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After years of work and responsibilities, retirement presents the luxury of time and the freedom to travel. Whether that’s reuniting with family and friends across Canada, exploring far-flung destinations, or simply unwinding by the beach in a tropical country, senior citizens may find many opportunities to travel.
But before you head off on the first of many adventures or your next one, be sure to make senior holiday insurance your trusted companion. It not only protects you against unforeseen emergencies or circumstances, but also offers the invaluable gift of ‘peace of mind,’ allowing you to truly unwind and savour this next phase of life.
Just like regular travel insurance, senior travel insurance provides coverage for medical emergencies like hospital bills, diagnostic services, prescription drugs, ambulance costs or repatriation back to Canada. However, unlike your standard travel insurance, senior travel insurance caters to travellers over the age of 65, who are more vulnerable to illnesses, diseases, or injuries.
Insurance companies set their rates by factoring in the risk associated with insuring a particular traveller, which includes their age and health status. Consequently, elderly customers and/or those with a medical history may face higher rates or limited coverage. Senior travel insurance is a specialized insurance product that offers higher medical coverage, coverage for pre-existing and stable health conditions, and extended duration of coverage.
Senior travel insurance also includes trip cancellation, trip interruption, and lost baggage coverage.
Let’s take a closer look at travel insurance coverage for seniors in Canada:
If you're shopping for travel insurance, you might be wondering which travel insurance type is right for your age group and needs. Here are some notable differences between the three major travel insurance types offered by most insurers.
Travel insurance for seniors | Snowbird insurance | Regular travel insurance | |
|---|---|---|---|
Designed for | Designed specifically for elderly travellers (65 or older), especially those with pre-existing conditions. | Designed for retirees who spend extended periods of time in warmer destinations, particularly during the Canadian winter. | Designed for travellers of any age, who do not have pre-existing conditions (or are young, with minor pre-existing conditions). |
Heath conditions | Accounts for pre-existing health conditions and other issues that may arise due to old age. Filling out a detailed health questionnaire is often a requirement to qualify for this coverage. | Accounts for pre-existing health conditions and other issues that may arise due to old age. Filling out a detailed health questionnaire is often a requirement to qualify for this coverage. | Offers limited coverage for pre-existing health conditions. No requirement to fill out any medical questionnaires. However, anyone with significant health conditions may be ineligible for coverage. |
Additional riders | You can opt for trip cancellation, interruption, delays, and lost baggage add-ons to your senior travel insurance policy. | You can opt for trip cancellation, interruption, delays, and lost baggage add-ons to your snowbird insurance policy. | You can opt for trip cancellation, interruption, delays, and lost baggage add-ons to your standard travel insurance policy. |
Duration | Depending on the type of policy you opt for, coverage is limited to the number of days of your trip (single trip) or 365 days (for annual multi-trip insurance). | Depending on the type of policy you opt for, there is more flexibility. Single policy covers you for 212 days, while a multi-trip policy covers you for 365 days, with nine to 60 days between each destination. If you’re planning to spend six months of the year abroad, a single-trip policy will suffice. | Depending on the type of policy you opt for, coverage is limited to up to 180 days (single trip) or 365 days, with a potential limit of 45 days per trip (for annual multi-trip insurance). |
Pricing | Depends on the coverage amount and factors such as age, pre-existing conditions and trip duration. Cost may range from several hundred to thousands of dollars. | Given that snowbird insurance is designed for longer trips, it tends to be more expensive than regular senior travel insurance. According to our data, the average snowbird insurance costs around $535 for those without pre-existing conditions and $739 for those with pre-existing conditions. | Depends on the coverage amount and factors such as age, health status and length of the trip. Generally, regular travel insurance is cheaper than senior travel insurance and can be as low as $40. |
As is the case with other types of insurance, your senior travel insurance premium will depend heavily on your individual factors, including the following:
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Travel setbacks or accidents can happen at any time, to anyone. Travel insurance provides financial protection against unforeseen events and emergencies that crop up during a trip. Not only does it safeguard you against financial losses in the event of trip cancellations or delays, but it also provides coverage for medical emergencies, such as illnesses or injuries. Senior travellers are more prone to illnesses or injuries, and without trip insurance, you may be left paying hefty hospital bills out of pocket in a foreign country.
A few dollars that you pay for senior travel insurance reduces the risk of steep expenses abroad. Consider travel insurance an investment in your safety and wellbeing.
It’s impossible to determine which company would provide you with the cheapest senior travel insurance quote. That’s because they each have their unique approach to calculating their rates. In addition, individual factors such as the traveller’s age, pre-existing conditions and trip duration can easily sway the rate in one direction or another.
If you want to know which insurance company would suit you specifically, consider comparing rates on LowestRates.ca, where you can see over 50 travel insurance quotes at once, and in turn, connect with the cheapest insurance provider in your area.
There is no definitive cut-off age when it comes to travel insurance for seniors, as each individual is different. That said, the older you are, the higher your travel insurance rate will be. That’s not to say that you cannot get travel insurance as a senior – senior travel insurance plans are designed with elderly individual in mind, accounting for issues such as pre-existing conditions and similar concerns.
Do note that in some rare cases, if your pre-existing condition is severe enough, you may be ineligible for senior travel insurance until the condition stabilizes and remains stable for at least 90 days (or any other specified period).
A pre-existing medical condition is one that has symptoms, that has been diagnosed by a medical practitioner and for which you’re receiving or have received treatment. For instance, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma all qualify as pre-existing conditions. Travellers are required to fill out a medical questionnaire disclosing their health status or any medical condition(s) before they are approved for coverage. Failure to disclose any condition can result in the insurer revoking the policy, declining coverage, or claims.
You can get travel insurance with a pre-existing health condition. However, depending on your health condition and its severity, some insurers may require the condition to be stable for 90 days (or any other specified period) before departing on your trip. Coverage terms, inclusions and exclusions, and eligibility vary among insurance companies and your specific policy.
Be sure to carefully review the policy so that you are fully aware of its terms and conditions. You could also speak with an insurance broker to better understand if your health condition may be covered by the senior travel insurance policy.
Senior travel insurance is designed for travellers over the age of 65. Apart from age, insurers consider your health, pre-existing conditions, destination, and duration of the trip before approving travel insurance.
The older the customer is, the higher their travel insurance rate. Generally, once a customer reaches 60 years of age, premiums tend to go up.
Shaistha Khan
About the Author
Shaistha Khan is a freelance writer in the personal finance space. She is a journalist, writer, and communications specialist with 12 years of experience across the oil and gas, business and professional development, and travel and tourism industries. She has lived in Saudi Arabia for nearly three decades, and reported on some of the first-ever events in the country. She has also reported from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, India, and Houston, USA. Her work has been published in BBC Travel, USA Today, Al Jazeera, Teen Vogue, Travel + Leisure, Lonely Planet, Vogue Arabia, and several in-flight magazines. She has also worked with tourism boards and hotel chains on sponsored content.
She holds a Master of Business Administration degree (MBA) and a diploma in Public Relations and Reputation Management.
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