Today’s ‘senior citizens’ are fitter and stronger than ever before, proving once and for all that travel isn’t just for the ‘young’ but the young at heart too! However, once you turn 65 or 66 you may find yourself pushed into a new age bracket, which may make it harder to find reasonably priced travel insurance.
To help anyone 65 or over and looking for travel insurance, we’ve compiled this useful guide.
Everyone has some type of medical history, whether that be broken bones, ongoing but stable conditions like asthma and diabetes or more serious illnesses like cancer. Whatever your history, you must ensure that you declare any existing medical conditions or recent treatments to your insurer, even if they are completely stable or cured.
Most medical screening systems will ask if you have ever had any type of breathing condition, heart condition, cancer etc. – the key word here is ever, so it is always better to disclose everything. If you’re having any problems, most insurers will offer screenings over the phone as well as online, so don’t hesitate to call in and ask any questions.
If you don’t declare everything to your insurer and then face a recurrence, flare up or related condition you could find that they won’t cover the cost of your treatment, leaving you severely out of pocket.
The first step in choosing the best policy is to decide what you need it to cover, for example how much have you paid for your trip? That is the amount of cancellation cover your policy needs to offer to avoid being underinsured and to make sure you’re fully covered in case you need to cancel (remember the policy limits are usually per person).
Are you travelling for a few days or a few months? This will help you choose between a Single Trip or Longstay policy. Are you going to Europe or World Wide? All these questions will help you choose the right policy type, duration and destination group for you.
Top tip: if you’re planning more than two trips over the next 12 months a Multi Trip policy may be better value for you. Multi Trip policies will usually cover an unlimited number of trips in a 12 month period, as long as each trip is less than 31 days (double check this limit and the age limits to make sure it meets your needs).
Another thing to consider is who you are travelling with – couples can usually find some good discounts for being on the same policy, and families can sometimes get cover for children under 18 for free (just make sure that grandchildren fit the definition of a family).
If you’re not planning a standard beach holiday, you may have to consider cove for activities or a more specialised policy. For example many policies won’t cover cruising as standard, so double check whether you need to add any additional cover before purchasing.
Furthermore, if you’re planning a trip specifically to indulge your favourite past time, for example golf, fishing or scuba diving, you may need to invest in a specialist policy or extension to get cover for the activity plus your equipment – do plenty of research before purchasing.
Finally, if you’re planning to travel with gadgets such as smart phones, tablets and cameras you’ll need to check the T&Cs to see if these are covered. If not, you may be able to add an extension, or you may already have a certain amount of worldwide cover under your home, gadget or bank insurance.
For more tips and advice plus information on award winning over 65s travel insurance, please visit Holidaysafe.co.uk.
Holidaysafe is a trading name of Travel Insurance Facilities Plc, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FRN 306537. Registered Office: 1 Tower View, Kings Hill, West Malling, ME19 4UY. Travel Insurance Facilities Plc registered in England No. 3220410. All rights reserved. All policies offered are on a non-advised basis.
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