't know my policy number?
The service can also identify you by name and date of birth – it just takes longer. That's why the one minute before you leave is worth it: save the policy number and the assistance hotline number in your phone, and give a copy to your travel companion.
What language does the assistance hotline speak?
For policies designed for the Hungarian market, typically in Hungarian too – this is one of the important questions when comparing offers. If you're using a foreign product (bank-card cover, nomad cover), expect the service to run in English.
Can I email instead of calling?
In an urgent situation, call – immediate arrangements are made by phone. Email and app-based notification are channels for non-urgent matters and for sending documents afterwards.
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