Senior Travel Insurance
Whether you are exploring on a group tour or flying solo for some independent travel, you will always be at the mercy of Mother Nature on your senior vacation. Rain, snow, tornadoes, hurricanes and the occasional volcano showing up in Hawaii or Iceland can really put a damper on your senior trips or senior tours.
In addition to the uncontrollable weather, thoughts of hurting yourself while on your senior trip, or finding that the insurance you have while home may not cover you while you are on vacation. Or what if your luggage is lost or your passport is stolen? Fortunately, there are options to cover yourself while you are away. This is where senior travel insurance can come in to save the day (and vacation)!
Domestic vs. International Travel
Before purchasing any travel insurance, go through the policies you already have and see what is covered; this can include health, auto, homeowners’, dental and umbrella policies. Some of these may already cover your possessions even when you are not at home and buying senior travel insurance would be a waste of money.
Other senior insurance companies, such as MediCare and Medicaid only cover injuries or illnesses domestically. If either of these are your health care provider and you plan on traveling abroad, senior travel insurance could benefit you. While the cost of a major accident domestically can be extensive, it can be exponentially larger overseas. Spending a little money upfront could save you thousands in the end.
Cancelation Insurance
Trip Cancellation Package Policies offer coverage for major natural disasters and weather-related events, such as hurricanes, depending on the senior citizen travel insurance you select. Some examples of what will be covered by your senior travel insurance are:
- Destination Made Uninhabitable: if your hotel, resort, or senior vacation rental is devastated by a storm
- Primary Residence Made Uninhabitable: if your own home sustains destructive storm damage
- Cancel For Any Reason: an optional benefit that allows you to choose whether or not to cancel your vacation
- Cancellation Due to Weather: when common carriers such as airlines and senior cruise lines cease service due to weather
- Cancellation Due to Hurricane Warning: cancellation of your trip if your destination is under a NOAA-issued hurricane warning
Travel Health Insurance
There are options for senior health insurance while traveling that cover medical costs if you sustain a disabling injury while abroad and need to fly home early. Other options include health insurance that supplements your current insurance if it does not cover you outside your home country. When shopping for this type of senior travel insurance, be sure it will cover such things as any pre-existing conditions as well as the limits on the amount of medication they will dispense while abroad.
If you travel often, there are other types of senior travel insurance that can be paid for on a yearly basis. One example is MedJet, which will fly you to the hospital of your choice from anywhere in the world for a few hundred dollars a year.
Where to Shop for Senior Travel Insurance
Travel Agents
Depending on your needs, if you book your trip through a travel agent, many of the top-notch companies will be able to give you advice and even sell you a senior citizen travel insurance plan. As with all senior travel advice, it is best to do your research and not take what the salesperson is telling you as your only opinion. Places like US Travel Insurance Association (UStiA) can give you a wide variety of options and opinions.
Current Insurance Company
Your current insurance company may have an option to cover you while you are on your senior vacation. This would be convenient since they would be able to give you comparable coverage to your current insurance plan. Also, if you are traveling domestically, you may already be covered with your present insurance policy for your health, but may want additional coverage for cancelation of flights or natural disasters.
Word of Mouth
As with other aspects of you senior vacation, seeking senior travel advice from others will give you real-life experiences and first-hand knowledge on the subject. You can also seek out information on travel forums, AARP’s website and vacation review sites.
Your vacation is supposed to be time to relax and by purchasing seniors’ travel insurance you can rest easy knowing everything is covered.
