Medical Travel Insurance for Seniors- Things You Need to Know
Medical travel insurance for seniors is a topic that many elderly adults overlook. If you’re over 65 and still want to fulfill your dream of exploring new places, you should make sure that you have senior travel insurance before you set out. Getting covered for those times when you’re far from home is important so that you can meet any medical emergencies that might arise.
Aside from that, just keeping an elderly travel insurance policy provides you with the much-needed peace of mind needed to enjoy your travels. When you know that any medical expenses incurred abroad will be reimbursed, you’re able to move forward with your plans knowing full well that any medical emergency you encounter will not turn your vacation into a nightmare or worse, leave you broke.
While it used to be difficult to get medical travel insurance for seniors, the stigma of age is slowly being lifted as more and more insurance companies offer medical travel insurance to the elderly while they’re abroad. Instead of using only age as the determining factor to deny a travel insurance policy to someone 60 years old, more companies are using other gauges like the destination and the type of travel (e.g. adventure, leisurely) to decide if they will cover the trip. This has resulted to additional flexibility for seniors when it comes to choosing the kind of policy that best meets their needs.
The Best Medical Travel Insurance for Seniors
If you are a senior citizen, chances are you will have some form of pre-existing condition. It is rare for an older adult not to have a cardiovascular or respiratory condition and this is perfectly understandable when you’re advanced in years.
Whether you have asthma, high blood pressure, heart disease, or arthritis, the ideal seniors travel insurance is one that covers all pre-existing medical conditions. A pre-existing medical condition refers to an illness or sickness that you are currently suffering from, or something that you’ve been diagnosed with previously.
You should also try to find medical travel insurance for seniors that will transport you to the nearest medical facility should any medical emergencies arise. This is especially important if you are traveling to a country where the medical equipment and facilities are not adequate to treat your condition.
You should also opt for senior citizen travel insurance that provides 24-hour assistance whenever you need help locating a doctor or facility at your travel destination in the event of any emergency.
Finally, you don’t want to be hassled by any lengthy reimbursement or claims process during recovery. While you will usually have to pay out of your own pocket when obtaining treatment abroad, choose medical travel insurance for seniors that has a history of providing prompt payments on claims.
Elderly Travel Insurance – A Word on Medicines
Should you need to bring medication with you on your travels, make sure that what you have on hand is sufficient to last you the entire trip. This is especially true for maintenance medications your doctor may prescribe. Bringing enough medication is important since not all drugs available in the United States are sold in other parts of the world. Make sure that you also carry your doctor’s prescription with you.
Medical Travel Insurance for Seniors – Additional Words of Caution
Aside from your prescription, make sure that you also have a certification with you especially when you are bringing medicines that contain narcotics (this could be illegal in countries where you’re going and you could get arrested for possession of such drugs). You might also consider wearing a bracelet that specifies any conditions or allergies you may have. This is helpful should medical personnel abroad need to administer medications while you are unconscious.
Store your medications in different bags — have one in your carry-on and the others in your other luggage. This way, if any of your bags get lost or stolen, you still have meds.
Senior Travel Insurance Tips – Fascilitating Claims
In the event that you should fall ill during your trip, you can observe certain guidelines to ensure that you won’t have problems while processing senior insurance claim when you return.
First of all, when it comes to medical travel insurance for seniors, always make sure that you get an itemized statement of any medical expenses you incurred during your hospitalization. Don’t settle for just a bill with the total cost on it as this may not be honored by your insurance company and cause problems when filing your claim. Request that the hospital itemize all charges, including doctor’s fees.
Next, make sure that you follow the pre-certification provision in your senior travel insurance policy if it exists. Pre-certification means that you have to notify your seniors travel insurance provider of any upcoming non-emergency testing, surgery, or other medical procedures. If you don’t, they could deny reimbursement if and when you file a claim (of course, this does not apply to emergencies). However, you or someone with you should still call the insurance company as soon as you’ve received treatment in order to inform them of the situation.
To facilitate this, make sure you have a copy of your policy number with you at all times so that you can provide all pertinent information when making the call.
Finally, make sure that you do not go to the hospital emergency room to seek treatment for non-emergency cases after regular hospital working hours. Unless it’s a true emergency, most medical travel insurance for seniors will not cover such treatment. Call the 24-hour customer service number first so they can direct you to the facility which will attend to your needs. This way, even if you are directed to a hospital emergency room, your policy will still reimburse you for all your expenses.
The Importance of Elderly Travel Insurance
Anything can happen while you’re on the road, and the risks of falling ill while travelling increase as you age. However, this should never be a deterrent to going out and enjoying all the beauty and wonders that this world has to offer. Make your travel a safe and memorable experience — get medical travel insurance for seniors before embarking on your journey.
