Seniors Travel Insurance

Senior citizens can receive help from travel insurance because it often compensates for any medical care they need while on a trip. Travel insurance policies also cover money lost because of travel interruptions and cancelations.

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  • Written by
    Michael Santiago, CRPC™

    Michael Santiago, CRPC™

    Senior Financial Editor

    Michael Santiago, a senior financial editor, joined RetireGuide in 2023. With over 10 years of professional writing and editing experience, he brings a wealth of expertise in creating content for diverse industries, including travel and healthcare. Having traveled to more than 40 countries across five continents and lived in Europe and Asia for several years, Michael's global perspective enriches his work. He combines his strong writing skills, editorial judgment and passion for crafting accurate and engrossing content to enhance the user experience on RetireGuide.

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  • Edited By
    Savannah Pittle
    Savannah Pittle, senior financial editor for RetireGuide

    Savannah Pittle

    Senior Financial Editor

    Savannah Pittle is a professional writer and content editor with over 16 years of professional experience across multiple industries. She has ghostwritten for entrepreneurs and industry leaders and been published in mediums such as The Huffington Post, Southern Living and Interior Appeal Magazine.

    Read More
  • Published: August 9, 2023
  • Updated: September 19, 2023
  • 8 min read time
  • This page features 5 Cited Research Articles
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How to Cite RetireGuide.com's Article

APA Santiago, M. (2023, September 19). Seniors Travel Insurance. RetireGuide.com. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from https://www.retireguide.com/retirement-life-leisure/travel/insurance/

MLA Santiago, Michael. "Seniors Travel Insurance." RetireGuide.com, 19 Sep 2023, https://www.retireguide.com/retirement-life-leisure/travel/insurance/.

Chicago Santiago, Michael. "Seniors Travel Insurance." RetireGuide.com. Last modified September 19, 2023. https://www.retireguide.com/retirement-life-leisure/travel/insurance/.

Key Takeaways
  • Travel insurance provides financial protection for trips, such as covering cancellations, lost belongings, medical emergencies and personal liability.
  • Seniors benefit from travel insurance by having coverage for cancellations, medical emergencies and lost luggage.
  • International travel insurance requires careful assessment, considering trip duration, medical coverage and high-risk activities.
  • Before buying travel insurance, research the insurer's reputation, understand coverage and exclusions and assess medical and trip-related coverage.

What Is Travel Insurance?

Travel insurance is a policy that offers individuals financial security when they focus on their life and leisure by investing in vacations, whether they are domestic or international. Policies vary by provider, but they usually cover major events that could potentially disrupt your vacation plans.

Moreover, they reimburse policyholders for lost or stolen luggage, medical bills and transportation home following a medical event.  Having senior travel insurance minimizes your exposure to unnecessary out-of-pocket medical costs, allowing you to enjoy travel with peace of mind when you are older.

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Why It’s Important To Be Insured While Traveling

Travel insurance can provide seniors with confidence that the money they invested in traveling will not go to waste. With the right coverage, they can avoid out-of-pocket expenses for emergency or temporary services caused by a trip cancelation or interruption.

Some coverage options include:
  • Trip cancelation: This compensates for pre-paid travel costs, such as plane tickets, unintentional cancelation, interruption or delay of the trips. It can also cover temporary hotel accommodation.
  • Personal belongings: This pays to repair damaged personal effects or replace your luggage if lost or stolen during travel. Coverage may include losses not covered under your primary homeowner's personal property insurance.
  • Medical emergencies: Travel medical insurance may fill critical coverage gaps in your Medicare policy or standard health plan, such as emergency medical care or treatment of injury due to an activity, as U.S. medical plans don’t cover any medical treatment outside the United States.
  • Medical evacuation: This insurance supplies coverage for emergency transport to a licensed hospital if you’re seriously injured or ill in a remote location.

Review your travel insurance policy’s coverage amount, covered risks and exclusions to avoid surprise inconveniences and out-of-pocket expenses while traveling. Coverage varies by policy and provider, and protection for high-risk activities and pre-existing health conditions is not always included.

Seniors’ Travel Insurance Needs

Travel insurance needs for seniors might include medical coverage for age-related and pre-existing health problems. Emergency medical evacuation, trip cancelation or interruption insurance may be more important for seniors than younger travelers.

It is important to evaluate your unique needs and assess which travel insurance options make sense. This may include additional considerations such as trip length, activities and the specific destination.

What Should Seniors Look for in Travel Insurance?

When traveling, seniors should look for value and guaranteed access to similar medical services as their current health plan. They should consider comprehensive policies that cover circumstances like missed flights, delays and trip cancellations.

Key considerations for finding a travel insurance policy include:
  • Emergency and non-emergency medical coverage: This policy covers medical bills for treating an injury or illness on your trip.
  • COVID-19 and pre-existing condition coverage: You can use this coverage if you need treatment for pandemic exposure or issues with a pre-existing health condition in a foreign country.
  • Trip cancelation and interruption coverage: Travel cancellation insurance provides protection for the financial aspects of your journey, encompassing expenses related to flights, cruises or train bookings. It is vital to thoroughly review the policy to ensure it meets your specific requirements, including provisions for cancellation in the event of your illness or that of a close family member. It is essential to note that some trip cancellation policies might not include coverage for any medical expenses abroad, prompting the need for a separate travel health insurance policy.
  • Lost luggage coverage: Theft, loss or damage to your personal property during travel is covered under this policy component.
  • Medical evacuation coverage: If you’re seriously hurt or become ill in a remote location, this covers the cost of transporting you to a licensed hospital that offers high-quality care.
  • Comprehensive medical coverage: A comprehensive policy supplies multiple medical coverages, including emergency treatment, evacuation, pre-existing conditions and a pandemic.

What Typically Isn’t Covered by Travel Insurance?

Typically, travel insurance plans do not extend coverage to high-risk activities, such as bungee jumping or skydiving. Likewise, pre-existing health conditions, civil and political unrest, pandemics, as well as pregnancy and childbirth, are commonly listed as exclusions in most policy agreements.

Check with your insurer about the availability of supplemental coverage for standard policy exclusions, such as pre-existing conditions.

Consider looking into Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) coverage, which provides more extensive coverage but is typically pricier, as it only reimburses a portion of your travel expenses.

Items not usually covered by travel insurance include:
  • Pre-existing medical conditions
  • Potentially life-threatening activities, such as skydiving, snowboarding, bungee jumping, etc.
  • Civil and political instability
  • Pandemics
  • Carrying a child or giving birth

How Much Does Travel Insurance Usually Cost?

The cost of travel insurance for seniors depends on several factors, including how much a policy gets customized. Key factors in calculating the premium price include the type of policy and coverage offered, the destination and its risk profile, the number of excursions, the age of the traveler and the duration of the trip.

If a traveler increases a policy’s coverage or buys supplemental coverage, the price will be higher than for a traveler who carries only basic coverage. Seniors often pay more for travel insurance because of their age-related vulnerabilities to injury or sickness, which increases their likelihood of filing a claim.

To compare premium rates and coverage options before buying travel insurance, request quotes from several insurance companies or use online price comparison tools. Travelers should keep in mind that policies typically cost 4% to 8% of the total amount invested for a trip. For instance, a $ 3,000 trip might cost between $120 and $240 for travel insurance, depending on your policy limits and other coverage customizations.

Can You Get Insurance for Traveling Internationally?

Insurance companies sell travel policies for domestic and international travel. With medical and accident coverage abroad, seniors get protection against potentially costly unpredictable events and conditions.

However, it is important to understand that travel insurance and travel medical insurance are different from each other. While you can add medical coverage options to some travel insurance policies, specific travel medical coverage may be purchased individually. It depends on your needs, concerns and potential for risk.

Insurers supply add-on coverage to basic travel policies that encompasses these key risks:
  • Trip cancelation: Like domestic travel insurance, overseas coverage can reimburse costs associated with canceled and delayed trips. It may also provide coverage for mid-trip interruptions caused by sudden adverse events, such as a disease outbreak.
  • Medical emergencies: Most travel health plans don’t cover treatment costs for pre-existing conditions. This is especially important to seniors, who may have one or more ongoing medical conditions. You may need to carry international travel medical insurance to supplement this coverage on a trip abroad.
  • Medical evacuation: This form of coverage pays to move you to a high-quality medical facility if you’re injured or have become ill in a remote location on a trip abroad.

Factors for seniors to consider when assessing their international travel insurance needs include trip duration and medical coverage. You don’t want to stay more than three months in a foreign country without adequate health insurance, especially if you have a pre-existing condition or plan to take part in high-risk activities.

Prioritize the coverage you need for your destination and ensure it has sufficient limits to guarantee access to care when needed. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), medical evacuation costs can exceed $100,000 without this type of coverage.

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Where Can You Find Travel Insurance Plans?

There are many options for travel insurance, with most easily found through an online search. Additionally, policies can be found on third-party websites as well as through local or national travel agencies.

Online comparison sites are a good starting point for your insurance search. To obtain an accurate price quote, you will need the final cost of your trip. Additionally, consider checking with your credit card company, travel agency or tour operator as they may offer certain basic coverage or can direct you to a suitable provider. Similarly, some employers may include travel coverage in group insurance benefits for their employees.

Tips for Buying Travel Insurance

Before selecting a travel insurance provider, it is essential to conduct thorough research on the company’s reputation and assess its financial stability through third-party ratings. Furthermore, carefully read the policy document to comprehend what is covered and excluded from the coverage.

What To Look for With Travel Insurance:
  • Research the insurer
  • Check financial stability
  • Read policy reviews
  • Read customer reviews
  • Understand coverage and exclusions
  • Assess medical coverage
  • Evaluate trip cancelation and interruption coverage
  • Check baggage and personal belongings coverage
  • Consider travel assistance services
  • Purchase early
  • Review policy for refunds and cooling-off period
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Last Modified: September 19, 2023

5 Cited Research Articles

  1. National Association of Insurance Commissioners. (2023, June 1). Travel Insurance. Retrieved from https://content.naic.org/cipr-topics/travel-insurance
  2. U.S. Department of State. (2022, November 22). Your Health Abroad. Retrieved from https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/your-health-abroad.html
  3. U.S. Department of State. (2022, November 22). Insurance Providers for Overseas Coverage. Retrieved from https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/your-health-abroad/insurance-providers-overseas.html
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, November 2). Travel Insurance. Retrieved from https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/insurance
  5. Tan, D., & Caponecchia, C. (2020, November 25). COVID-19 and the public perception of travel insurance. Annals of Tourism Research. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8453478/