Reaching your golden years doesn’t mean your adventures have to end. In fact, in this stage of life, you’ll hope to have more time and resources to travel. But as a senior citizen, you’ll want to ensure you’re covered if any health-related issues arise while you travel — which is where having the best travel insurance comes in.
Best Senior Travel Insurance
- Allianz Travel Insurance: Best Overall
- John Hancock Travel Insurance: Best for Expensive Trips
- World Nomads Travel Insurance: Best for Exotic Trips
- Travel Gaurd: Best for Annual Insurance
Best Senior Travel Insurance Reviews
Having the right travel insurance will give you peace of mind while you travel and cover any losses incurred if you need to cancel your trip due to health issues. If you’re 60+ years old, check out our top picks for senior travel insurance below.
Best Overall Travel Insurance for Seniors:
Allianz Travel Insurance
Allianz Travel Insurance is one of the most widely recognized names in travel insurance, and it stands out as one of the top travel insurance providers for seniors. It offers a wide range of policies covering medical treatments overseas and emergency medical transport.
Allianz also provides options for varying trip lengths. Its annual multi-trip policies, for example, cover any trip you make during your policy period, even if they aren’t yet planned, making it an excellent option for seniors who vacation multiple times per year.
Best Senior Travel Insurance for Expensive Trips:
John Hancock Travel Insurance
John Hancock Travel Insurance plans for seniors offer some of the best coverage available. It provides generous maximum benefit amounts while still offering affordable prices.
Each plan includes coverages like trip cancellation, emergency accident, and emergency medical, with the option to add benefits like CFAR (cancel for any reason). Plus, getting a free online quote is a quick and straightforward process.
Best Senior Travel Insurance for Exotic Trips:
World Nomads Travel Insurance
World Nomads Travel Insurance is a great choice for active senior citizens under 70 who want comprehensive travel insurance. The key difference between World Nomads and many other providers is that it covers 200+ adventurous activities like scuba diving, mountain biking, surfing, skiing, and even bungee jumping. In addition, World Nomads’ trip cancellation and emergency medical coverage includes COVID-19-related issues. Many other insurers are excluding that type of coverage now.
For adventurous senior citizens over the age of 70 years young, World Nomads suggests working with its partner, TripAssure.
Best Senior Travel Insurance for Annual Policies:
Travel Guard Travel Insurance
Travel Gaurd offers comprehensive insurance plans for shorter and longer trips. One of its more unique offerings is its Travel Guard Annual Plan.
This annual travel insurance comes with standard coverage benefits (trip delay, baggage loss, etc.) and substantial coverage amounts, which is important for seniors who travel multiple times per year. Travel Guard also offers a preexisting medical condition waiver, meaning those with certain medical issues can still gain coverage.
Understanding Travel Insurance for Seniors
Before diving into the specifics, it’s essential to understand what travel insurance is and why it’s particularly important for senior travelers. Travel insurance offers financial protection against unexpected events affecting your trip, such as trip cancellations, medical emergencies, or lost luggage.
Types of Coverage
Trip Cancellation/Interruption Coverage: Provides reimbursement if your trip is canceled or cut short due to unforeseen events.
Medical Coverage:Ensures your medical expenses are covered in case of illness or injury.
- What it Covers : Medical coverage ensures that your medical expenses are covered in case of illness or injury while traveling. This can include doctor’s visits, hospital stays, emergency medical evacuation, medication prescriptions, and other necessary medical treatments.
- Importance : Medical emergencies can happen unexpectedly while traveling, and the costs of healthcare abroad can be significant. Medical coverage provides peace of mind knowing that you won’t be burdened with hefty medical bills in the event of an unforeseen illness or injury.
- Coverage Limits : Different insurance policies may have varying coverage limits for medical expenses, so it’s essential to review the policy details to understand the extent of coverage provided.
Trip Cancellation/Interruption:
Coverage: Provides reimbursement if your trip is canceled or cut short due to unforeseen events.
- What it Covers : Trip cancellation/interruption coverage provides reimbursement if your trip is canceled or cut short due to unforeseen events such as illness, injury, death of a family member, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or other emergencies.
- Importance : Travel plans can be disrupted by various unforeseen circumstances beyond your control. Trip cancellation/interruption coverage helps protect your financial investment by reimbursing you for non-refundable expenses such as flights, accommodations, and pre-paid activities.
- Coverage Limits : Coverage limits may vary depending on the insurance provider and the specific policy. It’s essential to review the policy terms and conditions to understand what events are covered and the maximum reimbursement amount.
Baggage Coverage:Covers loss, damage, or theft of personal items during your trip.
- What it Covers : Baggage coverage protects against the loss, damage, or theft of personal belongings during your trip. This can include luggage, clothing, electronics, jewelry, and other valuable items.
- Importance : Losing your luggage or having valuable items stolen during travel can be stressful and costly. Baggage coverage provides financial compensation to replace or repair your belongings, allowing you to continue your trip without significant inconvenience.
- Coverage Limits : Baggage coverage typically has limits on the maximum reimbursement amount per item and per trip. High-value items such as electronics or jewelry may have specific sub-limits, so it’s essential to review the policy details and consider additional coverage if needed.
Benefits of Travel Insurance for Seniors
- Peace of Mind: Knowing you’re covered in case of emergencies can make your travel stress-free.
- Financial Protection: Shields you from potentially overwhelming medical costs and trip cancellation fees.
- Assistance Services: Many plans offer 24/7 assistance services, providing help whenever and wherever you need it
Making the Most of Your Plan
After choosing a plan, it’s crucial to understand your policy fully and know what services are available to you in case of an emergency.
Understand Your Policy
- Read the fine print and understand the claims process to avoid surprises.
Emergency Assistance Services
- Familiarize yourself with the emergency assistance services offered by your plan and keep all necessary contact information handy.
How to Pick The Best Senior Travel Insurance for You
It’s wise to compare several different travel insurance policies for the best coverage and pricing, as premiums vary widely between insurers and depend on factors like your age and travel destination.
That said, some of the more essential coverages to look for if you’re a senior citizen include:
- Travel medical coverage – This coverage will pay for your medical bills outside the US.
- Medical evacuation coverage – If you’re injured or become sick while traveling, this coverage will transport you to the nearest hospital or even back home if your condition necessitates it.
- Preexisting conditions – Coverage for known health conditions.
- Cancel for any reason (CFAR) – The name says it all! It’ll cost extra, but it’s the most comprehensive trip cancellation coverage you can get.
- Trip cancellation insurance – This coverage provides reimbursement for your prepaid and nonrefundable costs if you cannot make your trip due to an unforeseen event.
- Baggage delay insurance – This coverage will reimburse you for essentials like toiletries and clothes if your bags are delayed.
- Lost luggage insurance – This coverage will reimburse you up to a specified amount if your bags get lost en route.
Of these, the most critical to note are whether or not your policy covers preexisting conditions and the limits for travel medical insurance and emergency medical evacuation.
Some insurance companies offer a waiver that will cover preexisting conditions. You’ll have to follow the requirements for adding a waiver to your policy, like insuring the entire cost of your trip. Or purchase the policy within a specific time after making your first trip deposit payments.
You’ll also want to find a policy with high maximum limits for travel medical and emergency medical evacuation coverage. These types of expenses can be substantial, so you want to have appropriate coverage.
Senior Travel Insurance Tips
What should seniors specifically look for in a travel insurance policy?
Seniors should look for travel insurance policies that offer comprehensive medical coverage, including for pre-existing conditions and emergency medical evacuation. They should also consider policies with higher coverage limits to ensure adequate protection. Additionally, seniors should seek travel insurance plans that provide 24/ 7 assistance services, as well as coverage for trip cancellations, interruptions, and baggage protection.
How much does senior travel insurance cost?
The cost of senior travel insurance coverage can
vary depending on your age, overall health, state of residence, travel destination, and length of your trip. You can usually get a quote online directly from the insurance provider. You can also check a third-party comparison site, like travelinsurance.com, to see multiple coverage options in one spot.
How can seniors save money on travel insurance?When it comes to saving money on senior travel insurance, comparison shopping is the name of the game. And remember to only insure the nonrefundable parts of your trip. If you bought fully refundable plane tickets, for example, there would be no need to insure those.