If you’re an experienced traveler over 65, you know you need travel insurance.
You’ve been around the globe a few times, and you’ve learned that almost anything can go wrong while you’re traveling. You also know Medicare does not provide coverage when you’re traveling outside of the United States (except in a few rare and specific instances), so emergency medical travel insurance is crucial.1
But it can be tough to find the perfect coverage for senior travelers. You need a plan that’s affordable; that protects you from common travel mishaps; and that’s straightforward and easy to understand. Most importantly, you need travel insurance you can trust.
We have options! Here are our best recommendations for travel insurance for seniors of all ages: over 70, over 80, or beyond.
One of the best overall travel insurance plans for senior travelers: OneTrip Premier
OneTrip Premier offers our highest levels of protection, with all the benefits that 65+ travelers need:
- Trip cancellation benefits up to $200,000
- Trip interruption benefits up to $300,000
- Emergency medical and dental benefits up to $75,000
- Emergency transportation benefits up to $1 million
- Travel delay up to $1,600
- Baggage loss/damage up to $2,000
- Baggage delay up to $600
- 24-hour assistance and concierge services
- And more
All these benefits work together to protect you when things go awry: medical emergencies while traveling, unexpected delays, lost or stolen luggage, last-minute trip cancellations, etc. OneTrip Premier also is the best travel insurance choice for multigenerational trips, because it covers children 17 and under for free when they’re traveling with a parent or a grandparent. (OneTrip Prime also covers children for free.)
Get a quote for the OneTrip Premier plan.
Expert tip: OneTrip Premier includes SmartBenefitsSM, a perk that pays you $100 per insured person, per day,for a covered travel delay or baggage delay (up to the maximum no-receipts limit). You don’t need to submit any receipts — just proof of a covered delay! Learn more about SmartBenefitsSM.
Affordable travel insurance for senior travelers: OneTrip Basic
You’ve probably noticed that travel insurance can get pretty pricey for 65+ travelers. Why? It all comes down to risk. No matter how healthy and active you are, older travelers generally have a higher risk of medical emergencies, which results in higher insurance rates.
But that doesn’t mean you have to break your travel budget. Consider the economically priced OneTrip Basic plan, which includes all the essentials:
- Trip cancellation benefits up to $10,000
- Trip interruption benefits up to $10,000
- Emergency medical and dental benefits up to $10,000
- Emergency transportation benefits up to $50,000
- Travel delay
- Baggage loss/damage
- Baggage delay
Get a quote for OneTrip Basic to see how much it costs to insure your next trip!
Expert tip: $50,000 in emergency transportation benefits is a substantial amount, but it may not be sufficient to cover medical evacuations in remote or developing parts of the world. If you’re traveling to places that are far from modern hospital facilities, it’s wise to upgrade to a plan with higher benefits such as OneTrip Prime.
Travel insurance for seniors who are taking multiple trips: AllTrips Premier
If you typically plan two or more trips in a year, then an AllTrips annual travel insurance plan is going to be a good buy. AllTrips plans can protect almost any adventure: Caribbean cruises, European tours, visits to see family and friends, spontaneous weekend getaways, and more. Best of all, age does not affect the cost of an annual travel insurance plan. So if you’re wincing at the cost of insuring your trips separately, get a quote for the AllTrips Premier plan.
We recommend AllTrips Premier for older travelers because of its flexibility. This plan offers four tiered levels of trip cancellation/interruption benefits, so you can choose the coverage level that best fits your travel plans. You can also choose to include your household members in the plan—perfect for traveling spouses or families.
- Trip cancellation benefits from $2,000 to $15,000
- Trip interruption benefits from $2,000 to $15,000
- Emergency medical and dental benefits up to $50,000
- Emergency transportation benefits up to $500,000
- Travel delay up to $1,500
- Baggage loss/damage up to $2,000
- Baggage delay up to $2,000
- And more
The best travel insurance options for seniors with pre-existing medical conditions: OneTrip Prime or OneTrip Premier
Traveling when you have a chronic illness, disability, or another medical issue presents some challenges. You may wonder: “Will travel insurance protect me if a pre-existing condition affects my trip?” The answer is yes! Travel insurance can cover losses related to a pre-existing medical condition, as long as you meet certain requirements.
We define a pre-existing medical condition as an injury, illness, or medical condition that, within the 120 days prior to and including the purchase date of your travel insurance plan, caused a person to seek medical examination, diagnosis, care, or treatment by a doctor; presented symptoms; or required a person to take medication prescribed by a doctor (unless the condition or symptoms are controlled by that prescription, and the prescription has not changed). You don’t need a formal diagnosis for your illness/injury to be considered a pre-existing medical condition.
You can be covered for losses due to a pre-existing medical condition if:
- Your policy includes the Pre-Existing Medical Condition Exclusion Waiver and was purchased within 14 days of the date of the first non-refundable trip payment or deposit;
- You were a U.S. resident when the policy was purchased;
- You were medically able to travel when the policy was purchased; and
- On the policy purchase date, you insured the full non-refundable cost of your trip with us. If you incur additional non-refundable trip expenses after you purchase this certificate, you must insure them with us within 14 days of their purchase.
We know that’s a mouthful! In short, make sure you purchase your policy within that 14-day window, insure the full cost of your trip, and make sure you’re medically able to travel at that time. It may be wise to consult your doctor and get the thumbs-up that you’re good to go.
The plans we recommend most often for seniors with pre-existing conditions are OneTrip Prime and OneTrip Premier.Both include the Pre-Existing Medical Condition Exclusion Waiver along with generous emergency medical benefits, so you have peace of mind.
Expert tip: Any health conditions you have do not affect the cost of travel insurance! In most cases, we calculate the cost of a plan based on your trip expenses and your age.
Our last piece of advice for senior travelers: Don’t stress. If you have questions about buying a plan, contact us anytime and our experts will guide you through the process. Remember, you have 15 days after purchase to cancel your plan (depending on your state of residence), as long as you haven’t filed a claim or departed on your trip.
While you’re on your trip, 24-Hour assistance is always available to help you with all kinds of travel challenges: medical emergencies, prescription refills, lost travel documents, misplaced luggage, lost or stolen personal items, pet care needs, etc. Safe travels!
Related Articles
- The Simple Guide to Buying Travel Insurance When You're Over 65
- Buying Annual Travel Insurance Over 65
- Why Travel Insurance is Important for Seniors [Video]
