Travel Insurance for Over 70's

[Hvr]

Have no idea if it is any good but this organisation advertises 'no age limits'.

Travel | COTA Insurance

COTA Travel Insurance - our range of plans means you can choose the level of cover you need to suit the trip you're taking.

www.cota.com.au

 

[straitman]

Have no idea if it is any good but this organisation advertises 'no age limits'.

Travel | COTA Insurance

COTA Travel Insurance - our range of plans means you can choose the level of cover you need to suit the trip you're taking.

www.cota.com.au

See post #49 above.

 

[wandering_fred]

We are both over 70 and looking to cover an upcoming trip in October which includes Australia (Tassie one week) and SE Asia (one week plus) to show a Yankee visitor around.
COTA's quote is unclear on the Aussie portion (looking for travel related things like car rental excess as health is covered by Medicare etc) and was more than $100 more than Medibank's (as a paid up health insurance member) or TID's. Though I have yet to find out what the "reduced benefit levels" are with Medibank and the extent of their coverage of Aussie travel related items.
I think I will call TID and Medibank soonish and ask..... We're happy with the existing conditions risk (which we think are stable), but certainly want the accident health benefits.

Thinking about wandering
Fred

 

[JohnM]

I've just tried COTA for an 87-day trip next year, by which time I will be 70. After typing in all my destinations, it came up with 'Unable to cover destination.' - but didn't specify which one(s).

Short of trying each country one at a time, or removing the most likely one at a time, I don't know what sent them into a spin. But it's academic, as it's just removed COTA from contention.

I then tried Columbus Direct, which I used for my current 17-week trip. It spat the dummy at 62 days max for a single trip (60 days max per trip on an annual policy). Unless their trip duration limits have changed since last year, I'm assuming age 70 invokes some limit.

Then I tried Covermore. It spat the dummy and returned 'Can't be done online; phone.'

Then HBF, my WA private health fund. The wheel is still spinning after 5 minutes.

Gaaaahhhh....

 

[Major]

Have you tried Insure and Go ?

 

[JohnM]

Have you tried Insure and Go ?

No. I’ve given up for the rest of today. But I’ll scope them, thanks.

I’m currently in Rishikesh, India chilling at my hotel before going down to the Ganges to watch the evening prayer session. Ironically, it’s such a holy Hindu town (just where the river comes out of the hills onto the plain) that the whole town is dry and vegetarian! Just when I could do with a Kingfisher (good Indian beer).

I can’t take a trick.

Gaaahhh, again.

 

[VPS]

I can't remember but when I did 6 months away last year I either use BUPA or RAA (SA road company) and they had no problems with six months but then I'm not over 70 (yet)

 

[JohnM]

I can't remember but when I did 6 months away last year I either use BUPA or RAA (SA road company) and they had no problems with six months but then I'm not over 70 (yet)

I’m beginning to suspect that turning 70 triggers a lot of insurance nasties... .

 

[JohnM]

All is good!

I went back to the Columbus Direct website and realised that I had entered 70 as my age - but it is current age, not that at time of travel, that is required. Bingo! All covered for my 82-day trip next year.

Insure and Go also worked (they made a very definite point of saying to enter current age, not that at time of travel.) A little hard to make an exact comparison, but they seemed a tad more costly than Columbus. They also listed the countries they won't cover - which was handy, rather than filling out a list and then copping a rejection.

The upshot is from this little exercise that once turned 70, it looks like various significant changes occur. The duration of a trip limitation looks a real PITA.

Anyway, I'm now able to ignore it until next year!

 

[Antoallison]

All is good!

I went back to the Columbus Direct website and realised that I had entered 70 as my age - but it is current age, not that at time of travel, that is required. Bingo! All covered for my 82-day trip next year.

Insure and Go also worked (they made a very definite point of saying to enter current age, not that at time of travel.) A little hard to make an exact comparison, but they seemed a tad more costly than Columbus. They also listed the countries they won't cover - which was handy, rather than filling out a list and then copping a rejection.

The upshot is from this little exercise that once turned 70, it looks like various significant changes occur. The duration of a trip limitation looks a real PITA.

Anyway, I'm now able to ignore it until next year!

Last chance to travel to some of the more obscure or dangerous/unstable countries then @ JohnM !

Not really looking forward to reading the trip reports of a coach tour for senior citizens to New Zealand in 2021

 

[JohnM]

#$*% insurance companies . They should ask how old do you FEEL, not how old are you...

 

[get me outta here]

BTW, TID has a -12% promo on at the moment. They cover >70s.

 

[codash1099]

One of the traps I've found that many companies, even if they insure over 70's, place lower age limits for some allowed pre-existing conditions. To use TID as an example, they will cover asthma only up to a maximum of 60. I presume they might cover over 70's with a medical report, but would no doubt apply a premium.

This may well apply to other pre-existings (we elderly tend to have a few of these ).

 

[wandering_fred]

#$*% insurance companies . They should ask how old do you FEEL, not how old are you...

I might even settle if they were ask my GP how old I should be considered......

Just wandering
Fred

 

[JohnM]

I used to use TID, but then their price went through the roof a year or so ago and I haven’t looked at them since.

Apart from the looming age issue, some places I’m planning on going to (Chad, on a different trip next year to the one that set off my posting above, presents a, ahem, slight challenge ).

Others I have been to in the past, such as Sudan, Iran, Zimbabwe are on the excluded list of some companies (Insure and Go, with its clear listing of places it won’t cover, showed up those immediately).

Stuff the Seniors’ bus trip to NZ in 2021 ; I’m going down fighting .

 

[Xanthe]

Just a thought if we can now change our sex on our birth certificates, there would be a HUGE benefit in being able to change our age on said birth certificate. Ageism is one of the worst things in our society in my opinion.
My now 90 year mother is more hale and hearty than many 70 year olds. She is still working as a GP. She went skiing in Japan at age 86 a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed herself. We could not find any insurance at a reasonable price so made the following decisions (joke) : If she died - donate her body to the local medical school, if she got injured too badly, call in the local vet and have her put down (humanely). We also made sure we attended a medical conference at the skifield so we had lots of medical support if needed.

 

[JohnM]

I might even settle if they were ask my GP how old I should be considered......

Just wandering
Fred

Now, that is an interesting thought. An index of APPARENT age would be a great thing.

I take no medication, I’ve had no joints replaced, have a BMI of 24, can run several km, surf, hit the gym...; to top it off, I even have completely juvenile behaviour characteristics... , yet in 6 weeks I’m suddenly deemed to have fallen over a dribbling mess threshold .

Of course, if I could find an indecently young woman, I could try invoking the old adage that you’re only as old as the woman you feel . I wonder if those mongrel insurance companies would buy that line .

 

[JohnM]

Just a thought if we can now change our sex on our birth certificates, there would be a HUGE benefit in being able to change our age on said birth certificate. Ageism is one of the worst things in our society in my opinion.
My now 90 year mother is more hale and hearty than many 70 year olds. She is still working as a GP. She went skiing in Japan at age 86 a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed herself. We could not find any insurance at a reasonable price so made the following decisions (joke) : If she died - donate her body to the local medical school, if she got injured too badly, call in the local vet and have her put down (humanely). We also made sure we attended a medical conference at the skifield so we had lots of medical support if needed.

BRILLIANT - in both respects .

 

[amaroo]

This one has already attempted to lower his age ..... the court didn't agree.

Dutchman's attempt to slash 20 years off his age rejected by court

Motivational speaker Emile Ratelband wants his age dropped from 69 to 49 and claims it is like changing gender or names but a court says his bid would cause undesirable legal and social implications.

www.abc.net.au

 

[JohnM]

This one has already attempted to lower his age ..... the court didn't agree.

Dutchman's attempt to slash 20 years off his age rejected by court

Motivational speaker Emile Ratelband wants his age dropped from 69 to 49 and claims it is like changing gender or names but a court says his bid would cause undesirable legal and social implications.

www.abc.net.au

Hmmm, I wonder whether travel insurance restrictions simply based on age and not on objective bodily condition parameters is a basis for an age discrimination case...

Plus - I feel offended. Off to the HRC, maybe...