If you are a senior looking at travel insurance over 80 you may find the process confusing and difficult. Any time that you travel, it is essential that travel insurance is purchased. If you are over the age of 65, you are at the greatest risk of having a medical emergency while you are overseas. Because of this, travel insurance can potentially save your life if you run into trouble on your travels.
Travel insurance for over 80 can end up being very expensive. Due to this, you must make sure that you shop around before you settle on a specific insurance provider. You will also need to make sure that the insurance company will be able to provide you with the coverage that you need and be able to keep their own end of the bargain.
What to Look for in an Insurance Agent
One of the first things that you should do when looking at an insurance provider that offers travel insurance over 80 years old is find out if it is financially capable of paying a potential claim.
Also, look into where the provider has offices. Ideally, you will pick a company that will be accessible to you while you are overseas whether that means visiting a foreign office or calling a 24-hour helpline.
Where to Find Insurance Providers
Another place that you can look for travel insurance for seniors over 80 is a pamphlet called “Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad.” This is distributed by the U.S State Department and contains a list of providers that offer health and emergency assistance. You can access the flyer by phoning the State Department or downloading it from their website. If the company that you are interested does not have any offices or agents in your area they should offer a 24-hour toll free customer care number that you can call.
Unfortunately, travel insurance for over 80 years old may not be easy to find. Many travel providers have a cut off age at either 65 or 70 years old. This is because once someone is over the age of 80 they become a bigger risk to the travel agent. If you are over the age of 65, you are more likely to need medical care while overseas and many countries charge very high fees to treat foreigners.
Check Your Other Insurance Policies
You may already be covered for some issues through your current insurance. It is important to comb through the current insurance policies that you have and see for what you may or may not be covered.
The first thing you should look through is your medical insurance however; it is unlikely you will have any luck in this category. It can happen though so it should not be overlooked. Some home contents insurance policies cover a certain dollar value of goods that are taken overseas. However, these are a bit hit and miss as some companies offer this policy and others do not.
Many credit card insurance policies offer a basic travel insurance so be sure to ring your bank and ask if your credit card offers this service.
Existing Medical Conditions
Finding travel insurance can often be a frustrating experience for seniors. Many companies have specific age brackets and even if you do fit in within the age bracket, other factors may exclude you from qualifying for their product.
This is especially true when it comes to pre-existing medical conditions. There are many companies out there that specialize in senior travel insurance. These companies are aware that seniors want their pre-existing conditions covered. Because of this, it is not impossible to find a company that will cover most health conditions. However, you will find that most companies are not willing to provide cover for heart issues.
What to Do When You Have Purchased Your Insurance
Unfortunately simply buying travel insurance is not the end of it. Before you finalize payment on the insurance, make sure you read the fine print. If you do this, you will find that you will have no surprises at claim time.
After you have paid for your policy make sure that the agent gives you the phone numbers and addresses of their offices both in the country and overseas. Ideally they will give you a small business card that you can carry with your on your travels.
Make sure that you take more than one copy of this information. Give the extra copies to trusted friends and family members. If you lose your copy, you can simply call them and obtain the information.
Buying travel insurance over 80 can be a costly and time-consuming activity and while it may be frustrating at times, it is important not to give up. There is a senior travel insurance policy out there with your name on it; all you have to do is look hard enough.
