Senior citizen travel insurance is becoming more and more popular among older travellers who wish to explore the world. Considering their different risk factors, there are specific plans curated to meet their needs, including pre-existing diseases, travel assistance etc. while they’re abroad. However, as with every insurance policy, it is essential to know the details about senior citizen travel insurance policies before they buy a policy for themselves.
* Price shown is for a 15 day trip to UK with a 1 lakh dollar coverage for an adult of age 25 years
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* Price shown is for a 15 day trip to UK with a 1 lakh dollar coverage for an adult of age 25 years
Senior citizen travel insurance plans generally refer to individual travel insurance plans that are available for elderly travellers aged 71 years and beyond. The age limit varies depending on the insurer and different companies may have different age limits for similar plans. For instance, some may offer plans that start at 61, while some may provide insurance even up to 99 years and beyond.
These plans are specifically created by insurance companies to cater to the elderly and take into account various age and health-related risk factors that are not covered under the standard individual travel insurance policies. These policies cover pre-existing ailments and provide various hospitalisation and medical benefits including intensive care treatment, doctor visits, ambulance services, surgical care, and many more in addition to the standard covers for baggage loss, flight delays cancellations, among others.
When talking about senior citizens, one imagines them restricted to their homes after retirement with not much to do. People are also apprehensive about letting their old parents travel alone, fearing uncertain situations that they may find themselves in. But things are changing now, with the emergence of modern technology, comfortable airlines and reliable travel insurance plans for senior citizens that will keep them safe.
These plans cover their specific needs as well as common age-related health concerns that are not covered by standard travel insurance policies. These policies can be purchased by seniors as old as 95 years, depending on the insurer. Since the coronavirus, there have also been senior citizen travel insurance plans with COVID-19 coverage so that nothing stops them from living their lives.
Made for those who won't let their age stop them from exploring the world, take a look at some of the best features of senior citizen travel insurance:
Categories | Specification |
Eligibility | 61 years and above, varies with insurer |
Coverage | Worldwide |
Features | Medical and Hospitalisation Expenses, Travel Assistance, Luggage Delay and Loss, Passport Loss, Flight Delay and Cancellation |
Optional Add-Ons | Home Burglary Insurance, Pre-existing Diseases Cover |
Most travel insurance companies in India only require the senior citizen to be an Indian citizen and fit their eligibility bracket. While many plans require the person to be above 71 years of age, some plans are being offered to those 61 years and above. The upper limit varies from insurer to insurer where some companies offer travel insurance for senior citizens as old as 91.
Now that we know what are the primary covers provided by insurance companies in senior citizen travel insurance plans, let’s look at certain important criteria to decide which plan to buy.
This is the most important criteria to decide which plan to buy. Most insurance companies provide a break-up of the sum assured for specific covers. For instance, they will have a limit for medical expenses, another limit for dental care, yet another for baggage loss and so on. Senior citizens must consider these ‘sub limits’ when they buy a policy.
Some insurers do not need senior citizens to undergo medical checkups if they are below a certain age. Nonetheless, the traveller should ensure that all necessary tests, if required, are complete. This will ensure that there are no chances of the claim being rejected on the grounds of necessary tests not being done. Also, plans that need mandatory medical tests are better as the insurers are more likely to honour the claims and reimburse the insured senior citizen more promptly.
Senior citizen insurance buyers must ensure that all their existing illnesses are covered under the plan. Certain travel plans may not cover all the pre-existing ailments in which case they are unlikely to reimburse any expenses incurred for these illnesses in the foreign country. Also, some plans provide very limited cover for serious ailments. As such, they must ensure that the limit for such illnesses is adequate to cover any medical treatment abroad if the need arises.
Some insurers do not renew the policy if a claim is made during the policy period. One way to get around this hurdle is to apply for the maximum policy period so that the same policy can continue without the senior citizen losing the claim to additional covers as and when the need arises.
The senior citizen or their family members should check this and make sure there are no exclusions or limitations on covers that are necessary for him or her. Calling the insurer and asking specific questions on the list of exclusions and limitations, if any, on the covers provided will shed more light on these specifics and will help decide the best plan to buy.
Most senior citizens need certain specific covers in addition to the standard travel protections. Some types of cover provided by senior citizen travel insurance policies in India include:
Like other travel insurance plans, there are some cases where your senior citizen travel insurance policy won't provide any coverage benefits:
Unfortunately, if you are in a situation where you need to raise a claim then the process is pretty simple. Most insurers have a dedicated customer support helpline or a claim helpline that exclusively deals with claim-related queries. Senior citizens can also get additional support overseas as the insurers understand that not all of them may be tech-savvy or in a condition to filing a claim. Keep these in mind if you ever need to file a claim.
As soon as you're in a situation, inform the local authorities and your insurer through their emergency helpline. Don't forget to keep all the relevant documents with you when you contact the insurer.
If claims are to be settled abroad, then the insured may contact their insurer and they will contact their partner networks to help settle your claims once all the documents have been assessed.
If you're filing for a claim through reimbursements, then this can be done when you're back in India. All you need to do is to submit the relevant documents which will be processed by the insurer's administration team. Once these are accepted, you will be reimbursed for your claim.
All insurance providers give detailed information on their websites as mandated by the Insurance Regulatory Authority of India (IRDAI). However, most of this information is in technical terms and generally not very easy to understand. Senior citizens must ensure that they:
Because most elderly citizens are not very net-savvy, it will be good if their family member helps them in the process of selecting the right plan.
The world has moved on to online shopping for the most basic of things such as groceries and clothes; so why not policies? In fact, instead of visiting separate insurers individually you can simply browse different plans online at Policybazaar.com and find the most affordable senior travel insurance for your aged parents.
Take a look at some other reasons as to why you should buy from Policybazaar: