Picture this: You’ve arranged a two-week itinerary for your trip to The Bahamas, securing your deposit for accommodations, transportation, activities, and other pre-paid expenses. A week before your trip, local travel advisories issue a warning for a major hurricane, causing flight services and events on the islands to be canceled. Your airline and hotel refuse your refund, leading to thousands of dollars in losses.
While travel insurance can’t stop a hurricane, it can help you get your money back.
Each traveler has different coverage needs based on the nature of their trip and their individual situation. Senior travelers, in particular, may need comprehensive medical coverage for pre-existing health issues. Luckily, finding the right travel insurance doesn’t have to be complex.
To kickstart your search, read on for the best travel insurance for seniors, including costs, coverages, and choosing the right one for you.
Best Overall: Faye Travel Protection
If you’re a senior traveler seeking the most value for your buck, consider the Travel Protection plan from Faye. It’s our top pick for the best overall travel insurance, offering lower-than-average premiums for broad coverages and a decent menu of optional add-ons. It also earned positive reviews from customers who expressed satisfaction with its great customer support team and seamless claims process.
Customers know Faye for its comprehensive digital experience with tools like an intuitive mobile app to manage your policy and easily file claims, and a live chatbot for 24/7 support. If you don’t consider yourself tech-savvy, you can still contact customer service by phone and email.
One downside is that the company offers the same plan to everyone. While you can customize your policy with add-ons, you can’t adjust your coverage amounts, which can be an issue for those who require higher coverage levels.
It’s also a relatively new company that launched in 2022. This may draw concerns about reputation and reliability. Luckily, the United States Fire Insurance Company, which underwrites Faye policies, received an A (Excellent) for financial stability with AM Best (an industry-leading credit rating agency).
Pros:
- Affordable pricing
- Positive customer service reviews
- High-rated mobile app
Cons:
- Limited customizability
- Only $500,000 emergency evacuation offered
- Relatively new company
Best for Medical Coverage: Seven Corners Trip Protection Choice
If you’re a senior traveler with health issues, having adequate medical coverage abroad is crucial. This is particularly important as Medicare and Medicaid usually don’t apply outside the United States. So, if you’re planning an international trip, consider Trip Protection Choice from Seven Corners for comprehensive medical coverage.
This plan offers $500,000 of primary medical coverage, meaning you can file a claim directly with your travel insurance provider for medical benefits. In contrast, secondary coverage requires filing with your health insurance first. It also provides $1 million for emergency medical evacuation, which pays for transportation to the nearest medical facility or even back home.
If you have a pre-existing condition, the company offers a flexible pre-existing condition waiver. This waiver applies if you purchase your policy within 20 days of your initial trip deposit.
A disadvantage is that it’s the most expensive plan in our study. The company offers a cheaper, basic option, but it has lower coverage amounts and no pre-existing condition waiver.
Pros:
- High medical and evacuation coverage levels
- Positive customer reviews
- Robust non-standard coverages included
Cons:
- High premiums
- Mobile app not rated on Google Play and App Store
Best for Trip Interruption: Nationwide Prime
Trip interruption covers non-refundable, pre-paid expenses (i.e., hotel stays, flights, and event tickets) if you need to end your trip early. This coverage only applies if you have to interrupt your trip due to an unexpected reason covered in your policy, like bad weather or getting injured.
Trip interruption also covers additional expenses you incur due to the interruption, like increased flight costs and alternative accommodations. That’s where the Prime plan from Nationwide comes in handy. It includes 200% trip interruption coverage, above the standard of 150%. Plus, this higher-tiered plan offers relatively affordable premiums.
Unfortunately, Nationwide received 1.6 stars on Trustpilot, significantly lower than the companies we reviewed. It’s worth noting that low ratings are common amongst major insurance players with other lines of insurance, such as State Farm and GEICO.
Pros:
- High trip interruption coverage
- Affordable pricing
- Highly rated mobile app
Cons:
- Low medical coverage
- Low Trustpilot ratings
Best Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) Coverage: Allianz OneTrip Prime
While trip cancellation allows you to cancel your trip for reasons in your policy, CFAR lets you cancel your trip for any reason. However, it’s worth noting that CFAR only reimburses a portion of your trip costs, usually up to 75%.
That said, the OneTrip Prime plan from Allianz provides up to 80% of CFAR coverage. This could be helpful if you have to postpone your trip due to a change in your situation or you change your mind. CFAR is an optional coverage, so you’ll have to pay an extra premium to include it in your policy.
One drawback is that it offers a low medical and dental coverage of $50,000. It also has higher-than-average premiums compared to other carriers in our study.
Pros:
- High CFAR coverage
- Highly rated mobile app
- Offers concierge services
Cons:
- Above-average premiums
- Low medical/dental coverage
- Low medical evacuation coverage
Best for Budget Travelers: WorldTrips
Insurance coverage is essential, even if you’re on a budget. It protects you from financial losses if you cancel your trip due to unforeseen circumstances.
Luckily, the Atlas Journey Preferred plan from WorldTrips offers budget-friendly rates. Other standout offerings include $1 million in emergency evacuation coverage, flexible pre-existing condition waiver requirements, and affordable optional add-ons.
However, this insurance plan only provides $100,000 of secondary medical coverage. Fortunately, you can upgrade it to primary coverage for a couple of dollars.
Pros:
- Affordable pricing
- Flexible pre-existing condition waiver
- Positive Trustpilot reviews
Cons:
- Low trip interruption coverage
- Secondary medical coverage
- No mobile app
How much does senior travel insurance cost?
Squaremouth, a travel insurance quote comparison platform, estimates the average travel insurance costs 5% to 10% of your trip expenses. The actual price of your insurance policy depends on various factors, such as your trip cost, age, travel duration, coverages and amounts, and policy type.
The table below illustrates the cost of travel insurance with different plans based on the profile of a 65-year-old traveling to Italy on a trip costing $5,000.
| Travel Insurance Company | Recommended Plan | Cost |
| Faye | Trip Protection Plan | $333 |
| Allianz | OneTrip Prime | $399 |
| Seven Corners | Trip Choice Protection | $457 |
| WorldTrips | AtlasJourney Preferred | $294 |
| Nationwide | Prime Plan | $355 |
| Average cost | $368 |
What to consider before purchasing travel insurance as a senior
Finding the right travel insurance can be overwhelming. As a senior, these are a few things to consider before purchasing a policy.
Coverage needs
To determine your coverage needs, review your itinerary and consider the nature of your trip. Generally, the more you pay for your trip, the more coverage you need. For example, you may need a comprehensive plan if you’re going on an international, month-long trip long trip. In contrast, you may only need basic coverage (or none at all) for a domestic weekend trip to see family.
You’ll also want to consider your medical needs. The cost of coverage abroad can be expensive, and your health insurance plan may not cover costs outside of the U.S. If you have any pre-existing conditions that may require medical services, check the limits on your policy and ensure your provider offers a pre-existing condition waiver. If you rely on medical devices, such as a wheelchair or prosthetics, ensure your policy offers coverage for your equipment.
Financial situation
Generally, the less savings you have for emergencies, the more insurance you need. However, you should only buy as much insurance as you can afford. Comparing quotes can help you find the best price in the market for the coverages you need.
Exclusions and limitations
It’s important to read through a policy’s fine print to determine what it covers, how much, and what it excludes.
One common exclusion and limitation include pre-existing conditions. Most companies cover pre-existing conditions provided you purchase your policy within a certain number of days of your initial trip deposit.
Another limitation involves what trip cancellation and interruption will cover. Your policy will outline reasons eligible for coverage. If you want broad coverage for cancellations, you’ll need to purchase a CFAR upgrade.
Finally, you’ll want to pay attention to your policy’s limits for each coverage type (i.e., trip cancellation/interruption, medical, personal property, etc.). Some have percentage, fixed, or per-day limits. You’re responsible for any costs above those limits.
Methodology
ShermansTravel is dedicated to providing the most accurate and up-to-date information based on data from various sources, including the insurance provider’s website, user-verified reviews, and industry-leading rating agencies. We also value transparency, making an effort to disclose ranking criteria, data collection methods, and any affiliations with the companies we review.
To rate travel insurance companies, we assessed pricing using similar traveler profiles amongst each quote gathered. In addition, we choose policies with the best balance of price and coverage based on the needs of senior travelers.
Finally, we evaluated customer experience by examining each company’s Trustpilot reviews, accessibility and availability of customer support, and mobile app ratings.