Conventionally, senior travelers have purchased travelers' insurance from a travel agent rather than an insurer, the latter of which can reduce the cost of insurance by up to half of that of the former. Fortunately, accompanying the growth of senior travel are insurance policies directed specifically toward senior citizens.
While many insurers continue to offer policies with age ranges, many other companies have increased their upper age limits or conjured policies that directly benefit senior travelers and grant them security and peace of mind while traveling abroad.
One particular advantage of seniors' travel insurance concerns medical specifications regarding illness or injury. If medical assistance is needed, most insurance companies offer a 24-hour emergency telephone number. It is important to consult the insurer's Policy Disclosure Statement (PDS) to ensure the existence of such an amenity.
Carrying the insurance company's contact information at all times is also essential, for in the event of an emergency illness or injury, contacting the insurer as soon as possible is the best option. For further security, it is also beneficial to leave the details of the PDS with a loved one at home.
Medical coverage is an extremely crucial asset to seniors' travel insurance because it helps to avoid out-of-pocket medical payments or high overseas expenses. Declaring any pre-existing medical conditions is also an excellent idea to secure efficient medical coverage in the policy.
Senior's travel insurance differs in enumerable ways from other travelers' insurance policies in existence today. For example, many general policies restrict their audience to travelers under age 70 or 75. However, insurance companies that offer seniors' travel insurance have little or no age restrictions.
For example, in Australia Australia Post seniors travel insurance covers the age range of 75 and up, while in the UK Delta insurance covers seniors from age 65 with no upper age limit. Further, in the US All Aboard Benefits has no age limit in its insurance policies, and its senior insurance coverage begins at age 60.
Another difference that sets seniors' travel insurance policies apart from others is its consideration of dependants, or those who depend on guardians for financial support. Namely, many seniors' travel insurance policies offer free coverage for children, so seniors may travel with their grandchildren without hassle or worry as to whether the children are insured.
Perhaps the most important difference between general travelers' insurance and seniors' travel insurance is the medical coverage. Most travelers' insurance policies do not cover many pre-existing medical conditions, and some insurance companies exclude every one of them.
To prevent the likelihood of expensive medical payments while abroad, the medical coverage offered through seniors' travel insurance is essential. Indeed, as a crucial aspect of senior insurance coverage, most seniors' travel insurance policies cover pre-existing medical conditions, including types of cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, gastric reflux, hay fever, and more.
They also cover, in amounts that vary from policy to policy, luggage. Dependents under 21 years of age who do not have a full-time job are also covered, free of charge, by most senior travel insurance policies. Additional expenses from delayed flights, accidental death, and stolen property are covered by most senior policies as well.
Certain conditions are excluded by most senior travel insurance policies, however. Examples of exclusions are expenses that arise outside of the "Period of Insurance," from war, unlawful behavior, travel against the wishes of a physician, self-inflicted ailments, touring guides and services, loss of enjoyment from the traveling experience, failure to obtain obligatory travel documents such as a visa or passport, engagement in dangerous activities without a proper license, pregnancy, mental health issues, sexually transmitted diseases, and nuclear, biological, or chemical hostilities.
Specific exclusions vary between different seniors' travel insurance policies, and details are found in the PDS. In order to find the proper seniors' travel insurance policy, the first step is to make sure the covered individuals fall within the age range of the policy, if an age limit exists.
The next step is to ensure that, if a senior traveler has any pre-existing medical conditions, all of them are covered by the policy. It is also wise to choose an insurer with a 24-hour emergency hotline. Also, often due to conflict or the recommendations of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, many insurers refuse to cover certain geographic regions.
It is thus important to compare policies and elect one that covers the travel destination. Another significant factor is the value of personal items deemed "luggage," for traveling with valuable paraphernalia requires satisfactory luggage coverage.
Coverage of lost deposit or cancellation fees is beneficial as well, especially when traveling through a pre-booked package that risks large, collective instances of such fees. If traveling with dependents, selecting a policy that covers them for free is also ideal.
Choosing the proper seniors' travel insurance policy to suit individual needs requires time and online research, but it is worth the security and peace of mind for seniors who love to travel the world.