It’s harder for older people to get travel insurance primarily because insurers see them as higher risk, which affects both availability and cost. Here’s why:
Increased Health Risks: As people age, they’re more likely to have medical issues—chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, or arthritis, or just a higher chance of sudden illness or injury. Insurers base premiums on statistics, and data shows older travelers are more prone to costly claims. For example, a 2020 study from the National Institute on Aging noted that 54% of people over 65 have two or more chronic conditions, raising the odds of needing emergency care abroad.
Post Office Travel Insurance for any age
For weekend breaks to one year trips Cruise cover provided as standard!
Optional extras - including ski, cruise & golf insurance Choose from single trip, annual multi-trip or backpacker cover 24/7 medical emergency helpline
- Example Quote* - £32.36 (PO Single Trip)
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Travel Supermarket Comparison
Travelsupermarket insurance will give you a broad view of the whole of the travel insurance options for your longer stay trip. Compare 120 holiday insurance policies from over 50 travel insurance providers including SAGA, Staysure and Allclear.
- Policies tailored to you
- Cover from just £6.00
> GET A QUOTE FROM TRAVEL SUPERMARKET
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Staysure Travel Insurance for ANY AGE
5 Star reviews on Trustpilot than any other travel insurance provider.
Covering you for one trip to any worldwide destination, with no upper age limit 100% of claims are progressed to the decision stage within 2 days of receiving all documents
- 99% of global destinations covered
- Example Quote* - £55.00
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Avanti Insurance for the Over 65s
Single Trip Travel Insurance covers anyone up to the age of 120! Cancellation cover starts as soon as you take out the policy and ends when you’re back home again. Ideal if you are planning on a long stay in the winter sun of Spain or Portugal, or further afield like Mexico or Thailand.
- Example Quote* - £29.00
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Good to Go for the over 80s
Goodtogoinsurance.com provides travel insurance cover to travellers of any age, with or without pre-existing medical conditions. They can also cover your travelling companions on the same policy.
- Pre existing conditons such as Cancer, Heart Conditions, Diabetes, Stroke, Epilepsy and many more
- Single trip and annual travel insurance with no age limit
- Three levels of travel insurance cover available and No AGE LIMITS!
- Example Quote* - £67.34 (Silver Policy)
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Globelink Insurance for seniors up to 89
Single trip policies are available for up to 89 year olds, Over 50 pre-existing medical conditions covered for free
24/7 medical emergency helpline - we’re there if you need us
- Example Quote* - £40.99
> GET A QUOTE FROM GLOBELINK
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Columbus Insurance up to the age of 85
Columbus offer a range of flexible single-trip policies from just £2.69 and annual policies from £22(1) covering both Europe and Worldwide destinations. All policies include cover for over 150 sports and activities. For those with a more adventurous streak, many more daring activities can be covered for a small extra premium.
- Example Quote* - £12.69
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Pre-Existing Conditions: Many seniors have pre-existing medical conditions, which insurers often exclude unless specifically covered (and even then, it jacks up the price). Declaring these conditions is a must—hiding them can void a policy—but it narrows the pool of willing providers and increases premiums. Some companies flat-out refuse coverage if the conditions are too severe.
Higher Medical Costs Abroad: If something goes wrong, treatment and repatriation (flying someone back home) can be astronomically expensive, especially in places like the U.S. where healthcare costs are sky-high. Older travelers are more likely to need these services, so insurers either hike rates or impose strict limits. For instance, emergency medical evacuation can easily top £100,000, a risk insurers can’t ignore.
Age Limits: Some companies set upper age caps—say, 75 or 80—for annual policies or even single-trip coverage. They might offer it to younger travelers but cut off seniors entirely or restrict trip length (e.g., 31 days max instead of 90). This isn’t universal—specialist insurers exist with no age limit—but mainstream options shrink as you get older.
Underwriting Assumptions: Insurers often assume seniors are more “adventurous” in destination choice (think remote or exotic spots) or less mobile, increasing perceived risk. Even if you’re just visiting family in Europe, the pricing reflects this broad-brush approach. Posts on X have echoed this frustration, with users citing “old age” itself being treated as a pre-existing condition by some providers.
Profit Motive: Private insurers aren’t charities—they’re in it to make money. Older clients, with their higher claim likelihood, eat into profits unless premiums are jacked up or coverage is limited. A sentiment on X nailed it: “Why would they insure the elderly? They get sick more, and insurers want profit.”
That said, it’s not impossible—specialist providers like Staysure or AllClear cater to seniors, often covering pre-existing conditions with no upper age limit. But the trade-off is cost: a policy for a 70-year-old can run 7-9% of trip expenses (per Forbes, 2025), way more than for a 30-year-old. Shopping around, declaring everything upfront, and picking single-trip over annual policies can help, but the deck’s stacked against older travelers from the start.
Claim Denials: If you don’t declare a condition and later claim for it (or something related), they can refuse payment, saying you withheld info. X users have vented about this—e.g., one got denied for a “mild asthma” flare-up they didn’t mention.
Examples in Travel Insurance
You’ve got high blood pressure, controlled with meds. You don’t declare it, then have a heart attack abroad. Insurer says, “That’s linked to your undeclared condition—claim denied.”
You had knee surgery 3 years ago. You twist it skiing. They might cover it if it’s unrelated, but if it’s the same knee and within their look-back period, nope.
How to Handle It
Declare Everything: When applying, list all conditions, meds, and treatments. Honesty avoids surprises.
Get a Waiver: Some travel insurers offer “pre-existing condition waivers” if you buy early (often within 14 days of booking) and meet criteria (e.g., you’re fit to travel at purchase).
Specialist Plans: Companies like Goodtogo or Just Travel Cover cater to people with conditions, covering stuff standard policies wonპ
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focus on insuring people with pre-existing conditions, often at a higher cost but with fewer exclusions.
Why It’s Tricky
The rub is that pre-existing doesn’t always mean “active.” You could be stable—say, asthma with no attacks in years—but insurers still see it as a liability. Plus, what’s “pre-existing” can get fuzzy: if you had a cough last month and get pneumonia on your trip, they might argue it’s connected. This gray area fuels disputes, as seen in X posts where people complain about insurers “fishing” for any excuse to deny claims.
In short, a pre-existing condition is anything in your medical past or present that could raise the odds of a claim. Insurers use it to limit their risk, so you’ve got to read the fine print, disclose everything, and maybe shop for tailored coverage.