Insurance: What You Need to Know About Travel Insurance for Ages 65 and Over

The Need for Insurance

To be well protected when it comes to your health, you need to make sure you’re covered. Even when travelling within Canada!

Indeed, the cost of healthcare varies from one province or country to another. If we require medical care that exceeds the amount covered by our provincial health insurance, we will have to pay the difference. It’s best to have insurance that covers this excess, at any age.

The travel insurance offered by most good credit cards covers this need.

Good Travel Insurance in Case of Illness

Credit card travel insurance includes several components. Emergency medical services provide coverage, but they have exclusions based on age at the time of departure and the duration of the trip.

It’s your responsibility to read your insurance contract carefully, to check for any minor exclusions. If in doubt, call your credit card company.

Travel Medical Insurance

Travel medical insurance covers medical care in the event of injury or illness outside the province for the cardholder, their spouse, and dependents during the trip.

For example, the National Bank World Elite Mastercard offers coverage of up to $5,000,000:

• 60 days for people aged 54 and under
• 31 days for people aged 55 to 64
• 15 days for people aged 65 to 75
• No coverage for those aged 76 and over.

There is another option to get longer coverage.

For example, the Scotiabank Visa Infinite Passport offers only 3 days’ coverage for people aged 65 and over. The trick is that Scotiabank allows you to extend this emergency medical travel insurance, by paying an additional cost at a reasonable price. In fact, we’ve put together a step-by-step tutorial on How to extend your Scotiabank Visa Infinite Passport travel insurance.

Online Travel Medical Insurance

Another option is to take out separate travel insurance.

The affordable insurance from soNomad specializes in emergency medical care. It offers coverage for pre-existing medical conditions for Snowbirds, as well as for individuals aged 65 and over.

They are trustworthy, and several of us on the team have had them as our insurer.

Travel Accident Insurance

Travel accident insurance acts like life insurance in the event of serious bodily injury (loss of sight, hand, foot, etc.) sustained on board a common carrier.

The fare must have been paid in full or in part with the credit card.

Trip Interruption/Cancellation Insurance

Trip cancellation and interruption insurance also requires that we have paid for all or part of the trip with our credit card: plane ticket, car rental, vacation package, for example.

It covers the non-refundable portion of unused services, as well as transportation if the trip is interrupted or delayed for a reason covered by the insurance plan.

The reasons must be serious and justified, such as illness, death in the family, etc.

Flight Delay Insurance

Depending on the credit card, the delay must be between four to six hours for it to take effect.

If your next flight doesn’t leave until the following day, you’ll probably have to eat or sleep in a hotel for the night. This can happen, for example, in bad weather or when the aircraft breaks down.

These expenses are covered to the extent that you purchased the ticket, in whole or in part, with your credit card. Keep your invoices in case you need to make a claim.

Baggage Insurance for Lost, Stolen, or Delayed Baggage

For lost, stolen or delayed luggage, you should be aware that credit cards have clauses covering purchases to replace necessary items, as in the case of flight delays. In the event of loss or theft, offers vary from card to card.

This insurance is available to all eligible persons, but some financial institutions such as Desjardins impose a limit of insurable days depending on the age of the traveller.

Credit Cards Offering Full Travel Insurance for Those Aged 65 and Over

A handful of credit cards offer practical solutions, without the need to spend money and buy additional travel insurance.

National Bank World Mastercard and ther National Bank World Elite Mastercard cover 65-74 year-olds travelling for 15 days, for $5,000,000.

It is possible to charge only part of the trip to the account to benefit from full insurance coverage. But if you’re going away for more than 15 days, you can’t buy an additional policy to cover the rest of your stay. It is also impossible for those aged 75 and over to be insured.

In other words, you’ll need private insurance for the entire duration of your trip if it exceeds 15 days, or if you’re 75 or over.

Odyssey Desjardins credit card emergency health care insurance is similar to the National Bank World Elite Mastercard. This insurance covers up to $5,000,000 during:

• 60 days for people aged 59 and under
• 31 days for people aged 60 to 64
• 15 days for people aged 65 to 75
• No coverage for those aged 76 and over.

If the duration of the trip exceeds the number of days listed above, you must contact Desjardins to extend the coverage for this person. Otherwise, they will not be covered for the trip at all.

While the Scotiabank Platinum American Express^® Card offers $2,000,000 of coverage per insured person for the first 10 consecutive days of travel, for people age 65 and over.

Like the Scotiabank Visa Infinite Passport, if you’re over 65 and travelling for more than 10 days, you can purchase extended travel insurance by calling 1-877-222-7342.

Group Travel Insurance – Employer

For those of you who are not yet retired, or who have recently retired, I invite you to check whether your employer offers a health and welfare insurance plan for retirees.

Online Travel Insurance Quote

In addition, there are several private travel insurance comparators on the web. The most competitive are Croix-Bleue and soNomad.

The vast majority of travel insurance providers will ask you about your past and current health status, as well as a « stable » condition for 90 or 180 days depending on your age, in order to insure you. It wouldn’t stop you from going but you might not be covered for that specific condition. Some even provide coverage up to 85 years old! However, make sure to ask about the cost of deductibles.

Travel Insurance for Seniors and Snowbirds

Most credit cards are generous up to the age of 64 or 65, but benefits become more limited after that.

Some financial institutions stand out with their credit cards, but they limit coverage to a maximum of 15 days. For longer stays, you’ll need to look into group insurance offers, insurance extensions, or shop for private options.

Can you purchase travel insurance from the age of 65?

Of course! Consult your credit card insurance contract, or private insurers such as soNomad or Croix-Bleue, to check prices and coverage.

Do I have travel insurance with my Visa card?

Check your Visa credit card insurance contract or call your financial institution’s Customer Service department.

What is the average cost or price of travel insurance?

Expect the cost to be around 10% of your travel budget.

However, it will be lower if you are young, in good health, the number of trips per year and your destination. Conversely, the older you are, the higher the premium.