One of the chief delights of getting older is having more freedom to travel—and knowing how to do it well. By this point, you’ve learned what brings you joy, whether that’s cruising on the Caribbean, strolling the streets of Florence, or fly-fishing in an Alaskan stream.

You’ve also learned that even the best-planned trip can go off the rails, which means you need to protect yourself. So you might be wondering…. What’s the best travel insurance plan for senior travelers? Do you really need a plan with a ton of benefits, or are there simpler options? And why is travel insurance so darn expensive when you’re over 65? We have answers.

Why is it important to buy travel insurance when you’re over 65?

First, we should point out that travel insurance is an essential buy at any age! No one’s immune from travel mishaps, whether you’re 18 or 88. But it’s especially important for senior travelers, because:

Medicare does not cover you overseas.

Except in a few rare and specific instances, Medicare does not provide coverage when you’re traveling outside of the United States.¹ That means you’ll have to pay out of pocket for any medical care you need—unless you have travel insurance with emergency medical and dental benefits. Insurance can reimburse or even pay in advance for your care following a covered medical or dental emergency that occurs during your trip.

Medical emergencies are more common as we age.

You may be in better shape at 65 than you were at 45, but statistically, the likelihood of experiencing a medical issue increases. The most common medical emergencies we see in travelers are fractures from falls, cardiovascular problems, trauma injuries (e.g. from a car accident), and pulmonary or respiratory problems. If you find yourself facing a medical emergency overseas, travel insurance can help in so many ways: not only by covering the cost of care, but also by monitoring your condition, updating your family, paying to bring a loved one to your side, and paying for your medically appropriate transportation home. 

Travel insurance can cover pre-existing conditions for travelers over 65.

You shouldn’t have to worry about an existing medical condition flaring up and ruining your trip. Enjoy peace of mind when you have travel insurance that includes the existing medical condition benefit. Buy insurance within 14 days of paying your first trip deposit, and read your plan documents carefully to be sure you’re meeting all the coverage requirements (such as being medically able to travel when you purchase your plan.)

Travel insurance can help with family emergencies, too.

Many people 65 and up find themselves in the role of caregiver for an aging parent, sibling, spouse, adult child or grandchild. If something happens to your loved one, that can throw your travel plans into disarray. Fortunately, travel insurance can help! So if you’re about to leave on vacation, and your mother is hospitalized for a fall, trip cancellation benefits can reimburse the nonrefundable, prepaid costs of your canceled trip. If you’re on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean when you learn that your brother is seriously ill, trip interruption benefits can cover the cost for your early return home and reimburse the unused part of your prepaid trip costs.

Something always goes wrong when you travel.

As an experienced traveler, you’ve dealt with countless annoyances and mishaps: delayed flights, missed connections, mishandled bags. When you were younger, you took it all in stride… but now, you’re out of patience. Travel insurance can’t prevent these travel mishaps, but it can make them better.

• Travel delay benefits can reimburse you for additional accommodation, meals or travel expenses and lost prepaid expenses due to a covered departure delay.
• Baggage delay benefits can reimburse you for the reasonable additional purchase of essential items during your trip if your baggage is delayed or misdirected by a common carrier for 24 hours or more.
• Baggage loss/damage benefits can reimburse you for the actual price, actual cash value, repair or replacement of your lost/damaged items—whichever is less—based on the limits in your plan. 

It’s good to have someone looking out for you.

Every Allianz Travel Insurance plan includes 24-hour assistance: round-the-clock access to a trusted team of travel experts. Assistance can help you with major emergencies, such as a lost passport or medical crisis, or minor challenges, such as finding a nearby pharmacy for a prescription refill.

How can I find affordable travel insurance when I’m over 65?

You might experience sticker shock when buying travel insurance as a senior. That’s because the price of insurance is based on statistical risk, and older travelers, as a group, are at a higher risk of health problems.

The price of travel insurance is also based on trip cost. So if you’re planning an expensive trip, and if you’re buying insurance for a spouse or travel companion as well, you might conclude that travel insurance is just too expensive. Don’t! Here are a few ideas for saving money on travel insurance when you’re 65+.

1. Consider an annual travel insurance plan. Here’s a little-known travel secret: When you’re buying annual insurance, age does not affect the cost. It’s the same price whether you’re 25 or 75 years old, and it covers all your trips in a 365-day span! That’s why an AllTrips plan may be the best travel insurance plan for senior travelers who intend to take two or more trips in the next 12 months.
   
   There’s just one thing to keep in mind: AllTrips plans’ trip cancellation and trip interruption benefit limits are per insured, per year. So if your limit is $3,000, and you file a trip cancellation claim for $2,500, you’ll only be covered up to $500 for the rest of your plan’s duration. The AllTrips Premier plan offers tiered levels of trip cancellation/interruption, so you can opt for a higher plan maximum.
2. If you’re traveling in the U.S., skip emergency medical. Emergency medical benefits are most valuable when you’re overseas, where Medicare doesn’t cover you. So if you’re planning a domestic trip, you can save a lot of money by purchasing OneTrip Cancellation Plus. This plan only includes trip cancellation, trip interruption and travel delay.
3. Grandchildren can be covered for free. Traveling overseas with grandkids? You can save a lot of money with OneTrip Prime or OneTrip Premier. Both plans offer substantial benefits and cover children 17 and under for free when they’re traveling with a parent or a grandparent. These two plans also include a pretty amazing perk called SmartBenefits®. With SmartBenefits, you can get paid $100 per insured person, per day for a covered travel or baggage delay. You don’t even need to provide receipts—just proof of the delay.
4. Remember: It’s better to have lower-limit travel insurance than none at all. If you’re having a hard time finding an affordable travel insurance plan for 65+ travelers, consider one with lower coverage limits. OneTrip Basic includes all the key benefits—emergency medical, trip cancellation, travel delay and more—and is economically priced.

Discover why every year, over 70 million Americans—including millions of 65+ travelers—trust Allianz Travel Insurance to protect their biggest adventures. Get a quote and buy a plan, so you can travel with confidence.

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