Travel insurance for over 70’s

Before the pandemic, I paid £1000 for three days in New York, the insurance cost more than the actual holiday. DH was reluctant to pay it, but I wanted to go, as it was on my bucket list.
Now, no-one will insure me. One agent told me that I have too many conditions!

I hope you manage to get it sorted, but remember to declare absolutely everything, no matter how trivial it seems.

You certainly need it for the USA. It is one of the most expensive countries to get sick in! We use Cover-More but it is probably just Australian. I had to claim after one trip because we both got Covid and they made us isolate in Raratonga for a week. They paid up within a week, very impressive.

I am on a cancer forum and Insurance with comes up frequently as a recommendation.

If you gat insurance (travel or otherwise) through “Compare the market”, you get Meetkat Rewards, which, if they appropriate for you, can be useful. I get 25% off Nero’s coffees twice a week (having got car insurance), as it is near to where I go to volunteer. You also get 2 for 1 Odeon cinema tickets on Tuesdays.

Please remember to take out travel insurance on the same day that you book the holiday. Even if the insurance is only for the days you are away you will be able to claim should you not be able to go. This is one of Martin Lewis's mantras

My travel insurance comes with my M and S credit card. There’s a monthly fee but it covers your spouse as well. The cover stops when you reach 80.
A friend of mine with some complex health issues got some good advice from Age UK.

I look on MoneySupermarket.com every time I need insurance, and fill in the medical forms for pre existing conditions. I’ve found it’s cheaper to get insurance for both of us together as I am 8 years younger than my husband, so it must be assumed that I am looking after him!

maytime2

You can have travel insurance with Lloyds Bank until you are 80. Nationwide provide travel insurance for the over 80's.
I know 2 people who have opened accounts with Nationwide to have this benefit. You do not need to change your current account, opening a savings account will suffice. I think there is a charge of about £14 per month.

I'm with Nationwide, aged 70 and they charge £65 pounds per year on top of monthly payments of £13 which includes breakdown cover and mobile phone insurance, so good value. Over 70 with medical conditions they charge you, well last year it was £168, you have to pay in a lump sum , no interest free payments. Which is why I've gone with someone else this year.

I have a Nationwide Flex plus account. For £13 a month (which has not changed in years) I have cover for travel for the 2 of us. Car breakdown inc homestart. Phone breakdown and whitegoods. I have called breakdown more than once, on one occasion my car was transported home over 200 miles and I was dropped off at a train station. I've had my phone repaired twice. When Mr J turned 70 I paid an upgrade of £65. Now we are both over 70 I pay the same £65 upgrade annually for the two of us. There may be an additional charge if there are any medical issues. The total annual cover is £221 all in. Customer service is excellent, always put through to friendly, helpful staff. Cannot fault the service and I highly recommend.

I’ve just checked the Nationwide FlexPlus insurance documents. The policy goes up to 70 without additional charges. Over that it’s £65 per year, and over-70s have to have medical screening annually.

Charges for existing conditions would be on top of that. I think we paid both the age and existing conditions for my husband for one year, and then the quote for the latter went through the roof, so we switched.

I have annual European travel insurance with STAYSURE insurance who I think is very good, but last year I had to go to America for a week. Staysure was very expensive to include USA even for a week but I got a good insurance with Tesco that covered all my pre existing conditions. I increased my excesses that reduced it a bit.
I know some banks travel insurance have an additional cost to cover some pre existing conditions.

We have many pre-existing conditions in our late 70's and use Staysure. They are very good and we had no problem getting our money back when we had to cancel.

Tilly8

Any advice please? We are due to travel to America with family in September for a couple of weeks. We will both be over 70 when we fly. I’ve been looking at taking out travel insurance ( we were covered through our bank account but that was withdrawn when we reached 70 😳). I’ve been quoted over £1000 each trip only 😱😱. My husband is on Warfarin and has asthma. I have diverticula disease, kidney disease and controlled BP. Any help would be appreciated - I haven’t slept for worrying.

I've just had a quote from Stay Sure for £252, the lowest is £207, basic, and that is for a year. Am also on anticoagulant, and other medicines. Might be worth giving them a try.

Nannyannie51

If youre under 70 its worth joining National Federation of Pensioners. They offer yearly travel insurance worldwide for just under 400 for a couple. No medical questions.

Over 70 when they fly. So cannot insure for under 70 as would then invalidate the policy, surely.

Unfortunately, with the USA, it’s think of a number and double it!
Years ago, my disabled DD had to supply her insurance policy number before Thomas Cook (remember them) would book her on a flight to New York. She’s with Staysure, but of course, isn’t old!
I’m 72 and insured through the Post Office, but with no health problems other than controlled BP, which isn’t much help to you.

I hope you get some ‘names’ from other GNs. I’m sure there’s an old thread you could look up on the same issue.

As far as I’m aware, the insurance that comes with Nationwide’s (fee-charging) accounts stops at 70 - ours did, anyway.

We switched our joint account to the Co-op, where we pay £15 a month (so £180 a year), and get RAC membership, mobile phone insurance and worldwide travel insurance up to the age of 80.

It does not include existing conditions. We pay an additional £80 a year for my husband’s life limiting illness, plus a few less serious things.

It does not include winter sports, and we have found it cheaper to buy a specially designed bolt-on policy from elsewhere for this, on an as and when basis. It has a 45 day limit per trip, which may be problematic for some.

We have never, thankfully, had to claim, so no idea how well that works.

It’s the Nationwide Flexplus account - account holder and family covered for travel and breakdown, mobile phone loss . It’s otherwise an ordinary current account ( it used to pay interest but sadly no longer. Still worth having though).

I’ve looked into this recently - quoted about £90 for a single trip with Insurancewith and about £106+ through Comparethemarket ( for Europe). About £200 for multi trip. Both 75, I have medical conditions.

You can have travel insurance with Lloyds Bank until you are 80. Nationwide provide travel insurance for the over 80's.
I know 2 people who have opened accounts with Nationwide to have this benefit. You do not need to change your current account, opening a savings account will suffice. I think there is a charge of about £14 per month.

maytime2

I have stage 4 lung cancer, which is being managed really well at the moment. After having the go-ahead from my consultant I decided to book a round Britain cruise so would need insurance. I am nearly 79 and previously had insurance through my bank, it was free for many years, but I knew that they would no longer insure me.
I saw a booklet printed by the MacMillan Cancer Charity called Travel and Cancer. It advised to look on MacMillan Travel Forum, which I did. There were a number of insurance firms on there who were willing to insure cancer patients. I only phoned the one that seemed to be recommended by most and was given a quote of £300 for this 12 day cruise. It was called Insurance With Tel No. 0333 005 1066 They are prepared to insure me for any holiday in Europe including Canary Islands and Madeira.

I was reminded of the sketch in Little Britain where "The computer says no" because I had to supply the details of the holiday, date and cost before the computer decided through its algorithms whether I could be insured or not. The person from the insurance company could not let me know herself.

Good luck, and I hope you are successful. I think we all need a holiday after this dreadful winter.

I used InsuranceWith as well. It cost me £70 for a week in Italy last summer. You get to talk to a real person. Don’t worry if the online form says the insurance cannot be completed. They will call you back and go through a whole series of questions. Hopefully they will be able to help.

Good luck

I know its dreadful we both have declarable conditions. My husband calls it the third person on our trip. Not sure who we used but will check.

Our bank charges and additional fee when clients turn 70 so it may be worth switching banks. It’s Nationwide and they also pay you for switching!

I have stage 4 lung cancer, which is being managed really well at the moment. After having the go-ahead from my consultant I decided to book a round Britain cruise so would need insurance. I am nearly 79 and previously had insurance through my bank, it was free for many years, but I knew that they would no longer insure me.
I saw a booklet printed by the MacMillan Cancer Charity called Travel and Cancer. It advised to look on MacMillan Travel Forum, which I did. There were a number of insurance firms on there who were willing to insure cancer patients. I only phoned the one that seemed to be recommended by most and was given a quote of £300 for this 12 day cruise. It was called Insurance With Tel No. 0333 005 1066 They are prepared to insure me for any holiday in Europe including Canary Islands and Madeira.

I was reminded of the sketch in Little Britain where "The computer says no" because I had to supply the details of the holiday, date and cost before the computer decided through its algorithms whether I could be insured or not. The person from the insurance company could not let me know herself.

Good luck, and I hope you are successful. I think we all need a holiday after this dreadful winter.

I looked at over 70 travel insurance sites snd found quite a number to choose from.
We chose an annual joint policy for £400 world wide travel but excluding USA and Caribbean which would be extra
Think it was Oasis travel. Might be worth a look.

Saga used to be good for travel insurance and often the cost was included in the holiday.