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What are the different types of travel insurance for seniors?
Depending on your travel needs and personal situation, you might want to consider a basic or a comprehensive travel insurance policy. You may also want something that covers you for a single vacation or a policy that spans multiple trips, if you plan on extensive travel.
Basic cover typically covers you for things such as medical emergencies and accidents, loss of luggage and cancellations. The amount you’re covered for may be on the lower end of the scale.
Comprehensive cover usually covers you for higher amounts and may include additional features and services.
Depending on the provider, any of the policy types below could offer basic or comprehensive cover:
Single trip policy is limited to one trip – typically when you’ve specified the duration of your trip and the country or countries you’re visiting.
Annual/multi-trip policy covers you if you take multiple trips within a year, regardless of the destinations – although exclusions can apply for specific locations. If you’re a regular traveller, this type of policy may be worth considering, as it could work out to be a more cost-effective option.
Domestic policy applies when you are travelling within Australia. Check for any limits or restrictions, especially if you’re considering a trip close to home. Domestic travel insurance usually doesn’t cover medical expenses – you should be covered by Medicare or your private health insurance.
Cruise policy, or cruise cover is typically designed to protect you against the cost of things such as medical treatment and/or evacuation at sea; trip cancellation due to illness, injury or emergency at home or lost luggage.
Smartraveller says some cruise ships won’t let you board without cruise-specific insurance, so you might want to check with your holiday provider before booking to see what cover you need. Medicare and your private health insurance may not cover you on a cruise, even if you don’t leave Australian waters.
What does seniors travel insurance not cover?
Most travel insurance has the same cover exclusions regardless of the policy holder’s age. These include:
Failing to take due care
Putting yourself or your possessions at risk, for example leaving your bags unattended in a busy area.
Unreported items
You should report any lost possessions to your insurance provider as soon as possible, and any thefts to the local police force, as you might need a police report to verify your claim.
Acting unlawfully
If your claim is a result of you breaking the law, it’s likely to be rejected by your insurer.
Riding a motorcycle or moped
If you plan to ride a moped or motorcycle while travelling, you’ll likely need extra insurance cover and to meet strict policy conditions.
Being under the influence of drink or drugs
If your claim is a result of your intoxication, it’s likely to be rejected by your insurer.
Pre-existing health conditions
Pre-existing health conditions are usually not covered by regular seniors travel insurance. We look at this in more detail below.
How much does travel insurance for seniors cost?
How much you pay for travel insurance as a senior depends on a range of factors determined by you and your travel plans, and premiums are likely to vary from one provider to another.
As older Australians can also expect to pay more for cover, it can be a good idea to compare and shop around for basic or comprehensive cover before deciding on the level and type of cover that suits your needs.
Some of the factors that typically shape premiums include:
The level of cover. Comprehensive policies with more inclusions usually cost more than basic policies. While it may be tempting to opt for a cheaper level of cover, it may not be enough for your travel needs. It’s wise to check with Smartraveller about the risks associated with your destination before booking.
Where you’re travelling. Some destinations are considered more dangerous than others by insurers. Smartraveller says most standard policies won’t cover you for ‘Do not travel’ destinations. Again, you’d be wise to check with Smartraveller before booking, and check with your travel insurance provider.
Additional cover chosen. If you want to take part in any particular activities, especially those that involve a higher risk of injury, such as skiing or water sports, these may required you to purchase a policy add-on at an additional cost.
Duration of your trip. Typically, the longer the trip, the more expensive the policy.
Your choice of provider: You might want to compare a range of insurance providers, as premiums for similar cover can vary. Canstar can help you to compare travel insurance.
Pre-existing medical conditions. Your insurer may charge a higher premium in return for covering pre-existing medical conditions, see below.
Are there age limits for travel insurance for seniors?
Travel insurance providers may offer insurance to elderly passengers up to the age of 99, an Insurance Council of Australia spokesperson told Canstar. Although most providers have lower age restrictions.
For example, World2Cover limits its policies to those under 75 years of age. Insure & Go’s Cruise and basic Bare Essential policies cover travellers up to the age of 79, while Fast Cover offers travel insurance to those up to 89 years of age.
And while Southern Cross limits its cover for journey changes or cancellations to those under 85, its personal accident benefit cover is limited to travellers between the ages of 16 and 80.
You can search Canstar for travel insurance policies for ages 70+ to see what may be available to suit your needs. And make sure that you carefully check any travel policy documents to see what conditions may apply to any cover.
Travel insurance for seniors with a pre-existing medical condition
When you’re looking to book any travel insurance (or life insurance) as a senior, it’s important you declare up-front any pre-existing medical conditions, also known as existing medical conditions.
A pre-existing condition is generally regarded as a condition for which you have either sought medical advice for in the years prior to travel. Or any health problem that should have caused a sensible person to seek medical advice. But as definitions vary, talk to any potential insurance provider about what it considers as such a condition.
If you’re not honest about revealing any pre-existing medical conditions when you take out a policy, you may find you’re not covered in the event of a claim.
Some insurance providers may require you to complete medical screening as part of the assessment process, especially if you’ve declared a pre-existing medical condition. This could be an online or phone questionnaire, or you may need a doctor’s report or a medical examination.
You may find that cover for your pre-existing medical condition is denied following an assessment during the quote process. This means you won’t be covered for incidents relating to that medical condition.
But just because you have a pre-existing medical condition doesn’t automatically mean that you won’t be able to arrange travel insurance, as a provider may offer additional cover for your ailment.
If you have a pre-existing medical condition, Smartraveller says it’s important to research whether any medication you need can be legally taken into the country you plan to visit. Some medications regarded as perfectly acceptable in Australia may be listed as illegal or a controlled substance in other parts of the world.
How to find the best travel insurance for seniors?
As soon as you start your travel plans you should consider your travel insurance options as a senior. You may find your travel options are limited by your personal and insurance needs.
You can use Canstar to help compare travel insurance options for seniors between 70-78 and 79+ for a range of overseas destinations.
You can further fine-tune your options for travel insurance coverage for features such as repatriation (if you need to leave a destination), travel disruptions and overseas dental. You can also look at options for coverage of a theft of cash, a laptop and access to a 24-hour helpline.
If you’re unsure on what cover is included in a policy, you can refer to the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or, for further clarification, speak to a representative from the insurer. You might also want to check out Canstar’s latest Travel Insurance Star Ratings and Awards to see which providers are assessed as offering some of the most outstanding value in travel insurance.
As Canstar’s 
