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Reaching your golden years doesn't mean your adventures have to end. In fact, in this stage of life, you'll hopefully have more time and resources to travel. But as a senior citizen, you'll want to ensure you're covered if any health-related issues arise while you travel—which is where having the best travel insurance comes in.
Best Travel Insurance for Seniors 2023
- Allianz Travel Insurance: Best Overall
- John Hancock Travel Insurance: Best for High Coverage
- World Nomads Travel Insurance: Best for Active Travelers
- Travel Guard: Best for Annual Insurance
- Nationwide Travel Insurance: Best for Cruises
- AXA Assistance USA: Best for Traveling to Europe
- Seven Corners Travel Insurance: Best for Seniors 80+
Next Step: Compare rates on more than 100 travel insurance policies in minutes.
Compare the Best Travel Insurance for Seniors
Travel Insurance for Seniors Frequently Asked Questions
Seniors traveling internationally are recommended to have travel insurance even if they have Medicare because, according to Medicare.gov, any health care you receive outside of the US isn't covered.
The cost of senior travel insurance coverage can vary depending on various factors, including your age, overall health, state of residence, travel destination, and length of your trip. You can usually get a quote online, directly from the insurance provider, without too much hassle. You might also check a third-party comparison site, like travelinsurance.com, to see multiple coverage options in one spot.
Comparison-shopping is the name of the game when it comes to saving money on senior travel insurance. And remember to only insure the nonrefundable parts of your trip. If you bought fully refundable plane tickets, for example, there would be no need to insure those.
Travel Insurance for Seniors Company Reviews
Allianz Travel Insurance
Allianz Travel Insurance is one of the most widely recognized names in travel insurance, Allianz stands out as one of the top travel insurance providers for seniors. It offers a wide range of policies covering medical treatments overseas and emergency medical transport.
Allianz also provides options for varying trip lengths. Its annual multi-trip policies, for example, cover any trip you make during your policy period, even if they aren't yet planned, making it an excellent option for seniors who vacation multiple times per year.
Allianz Travel Insurance Review
John Hancock Travel Insurance
John Hancock Travel Insurance plans for seniors offer some of the best coverage available. It provides generous maximum benefit amounts while still offering affordable prices.
Each plan includes coverages like trip cancellation, emergency accident, and emergency medical, with the option to add benefits like CFAR (cancel for any reason). In addition, getting a free online quote is a quick and straightforward process.
John Hancock Travel Insurance Review
World Nomads Travel Insurance
World Nomads Travel Insurance is a great choice for for active senior citizens under 70 who want comprehensive travel insurance. The key difference between World Nomads and many other providers is that it covers 200+ adventurous activities like scuba diving, mountain biking, surfing, skiing, and even bungee jumping. In addition, World Nomads' trip cancellation and emergency medical coverage includes COVID-19-related issues. Many other insurers are excluding that type of coverage now.
For adventurous senior citizens over the age of 70 years young, World Nomads suggests working with its partner, TripAssure.
World Nomads Travel Insurance Review
Travel Guard Travel Insurance
Travel Guard offers comprehensive insurance plans for shorter and longer trips. One of its more unique offerings is its Travel Guard Annual Plan.
This annual travel insurance comes with standard coverage benefits (trip delay, baggage loss, etc.) and substantial coverage amounts, which is important for seniors who travel multiple times per year. Travel Guard also offers a preexisting medical condition waiver, meaning those with certain medical issues can still gain coverage.
AIG Travel Guard Insurance Review
Nationwide Travel Insurance
Nationwide Travel Insurance has you covered if you're looking for an insurance provider that offers a specialized plan for cruising.
Seniors looking for a cruise insurance plan can choose from a few different options including the Universal Cruise plan, Choice Cruise plan, and Luxury Cruise plan. The Choice Cruise plan offers the best balance of coverage and affordable premiums.
Nationwide Travel Insurance Review
AXA Travel Insurance
AXA Assistance USA is worth considering if you're planning to trip to Europe. One requirement for a Schengen Visa (covering 27 participating European countries) is that travelers have insurance covering them in all Schengen Area states up to medical costs of €30,000. AXA offers a low-cost option that meets these minimum requirements. It also offers a "Europe Travel coverage" plan that includes the Schengen countries as well as Ireland and the UK. Quotes are quick and easy to obtain online, and you'll receive a certificate of coverage within minutes of paying your premium.
In addition to these Europe-specific policies, AXA offers three travel insurance plans (silver, gold, and platinum) for travel worldwide. And no one is excluded based on age.
Seven Corners Travel Insurance
Seven Corners Travel Insurance is often one of the more affordable providers for travelers age 80 and older, especially given its higher-than-average medical expenses and medical evacuation coverage limits.
In addition to providing reasonable coverage rates, Seven Corners allows you to purchase a waiver to ensure any of your preexisting conditions are covered. The company also offers CFAR (cancel for any reason) insurance at an additional cost. And "cancel for any reason" really does mean any reason, meaning you'll be covered for anything from bad weather to COVID.
Seven Corners Travel Insurance Review
How to Pick The Best Senior Travel Insurance for You
It's wise to compare several different travel insurance policies for the best coverage and pricing, as premiums vary widely between insurers and depend on factors like your age and travel destination.
That said, some of the more essential coverages to look for if you're a senior citizen include:
- Travel medical coverage - This coverage will pay for your medical bills outside the US.
- Medical evacuation coverage - If you're injured or become sick while traveling, this coverage will transport you to the nearest hospital or even back home if your condition necessitates it.
- Preexisting conditions - Coverage for known health conditions.
- Cancel for any reason (CFAR) - The name says it all! It'll cost extra, but it's the most comprehensive trip cancellation coverage you can get.
- Trip cancellation insurance - This coverage provides reimbursement for your prepaid and nonrefundable costs if you cannot make your trip due to an unforeseen event.
- Baggage delay insurance - This coverage will reimburse you for essentials like toiletries and clothes if your bags are delayed.
- Lost luggage insurance - This coverage will reimburse you up to a specified amount if your bags get lost en route.
Of these, the most critical to note are whether or not your policy covers preexisting conditions and the limits for travel medical insurance and emergency medical evacuation.
Some insurance companies offer a waiver that will cover preexisting conditions. You'll have to follow the requirements for adding a waiver to your policy, like insuring the entire cost of your trip. Or purchase the policy within a specific time after making your first trip deposit payments.
You'll also want to find a policy with high maximum limits for travel medical and emergency medical evacuation coverage. These types of expenses can be substantial, so you want to have appropriate coverage.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Chose the Best Travel Insurance for Seniors
When comparing senior travel insurance options, we looked at the following factors to evaluate each travel insurance provider:
- Coverage limits: We looked at each travel insurance company's coverage amounts for benefits like medical emergencies and trip cancellation.
- Coverage for preexisting conditions: Preexisting conditions are one of the more critical factors for travel insurance for senior citizens, so we looked at travel insurance companies that offer the best coverage for preexisting conditions.
- Price: We compared travel insurance providers offering reasonable basic and comprehensive coverage rates.
- Benefits geared towards seniors: We compared travel insurance companies that offer solid coverage for senior citizens, like medical evacuation, COVID-19 coverage, and trip cancellation.
You can find more details in our methodology for evaluating insurance companies.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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