When you’re looking for the right travel insurance plan, you’ll likely notice that you’ll be asked to enter your age or date of birth before you get your quote. In this instance, it isn’t just for the sake of identification–your age will effect the rate of your travel insurance policy.
The price of travel insurance is determined by:
- Age(s) of traveler(s)
- Number of travelers
- Total nonrefundable trip cost
The price of travel insurance is NOT determined by:
- Destination
- Medical history or pre-existing conditions
- Travel dates (most of the time)
Here’s what you should know before you request a travel insurance quote:
Provide Your Current Age
If you’re purchasing travel insurance for a trip down the line and you’ll have a birthday in between now and then, you might be wondering which age you should give them. The answer is to let the company know your current age, not how old you’ll be when you leave for your trip.
Travel Insurance Gets More Expensive the Older You Are
The older you are, the more costly your travel insurance policy could be. While that’s not a hard and fast rule, it’s typically the case for most travel insurance companies. Like what often happens with medical insurance, rates are based on level of risk. The assumption here is that the older we are, the greater likelihood that we’ll need to utilize our insurance coverage. Of course, if you or someone on your policy has any pre-existing medical conditions, you’ll want to make sure that any issues that might arise as a result of them are covered under your policy, regardless of how old they are.
Coverage Likely Won’t Change Based on Age
The good news is, most comprehensive single trip travel insurance policies maintain the same level of coverage regardless of your age. If you’re looking at comprehensive packages, review for coverage of emergency medical needs and evacuation, dental care, inpatient hospital stays, trip cancellation, travel delays, baggage delays, and more. That said, there are a few important exceptions (keep reading).
Restrictions for Travelers Over 70
If you or someone you’re traveling with is over 70 years old and you’re looking at a comprehensive single trip policy, some insurance companies will limit your medical insurance coverage. For those in their 70s, that limit could be $50,000 for any medical expenses incurred; for those in their 80s, the limit could be as low as $10,000. Make sure you read your policy for travelers in that age range to ensure that you have adequate benefits. You’ll also want to look at accidental death benefits. In the case of accidental death, most policies offer at least $100,000 in coverage. For minors, that amount might be limited to $25,000.
The bottom line is, you can definitely get adequate travel insurance coverage at any age from 14 days to 100 years old. Just review your options carefully and make sure that you have the coverage you and your family need.
