Travel insurance for over 70s

Many insurers now offer some level of Covid-19 cover, but this can vary quite a lot between providers. Examples of what may be covered include:

• Emergency medical expenses: Including repatriation (getting you home), and additional expenses (for example, a quarantine hotel stay) if you fall ill with Covid-19.
• Cancellation: If you test positive (or a close relative passes away due to Covid-19) prior to your holiday and are unable to travel.
• Curtailment: If you test positive for Covid-19 pre-departure, upon arrival at your destination, or while on holiday. Additionally, look for a policy that offers curtailment cover in the event a close relative passes away from Covid-19 during your holiday.

Many insurers impose an upper limit of 79 – often those over 80 can find they are turned down for holidays insurance altogether.

To ensure you’re covered should anything go wrong, you’ll need to do some research and compare insurers to find one that is willing to offer cover to those aged 80 and over.

Fortunately, there are a number of providers who offer holiday insurance for the over 80s – your policy may cost a little more, but compare carefully and you can find insurance that features additional benefits not usually included in policies for younger travellers, such as extra emergency and medical cover.

You should never ignore important health conditions when buying insurance. 

You have to declare any pre-existing medical conditions you have to your insurance provider. Even if you consider a condition to be minor, not declaring it could lead to your policy being invalidated – meaning you could be severely out of pocket if you fall ill.

Insurance providers have the right to request to see your medical records, so be honest from the start.

Some providers may refuse to offer you cover due to certain conditions. But don't give up: there are many specialist providers out there who will. Looking into pre-existing medical cover may also make it easier for you to find the right policy.

How long will I be covered for?

Many insurance companies will impose a cap on the amount of time you can spend in one country; this is generally 30 days. Even spending a day longer than the amount specified could invalidate your policy, so make sure you double check

With several types of policy on offer, finding the right policy for you comes down to a few key considerations.

You will have to decide whether you want to go for a single-trip or annual policy. If you are just planning one holiday this year, the former will give you cover for that one trip.

An annual policy, on the other hand, will cover you for multiple trips over the course of a year and is often more cost-effective than booking separate travel insurance every time you go away.

You will also have to decide whether you want European or worldwide cover. While this sounds straightforward, you will find discrepancies between insurers on what they consider to be “Europe”. Turkey and Egypt, for example, are covered by some European policies, but not by others. So double check whether you need to purchase worldwide insurance.

Choosing the right level of cover for you is vital for your peace of mind when travelling away.

As noted before, some policies for the over 70s come with additional protection for things like medical expenses. However, as a general guide, you should consider a policy with the following minimum levels of cover:

• £2million for medical expenses
  
• £1million personal liability
• £3,000 cancellation (or enough to cover the total cost of your holiday if more than this)
• £1,500 baggage
• £250 for cash
• Policy excesses under £100
• If you are not travelling on an ATOL-protected holiday, cover for scheduled airline failure or end supplier failure (as appropriate)
• Delay cover

Check the small print

It's essential to check the terms and conditions of your travel insurance by reading the policy small print.

You should, for example, check that the excess – the amount you would have to pay towards any claim – is reasonable and affordable.

How to get the best deal

Do your homework and compare policies online to find the best possible deal, as insurers and policies vary. Remember, the cheapest policy may not always be the right one for you.

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