Everything you need to know about travel insurance for over 70s

April 2, 2023 Staff Reporter 1270 Views 0 Comments

Over 70 and looking for travel insurance? You face a double whammy: not only is it more expensive because of the increased likelihood that you have a medical condition, but also it’s harder to find because, according to the insurance industry, you’re a greater risk. Here are ten things to consider when buying a policy.

This rule applies whatever your age, but it’s more pressing as you get older because most holiday deposits are non-refundable, and many travel operators will be hard-hearted, even in the face of evidence of serious or terminal illness and cancellations long before your scheduled trip date. Take out a single-trip policy and cancellation cover kicks in from the policy-purchase date. If you’re buying an annual policy and you have any travel booked, you should start the policy straight away.

Think about adding any travelling companions to the policy

If you are treating your family to a stay in an expensive villa, for example, and you then have to cancel, insurers will often try to pay out only for your share of the trip. Also, if you’ve declared medical conditions and have to cancel because of ill health, it doesn’t necessarily follow that a separate policy bought by a family member would cover their cancellation costs. And if you fall ill while abroad new flights may be needed for the whole party to return home early, or new accommodation required so that everyone can stay longer at the destination while you recover.

Buying the cheapest policy is likely to be a false economy

Because of increased numbers of cancellation claims, levels of currency fluctuations and medical inflation you won’t find any bargains, but good insurance has to be factored into your holiday budget. It’s essential to shop around to find a provider that can customise a policy to ensure your conditions are covered — and the older you get the more likely it is you’ll have to turn to a specialist provider to find this at a reasonable price.

Annual or single-trip cover?

It can often be more cost-effective to have an annual policy, but not always. Think about how many overseas journeys you are likely to make in the year following your policy purchase, then compare the total cost of buying a single policy per trip with the cost of an annual one. You will probably find that if you are planning to take three or four trips an annual policy will work out to be more cost-effective. If you buy a policy covering only European destinations and your plans change during the year to include places further afield, the insurer will probably allow you to upgrade to a worldwide policy. Also some insurers may offer only single-trip insurance, so be sure to check both options.

Cruise cover doesn’t come as standard

Not all policies cover cruises, so if necessary pay an additional premium for inclusions such as cabin confinement, emergency airlifts to hospital, missed port departures, itinerary changes and unused excursions. Cruise cover can cost extra because of the potential high cost of onboard treatment and any transfer to an offshore medical centre.

Make sure you are completely honest when declaring any medical conditions

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Check cancellation cover

If you’re booking an expensive cruise or special long-haul holiday it’s vital that the combined cancellation cover for each person meets the total cost, and this is another area in which standard policies often fall short. If you already have a policy, perhaps through a bank, top-ups are sometimes available or can be bought separately; you can buy up to £50,000 per person extra cancellation cover through Top Up My Cover Cancellation, for example (topupmycancellationcover.com).

● Will travel insurance cover flight cancellation? Everything you need to know
● Long-stay travel insurance: providers that cover for over 90 days

Obtain full cover for medical conditions

It’s vital to be completely honest when declaring any medical conditions you may have when taking out a policy and to answer fully all questions asked in any online screening or when buying insurance from a call centre. Insurers are looking for information on any chronic conditions or risk of instability, so you will need to declare all longstanding illnesses or recent changes to medications. There will also be different requirements relating to cancer, breathing difficulties and heart conditions. Failure to make a full declaration could result in any claim being declined.

Get the GHIC card

If you’re planning to visit an EU country, a UK Global Health Insurance Card or valid European Health Insurance Card will allow you to access state-provided medical healthcare on the same basis as citizens of your destination. You will still need to have travel insurance because these cards may not cover all health costs, and certainly not emergency repatriation to the UK.

Consider Covid cover

Coronavirus is still a potential threat, so it’s essential to check any exclusions in your insurance and what support you can expect if you contract it while you’re away. Many insurers will not pay out unless a medically approved test has been used to confirm a diagnosis — so a PCR, not a lateral-flow home test. Moreover, if you test positive not all travel companies will transport you home — one coach company, for example, stipulates that any passenger who contracts Covid while on one of its tours won’t be allowed to travel back on the coach because of its generally vulnerable customer demographic.

An annual policy can often be more cost-effective than a single policy

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Find insurers for complex medical conditions

If you have a serious medical condition, completing an online screening form won’t result in you getting the best cover. Instead, consult the government’s MoneyHelper website, which has a directory of insurance companies who should be able to provide quotes by telephone (moneyhelper.org.uk). The British Insurance Brokers’ Association also has a directory of approved specialist providers (biba.org.uk).

Six policies to look into

1. Free Spirit
Specialist insurance for those with medical conditions and disabilities — there’s no upper age limit, travellers with terminal illnesses are considered and companions are covered, along with medical aids, medications and more than 100 activities (freespirittravelinsurance.com).

2. Saga
Buy a holiday from this over-fifties specialist and travel insurance is included, with cover for more than 400 medical conditions. Its single-trip and annual policies have no upper age limit, there is cancellation cover up to £10,000 and you can call the Saga GP helpline for advice any time while you’re on holiday (saga.co.uk).

3. It’s So Easy Travel Insurance
This company provides a variety of specialist policies, whether you have existing medical conditions, including HIV, or have left the UK without travel insurance (itssoeasytravelinsurance.com).

4. AllClear
This one has no upper age limit and covers more than 1,300 medical conditions. Its Covid cover includes up to £2,000 for a friend or relative to travel from your home area to stay with you if you fall ill (allcleartravel.co.uk).

5. Staysure
There are no upper age limits on Staysure’s single-trip or annual policies and most existing conditions can be covered. Its Comprehensive level of cover includes supplier failure, so you won’t lose out if your travel operator or airline ceases trading (staysure.co.uk).

6. LV Premier
LV considers all existing medical conditions for cover, while its Premier policy offers up to £10,000 in cancellation cover; cruise cover is standard on annual policies (available up to age 80). LV will pay out up to £1,000 if arrival at your destination is delayed or you miss a leg of your journey as a result of any delays (lv.com).

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