Travel Insurance for Canadian Seniors

Many Canadians look forward to having more time to travel in their later years. Retirement offers new freedoms and, with many of life’s major goals achieved, exploring the world can feel like a time for new adventures.

Yet concerns about getting health care abroad can cause some would-be travellers to play it safe and just stay home. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Affordable travel insurance for Canadian seniors can make a real difference. With the right coverage, meaningful trips can become more possible. Older people can feel protected and reassured knowing they’ll have the emergency medical support they might need if an unexpected illness or medical issue arises.

To highlight factors that tend to be important for older travellers, we’re suggesting you focus on understanding these 3 rules when you need to buy travel insurance:

While the length of a trip and frequency of travel impacts how much travel medical insurance will cost, for older persons it’s their overall health that figures prominently in an insurer’s decision on whether to approve a policy or not.

As we age, the risk of health challenges naturally goes up. That’s where travel insurance for Canadian seniors with pre-existing medical conditions—any medical issues you have now or had before you applied—come into play. Conditions can range from serious, chronic health disorders or surgeries (e.g., cardiovascular disease, COPD, previous cancers) to milder long-standing conditions, simply treated by prescription medication.

But while pre-existing conditions may feel like an obstacle to qualifying for insurance, if your condition has been “stable” for a certain period—typically 90-180 days (up to a year for high-risk diagnoses)—you could still get approved.

A condition is considered stable if:

1. There has not been any new treatment prescribed or recommended or change to existing treatment (including a stoppage in treatment).
2. There has not been any change in medication, or any recommendation or starting of a new prescription drug.
3. The medical condition has not become worse.
4. There have not been any new, more frequent, or more severe symptoms.
5. There has been no hospitalization or referral to a specialist.
6. There have not been any tests, investigation or treatment recommended, but not yet complete, nor any outstanding test results.
7. There is no planned or pending treatment.

What’s most important is to be transparent and disclose any condition you may have when you fill out your medical questionnaire.

Insurance companies assess the risk of insuring a person on a case-by-case basis. They assign a value—the cost of the policy—to the amount of risk they’re willing to take on your behalf.

Some insurers won’t provide travel insurance for Canadian seniors over 80. Manulife, however, takes several factors, including age, into account.

As part of the application process and for certain types of plans, travel medical insurance providers typically require the following:

• For persons under age 60 – Most plans are available (medical questionnaire usually not required)
• For persons age 60-84 – Many plans are still available (medical questionnaire is typically required)
• For persons age 85 and over – Coverage may be limited to certain plans (availability depends more on individual circumstances)

After age 60, emergency medical insurance rates usually increase in five-year increments (e.g., 60, 65, 70, 75 and so on).

While it may be tempting to omit certain health information on a medical questionnaire, full disclosure is crucial. That’s because if an insurer learns—later—that you neglected to tell them something important about your health status, the policy may be deemed completely invalid.

Emergency medical travel health insurance for seniors provides coverage where Canadian publicly funded health care doesn’t. Even for travel between provinces, provincial health plans don’t always cover all emergency medical expenses one province to another.

The value a policy gives older travellers equals the amount the insurer will pay to cover your emergency medical expenses. And expenses, like hospital stays if you need one, can easily grow to six figures.

It’s vital to clarify the maximum payout your policy may provide. You may also want the flexibility to extend your insurance. For example, ‘snowbirds’ (Canadians who leave winter behind to go to warmer climates) may find they need to lengthen coverage after they’ve already left home.

Understanding the quirks inherent to seniors’ travel insurance—and being prepared to ask the right questions when applying—can help you make the smartest decision for you and your family. While there may be a few more questions to answer if you’re an older traveller, policies remain available to a wide range of age groups, over age 60, and beyond.