Senior Travel Insurance

The Specifics Of Senior Travel Insurance

Senior travelers need to read closely the parts of their policy dealing with the following:

• Pre-existing medical coverage: The No. 1 reason most seniors buy travel insurance is so they're protected if they have to cancel or interrupt their trip because of a pre-existing medical condition. You're not going to let your rheumatoid arthritis stop you from climbing the Great Fire Monument, but if it flares up while you’re traveling, you need to be able to go to a doctor and be covered. Not all pre-existing-condition provisions are created equal. Choose one that doesn't exclude certain categories of conditions, put unusual time parameters on coverage, or require an extreme amount of substantiation. In general with pre-existing-condition waivers, simpler is way better.
  
  
• Medical emergency and evacuation: How far is it from the zipline camp to a doctor and hospital? And how would you pay for that helicopter ride if you didn’t have travel insurance? What goes for pre-existing conditions applies to medical evacuations: The simpler the better. If a policy has a laundry list of exclusions for where you'll be evacuated to and under what circumstances, you're justified in asking what specific situations qualify you for evacuation. The one exception to simpler-is-better: If you really like a specific medical facility, choose a policy that lets you be evacuated to a "hospital of choice." You'll generally pay more for hospital-of-choice coverage, but if it's important to you it's worth it.
  
  
• Trip cancellation: You’ve booked a cruise that’s going to take you along the Central American coast, then a day before departure your brother dies. That’s what trip cancellation is for.
  
  
• Lost baggage: You’re waiting at baggage claim for your luggage, and even though you’ve heard the advice of keeping your medication in your carry-on, you stuck it in your checked luggage. Getting reimbursed for your lost baggage would help with paying for new medication. If you plan on checking your minks and jewels, be aware: Most baggage coverage has a per-item limit – usually $500, but occasionally $1,000. With really valuable valuables, your best option is to take out a rider through your homeowner's policy before you travel to make sure they're adequately covered.
  
  
• Travel assistance: The hotel concierge said to take a right at the mural, except there are murals on every other building. Hello, travel assistance. Call them up, tell them what street corner you’re on, and they’ll give you directions to your destination.