This Article was fact checked and last updated for accuracy on September 21, 2021 by Mani Karthik

Which is the best travel insurance for people over 65 with pre existing medical conditions?

The headline of an article published in the Deccan Chronicle in April 2017 read, “Air India lowers age limit of senior citizens for travel concessions.”

The article talks about a scheme offered by Air India, under which senior citizens are given a 50% concession on economy class tickets, as well as the fact that the age bar for classifying as senior has been lowered from 63 to 60 years, allowing more elderly travelers to avail this discount.

An older news report in The Times of India, published in March 2016, said that a Frost & Sullivan report predicted that by 2030, India would have about 7.3 million outbound senior travelers. These facts make it obvious that travel is not only gaining popularity among the elderly, it is also being made more convenient by service providers.

Travel insurance with pre-existing medical conditions

Senior travelers often have the means and time to travel far and wide but are limited by their physical abilities. Besides having a restricted itinerary, due to health problems and old age, senior travelers also have trouble obtaining travel insurance at lower rates or one that covers their pre-existing conditions.

Older policyholders have higher health risks, and thus their policies come with higher premiums. However, even a higher premium would be cheaper than having to pay for healthcare and medical treatment in the United States from your own pocket. At an older age, buying an insurance policy that does not cover pre-existing medical conditions is basically money down the drain, since a medical contingency is most likely to be associated with your pre-existing condition.

Insurance providers such as Visitor Coverage, specialize in travel insurance. They have a range of travel insurance policies that can be filtered and zeroed down to, according to the duration of your trip, purpose of your travel, your destination and more such factors. Visitors Coverage offers 4 different plans for elderly travelers who need cover for their pre-existing medical conditions.

The cheapest one of these is the Liaison Continent policy, which covers all non-US citizens under the age of 65 up to $25,000, and those between ages 65 and 69 years up to $2,000.

This policy, however, does not cover pre-existing conditions for foreign nationals above 70 years of age. You can read more about the other three policies here.

Choosing the best plan

Whenever one chooses a travel insurance plan, with or without pre-existing conditions cover, some basic things should be kept in mind. Such as:

  • Check whether your policy offers extended coverage in case your trip lasts longer than expected.
  • Give preference to policies that offer cashless transactions over ones that offer reimbursement for expenses incurred.
  • Carefully go through all exclusions to find out what is not covered in you policy. For instance, some travel policies do not cover viral infections, such as swine flu.
  • If you plan to travel to the United States more than once, buy an annual multi trip plan instead of a single trip one. This will also cover any medical conditions you might develop over the period of that year.

Read more about what features one should look for when buying travel insurance here. And remember that we are both limited and limitless to the extent of our imagination, so don’t let your age come in the way of your adventures.

What is excluded from the plans

While most travel insurance plans covers the majority of pre-existing conditions, there are a few exceptions. Mental and nervous health disorders, as well as normal pregnancy, are not covered. Before purchasing insurance, consult with an insurance specialist to ensure that your specific condition is covered.

Here are some of the best insurance plans that cover pre-existing conditions.

Categorized in:

NRI Travel & Shopping,