Tommy Lloyd
Author: Tommy Lloyd, Managing Director

Tommy has over 15 years experience within the insurance industry, and his primary focus is helping travellers find the right cover for their medical conditions.

Originally posted: 20th Oct 2022

What is travel insurance for over 80s?

At Medical Travel Compared - we believe that age is just a number, which is why we make it easy to find comprehensive holiday insurance for over 80s.

Age should never be a boundary for people who want to travel abroad, although medical coverage will normally be slightly more expensive due to the risk of somebody aged over 80 falling ill abroad in comparison to younger people. However, by comparing quotes, you are able to find cheap travel insurance for over 80s that will suit your needs and circumstances.

Try our easy-to-use quote comparison tool to compare a number of quotes from up to 30 specialist medical travel insurance providers and get cover in a matter of minutes.

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Get travel insurance for over 80s with medical conditions

People aged over 80 can get specialised travel policies which include cover for pre-existing medical conditions. 

In fact, as a specialist medical travel insurance comparison site, we pride ourselves on helping customers of all ages find the right type of cover across a range of different conditions.

With cover for conditions including cancer and mental health issues, we can offer specialist advice and find a cover that suits your circumstances and protects you should you need medical treatment abroad.

 

 

Dr Sarah Jarvis, MBE

What is a pre-existing medical condition?

Dr Sarah Jarvis is the Clinical Director of the Patient Platform, an active medical writer, broadcaster, and the resident doctor for BBC Radio 2.

A pre-existing medical condition means a condition that you have been diagnosed, or treated for, prior to you taking out your travel insurance policy. This may be a health condition you have now or one that you no longer suffer from, but have had in the past. Whilst you’ll need to tell us about most pre-existing health conditions if you have been diagnosed or treated for them (including repeat prescriptions) within the last 2 years, some conditions, such as heart or respiratory-related conditions, we’ll need to know if you’ve ever had them.

Explore travel insurance for those with pre-existing medical conditions

Are there different levels of travel insurance for over 80-year-olds?

Once you start comparing quotes, you’ll find that cover generally varies from provider to provider. 

For example, one provider might offer more enhanced medical coverage than another provider - which is why our online quote comparison tool is so useful to customers, as it enables you to check where the best value is across a range of different quotes.

The cost will also vary depending on these factors - so it’s important to bear this in mind when comparing. You can also add extra cover for things like gadget protection or, if you are going on a holiday type which needs its own cover, such as a cruise holiday or winter sport holiday, we offer add-on cover.

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What’s not covered by over 80s travel insurance?

Exclusions vary on a policy-by-policy basis and depend on the provider. 

Some of the common exclusions over 80s may encounter include:

  • Undeclared medical issues - you need to ensure that you claim your pre-existing conditions when you purchase the policy. Otherwise, they won’t be covered should you claim. 
  • Undeclared activities - the same applies to any activities that may carry a potential risk.
  • Undeclared belongings - some policies might not cover you for any particularly valuable nonmedical items. 
  • Unattended or unprotected belongings - some providers might argue that particular items need to have been secured if you want to claim.

Tips when buying travel insurance over 80

Tip 1: Buy travel insurance as soon as you've booked a holiday
Congratulations on booking your trip! It’s a really exciting time. Our top tip is to buy your travel insurance as close to booking your holiday as possible to help cover any ‘just in case’ circumstances - such as last-minute cancellation or pre-trip illness.

Tip 2: Don’t forget to add your travelling companions
If you insure yourself separately rather than with a group, you could find that you’re not fully covered in the event of cancellation of curtailment due to a pre-existing medical condition of someone else in your group. That said, if your companions have no pre-existing medical conditions, they’ll simply get added security if added to your policy.

Tip 3: Check the length of trip duration on annuals
Make sure you check the maximum number of days allowed per trip in your annual travel insurance policy. If you’re looking to travel for more than 31 days, you might need a single trip policy for over 80s instead to cover a longer duration – typically up to 60 days. You might also find that some providers will be unable to offer annual cover altogether - in which case we’d advise looking for a single trip policy instead.

Compare the best deals and get cheap over 80s cover

We understand and appreciate that over 80s travel insurance might seem more costly that you’ve been accustomed to in years gone by.

You might therefore be tempted to go for a cheaper policy offering limited cover; however, we would always recommend carefully comparing policies to get the best deal, for the right level of coverage you need to ensure you’re fully protected, and you have total peace of mind.

The good news is that we’re on hand to help. We’re dedicated to making the process as simple as possible for you - comparing quotes from over 30 leading medical travel insurance providers. 

As a top-rated and highly-trusted price comparison site, we specialise in helping people with pre-existing medical conditions get the cover they need.

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Frequently Asked Questions

A pre-existing condition is a diagnosed medical condition that existed before taking out a policy. We'll ask a series of questions about the medical history for you and any travellers on your quote. If you answer yes to any of these, you will need to tell us about the traveller's conditions. This could be a condition that a traveller has now or has had in the past. If you are not sure what conditions you need to declare, we have online support available to help you 24/7!

It is simple and quick to do! After you've told us about your trip details and answered some medical history questions you can add your pre-existing conditions, one by one, for each traveller. You'll only need to enter your details once, it's all online and there's no need to call, or provide details of your conditions in writing.

Once you've declared all of your relevant pre-existing medical conditions, we'll only show you quotes based on the conditions you have told us about.

No, we are unable to provide cover with any of your pre-existing medical conditions excluded.
You will need to add each country that you are visiting. If you are on a flight stopover this will include any countries where you leave the airport. If you are on a cruise it includes any countries where your ship will be docking at.

* Price is based on 1 traveller aged 83, who has no medical conditions and is travelling to France for 7 nights. The price is correct as of October 2023. Prices may vary according to your individual requirements.


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If we're unable to help you find cover for a pre-existing medical condition, the Money Helper Directory has listings of companies that may be able to assist you. Further details can be found on their website.

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