What is over 65s travel insurance?

Some standard travel insurance policies only cover people aged 18-64. Over 65s travel insurance is designed specifically for people over the age of 65.

At Asda Money, you can find holiday cover no matter your age. You’ll need to tell us about any pre-existing medical conditions you have when you take out your policy, and there may be extra fees to cover your condition. You should also tell us of any health changes during your policy term, so we can make sure you’re still fully covered.

What does over 65s travel insurance cover?

While not a specialist policy type, a typical insurance policy for someone over 65 should include:

Travel insurance for over 65s will usually cover:

• Cancelled flights and missed connections: you’ll likely be reimbursed for the cost of a new ticket when you miss a flight and it wasn’t your fault.
• Medical care: the cost of any medical bills if you’re injured or need healthcare while you’re on holiday.
• Damaged luggage and stolen possessions: you can claim if your luggage was damaged or lost in transit. Plus you can claim for stolen possessions when it wasn’t your fault.
• COVID-19: you should be covered for all or some of the expenses of being too sick to travel.
• Missing passport or travel documents: you should be able to claim for the cost of replacement documents.

A standard travel insurance policy likely won’t cover:

• Undeclared medical conditions: hiding a pre-existing medical condition can invalidate your cover.
• Leaving belongings unattended: you won’t be able to claim on your travel insurance for stolen or lost belongings that you left unattended.
• Any sport or activity not listed in the document: this includes water sports and golfing holidays.
• Reckless behaviour: including damage to a hire car or property from reckless driving.

What factors affect over 65s travel insurance?

The following factors can affect the cost of travel insurance for the over 65s:

Pre-existing medical conditions

If you have any existing medical problems, you need to tell your insurer about them when you take out a policy. It will likely mean your premiums are more expensive, but you will be able to claim for medical treatment abroad. If you don’t disclose any medical conditions when you take out the policy, it can invalidate it.

Destination

You’ll need to say where you’re travelling to when you take out the policy. It will likely be more expensive if you’re travelling to a long-haul destination like the United States, Canada or Australia.

The length of your stay

It makes sense that the longer you’re away the more likely it is you’ll get hurt or need medical assistance. If you’re away for a long time, your insurance will likely cost more.

What you plan to do

Anything viewed as dangerous will cost more to insure, so you’ll need to be upfront about any activities you plan to do. This includes things like winter sports, but you might even need specialist cover for a golfing holiday, too.

How much does it cost?

The average cost of a policy for a week-long trip within Europe for over 65s is £19.15. Price stated is for over 65-year-old with no pre-existing medical conditions on an Asda Premium cover, 1 week single trip policy to Italy and France. Price is correct as at 11/04/2024.

If you’re over 65, you’ll likely pay more for your travel insurance than someone under 65. This is because older people are more likely to get unwell on holiday and have higher medical costs.

But age isn’t the only factor. Pre-existing medical conditions, where you’re travelling to, the length of your trip and the length of cover all impact the cost of your insurance.

Where am I covered to visit?

It depends on the type of travel insurance you choose, so you’ll need to be specific about where you’re going when you take out the policy. Travelling to longer haul destinations like the USA, the Caribbean, Australia, Asia or Canada requires worldwide travel insurance which will likely cost you more than European travel insurance.

Just remember, you won’t be covered if you travel to any destination or region that UK residents are advised against visiting by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

Things to consider with over 65s travel insurance

You’ll also need to think about:

• Upper age limits: some travel insurance policies have upper age limits that exclude people over the age of 65. This isn’t the case with Asda Money.
• Medical cover limits: some countries like the United States^[1] and parts of the Caribbean^[2] have very high medical costs. It’s important to make sure you’re getting enough cover from your policy.
• Medical equipment: if you’re travelling with medical equipment you need for any medical conditions, you should make sure it’s insured against damage, loss or theft.
• Unexpected events: some policies cover you for unexpected events, like natural disasters or wars. Consider whether this could be a possibility in the destination you’re travelling to.
• Your excess: increasing your excess can make your policy cheaper. But you will have to pay more if you claim on your policy.

Types of cover

While some insurers have specialised over 65 policies, it’s not always necessary to go for this type of travel insurance. At Asda Money, our travel insurance has no age limit, so you can get the cover you want from us no matter your age.

You can choose from single trip or annual trip cover. Consider single trip if you’re only planning on going abroad once. If you’re thinking of multiple trips throughout the year, annual travel insurance could work out cheaper overall.

Get your Travel Insurance quote today!

[1] https://www.statista.com/chart/8658/health-spending-per-capita/

[2] https://www.itij.com/latest/long-read/treatment-and-evacuation-options-caribbean