Why do people over 70 need travel insurance?
If you are over 70 and need emergency medical treatment while you’re away, this can be very expensive. Medical travel insurance for the over 70’s covers up to £15million for medical expenses – including our enhanced COVID-19 cover and all pre-existing medical conditions that you have declared.
The COVID-19 vaccination for over 70s
The COVID-19 vaccination throughout the UK has been a positive step forward for the over 70s. We’re all excited that travelling could be possible as early as May 2021.
Chris Rolland, CEO of AllClear says “A vaccine has transformed fear to hope and will bring forward people’s travel plans.”
According to our latest survey of over 3000 customers (February 2021), 68% feel more confident to travel this summer following vaccination.
You won’t have to declare the COVID-19 vaccination for your over 70’s travel insurance policy although a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 will have to be declared. A Coronavirus vaccination does not affect the cover we can offer or the premium of your policy but will help provide peace of mind to travel.
FCDO travel advice for over 70s
Providing that the FCDO are not currently advising against travelling, then AllClear can cover you. Our policies will cover emergency medical costs, cancellation and personal property. Check the latest travel advice from the FCDO and WHO before you book your holiday!
COVID-19 cover for the over 70s
In our latest survey, 36% of you said that the best travel insurance that would fully cover you for Coronavirus was a top priority. AllClear now offers enhanced Coronavirus cover if you contract Covid-19 while abroad.
Our annual travel report showed that safety is more important to our customers now than ever before.
“The success of the vaccine rollout gives grounds to believe the travel sector will recover strongly in 2021,” according to Chris Rolland, CEO of AllClear.
Benefits of an AllClear Policy
Main Benefits
- Cancellation and Curtailment covered up to £25,000, including for Covid-19
- Up to £15 million emergency medical expenses cover, including for Covid-19
- Up to 30 days FREE extended cover (if due to unexpected circumstances beyond your control)
- Up to £2,000, if medically necessary, for a friend or relative to travel from your home area to stay with you if you fall ill with Covid-19 (costs for room and to accompany you home)
- Repatriation costs, when medically necessary, to bring you back to the UK where it is deemed to be in your best interests
- Following recovery from Coronavirus, costs for a continued recuperation stay, when medically necessary and under doctors advice
- Costs for your return flight following your enforced stay due to Coronavirus
- Personal Belongings covered up to £3,000
- All conditions. All ages.
All these figures are per person, and per trip.
Will you be covered if you’re travelling during the COVID-19 pandemic?
There are three things to check so that you can make sure you're covered:
- You must be fit to travel
- The FCDO must NOT have advised against travel to your destination - check the FCDO travel advice
- You must follow the local government advice for your destination, checking and following their guidelines and entry requirements
You can then be covered for emergency medical expenses and cancellation for a positive diagnosis of COVID-19, with AllClear travel insurance with enhanced Coronavirus cover. Existing policyholders should read our Frequently Asked Questions if your trip is affected by Covid-19.
Competitor comparison table
| This table shows how AllClear Travel Insurance compares to other providers i | AllClear | Staysure | Avanti | Saga |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trust | ||||
| 5-star Trustpilot reviews | 82% | 77% | 77% | 71% |
| TrustScore | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.6 |
| 5-star Defaqto rated | ||||
| Good Housekeeping endorsement | ||||
| Established for 20+ years | ||||
| Product | ||||
| Maximum cancellation cover | £25k | £15k | £7.5k | £10k |
| Minimum standard excess | £0 | £65 | £0 | £70 |
| Baggage delay benefit after 12 hours i | £250 | £0 | £75 | £250 |
| Number of product choices | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| No age limits i | ||||
| Travel companion cover | ||||
| Terminal conditions cover | ||||
| Cancellations | ||||
| Admin fee for cancelling during the cooling off period | £0 | £25 | £25 | £0 |
| Refund provided outside of cooling off period | ||||
| Claims | ||||
| Claims paid within 5 working days i | 100% | 95% | N/A | N/A |
Flexible, tailored medical insurance for the over 70s
1. Call us or click a quote button on our site
Once you are ready to start the quote process, the first step is to provide your personal details and information about your holiday plans.2. Complete our simple medical screening process
You then declare the medical conditions for you (and any other travellers) and answer the specifically designed medical questions.3. Get your quotes
You will then get your quotes and can either proceed to buy, or save your quote, at this stage.Optional Extras for the Over 70s
AllClear policies offer you the chance to tailor your policy to suit your individual needs. If you are going on a cruise holiday then it is vital that you tell us so we can add the correct level of cover to your policy. Optional extras can enhance your policy and give you the cover you need.
- Cruise Cover – providing the FCDO are not advising against travelling on a cruise, then add cruise cover to your policy so that any medical treatment needed while on the cruise ship will be covered
- Gadget Cover – if you want extra protection for your personal electronic items, then add gadget cover to your policy
- Golf cover – if you are playing golf on holiday then add golf cover to your AllClear policy and let us protect your equipment as well as other aspects of your golf holiday
Cover for over 70s with pre-existing medical conditions
Each pre-existing condition differs from person to person. To make sure that yours are protected, declare all pre-existing medical conditions during the screening process. AllClear considers all medical conditions and has covered over 1300 different medical conditions.
What’s a pre-existing medical condition?
A pre-existing medical condition is any condition you have been diagnosed with or have taken prescribed medication for in the last 5 years.
Some examples of pre-existing medical conditions we can cover are:
- High Blood Pressure
- Diabetes
- High Cholesterol
- Heart Disease / Heart Attack / Heart Failure
- Cancer
- Stroke
- DVT
- Osteo/Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Atrial Fibrillation
GHIC cover for over 70s
Since Brexit in Dec 2020, the GHIC card has launched as part of the agreement between the UK and the EU. This ensures that UK residents will still receive certain levels of cover while travelling in Europe. The GHIC card, however, will not cover all medical costs that may occur while you are away. That’s why it’s important to have a comprehensive travel insurance policy in place before you leave the UK as well. The GHIC is valid in the 27 countries within the EU.
Why choose AllClear?
Our dedication to customer satisfaction has helped us to understand our customers and to make sure that we put their needs first. We have won many awards for our level of service and our policies have been rated at 5-stars independently.
Our current Trustpilot rating in 4.9 – See what our customers are saying.
Quick and simple to use
“Quick and simple to use. You find the cover you want, pick and price and it’s all done ✔ Will recommend to my friends it is difficult to get insurance over 75, but when you are fit and well why should it be so troublesome?” Debbie Howard, Trustpilot
Read AllClear Trustpilot Reviews
Travel Tips for over 70’s
Whether you want to relax on the beach, have an adventure, or a little bit of both, we’ve got the cover for you. Our AllClear Gold policy can include jet skiing, horse riding, scuba diving, safari and gorilla trekking, cycling, and even camel riding!
- If you’re taking medication then speak to your GP before your journey. Ask about any adjustments you might need to make in different time zones and make sure you have enough medication to cover your whole journey, with some to spare in case of a delay
- Mention your needs ahead of time to your travel agent, hotel and airport staff, when making arrangements – you might be surprised how helpful people can be
- Cancellation cover starts as soon as your policy, so booking your travel insurance early can really pay off. If you sort this out as quickly as possible then you can tick another thing off the pre-holiday checklist
- Familiarise yourself with your travel insurance documents before travelling. A handy tip is highlighting all emergency numbers and contacts in case you need to use them or even saving them to your phone for ease of access
- Have you lost your documents? Speak to our friendly Customer Care Team via Live Chat or give us a call on 0800 640 4811, and we’ll get you a replacement copy
Frequently asked questions for over 70s travel insurance
Can you get over 70s travel insurance if you have a medical condition?
Just because you are over 70 with a medical condition doesn’t mean you should stop travelling, it just means that you need the right travel insurance. There are plenty of insurers offering cover for over 70s on the market, however it’s best that you buy comprehensive cover for peace of mind.
Is there anything you can't be covered for when you're over 70?
An Optional Extra which does have an age limit is Winter Sports, which is available up to the age of 76. However, we offer a diverse range of other Optional Extras which have no age limits, including Waiting list, Golf, Travelling companion, Travel disruption, and Extended stay.
For any other activities not listed in your policy booklet, you can contact our Customer Care Team.
Does being over 70 affect how long you can travel?
If you buy a single trip policy online you can travel up to 92 days.
The maximum trip length for annual cover differs by provider.
Should you get a single trip or annual multi-trip policy?
Single trip travel insurance is a policy that covers you for a one-off trip on selected dates. It has the great benefit of allowing you to travel for longer: up to 365 days in one trip!
If you’re planning on getting away a few times in the next 12 months, buying an annual multi-trip policy can be cheaper. Also, annual cover gives you the freedom to travel as many times as you like throughout the year! The maximum trip duration does change between annual multi-trip policies. As an example, you can travel up to 45 days per trip on AllClear Gold and Gold Plus annual multi-trip cover – however old you are. And you can even pay a little bit more to get an extension for up to 55 days!
What if you are on a waiting list for treatment?
We’re pleased to say you can include Waiting list cover on AllClear Gold and Gold Plus policies.
Does the over 70’s travel insurance cover damages from natural disasters?
To be covered for natural disasters, such as a hurricane or earthquake, you can add our Optional Extra of Travel Disruption.
How often can you travel with over 70's annual travel insurance?
For AllClear Gold and Gold Plus annual multi-trip policies, you can take any number of trips during the year. Rather than needing to tell us exactly where you’ll be, you only need to select your preferred region of the cover.
However, there may be restrictions on how many times you can travel in 12 months for other providers on our quote panel. You can also check out the maximum trip duration for each holiday per provider here.
How to make sure you are ‘Fit to travel’?
You don’t need to provide us with a certificate from your doctor, but you will need to confirm you’re fit to travel at the time of getting a quote or purchasing a policy. If you need to make a claim, you may require a letter from your doctor confirming that you were fit to travel at the time you bought your policy, and the date when you were declared unfit to travel.
What if you buy an over 70’s travel policy then your medical conditions change?
If you have bought an over 70’s travel policy and you need to amend a detail of your declared medical conditions then simply get in touch at the earliest possible opportunity and we will update your details.
It’s important to let us know of any changes before you travel to ensure your policy is the most up to date and you’re still covered.
How can we help you find over 70's travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions?
Most travel insurance policies are optional, but if you recently have or had a medical condition such as diabetes, high blood pressure or stroke, buying medical travel insurance might be a prerequisite to your travel.
We are an experienced medical travel insurance provider. Many of our customers have pre-existing medical conditions. For most medical conditions we can provide full cover, including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
Author notes. By Daniel Davies, AllClear Medical and Travel Content Creator. “It’s important to us that our customers are given all the information they need before making their decisions. We go the extra mile, making sure customers are well informed and feel secure before they travel.”
Edited by Letitia Smith, MSc, Content Manager.
