Study shows travel insurance cost for the elderly is up

Rates on travel insurance soar following one’s 70th birthday, according to a recently published report.

The article was published in Holiday Which? magazine, and found that over 70s are faced with significantly higher premiums should they wish to get holiday insurance. Not only that, individuals of an advanced age could face numerous other problems.

Some insurers have strict upper age limits for taking on new clients, including health insurance and life insurance providers. Travel insurers also supply upper-age limits, and many OAPs have to rely on the EHIC card to travel abroad.

Which? offered advice to the elderly looking to get travel insurance. This included: keeping medical records close to hand, and being prepared to stay on the phone for a much longer period of time than usual. Furthermore, most insurance companies insist on speaking to the individual seeking insurance themselves, and not to someone phoning or applying on their behalf.

Although some health insurance policies can extend to provide Europe-wide or even global cover, the premiums on this type of policy are likely to be high.