India travel insurance for senior citizens

Given the close family ties that Indians retain despite living in different parts of the world, it is common to find Indian senior citizens traveling overseas. Older travellers quite often have pre-existing medical ailments and therefore have unique needs in their overseas travel insurance plans. We have identified the Indian overseas travel insurance plans that are specially designed as travel insurance for senior citizens.

Here is some perspective on pre-existing conditions which is very relevant in travel insurance for older travellers. A pre-existing condition means any condition, ailment or injury or related condition(s) for which the insured had signs or symptoms, and / or were diagnosed, and / or received medical advice/ treatment, within 48 months prior to commencement of the first Policy issued by the Insurer. This means that if the insured is traveling abroad with a pre-existing condition and avails of any treatment abroad, the insurance company will not be liable for paying the claim. On eIndiaInsurance, we have overseas mediclaim insurance for older travellers with options for including a pre existing illness coverage.

Older Traveller Overseas Mediclaim Insurance Travel Insurance Tips

Which is the best travel medical insurance in India for senior citizens?

Senior Citizens are normally categorised as individuals who are above the age of 60 years. What is interesting and encouraging is that this section of travellers have been growing steadily over the years and this has encouraged the Indian Travel insurance companies to have customised products for this category of travellers. Senior Citizens are not only now travelling to visit family and friends but also as tourists willing to spend their hard earned savings on travelling and seeing the world, soaking up new experiences each time.
Senior Citizens travelling must ensure to have sufficient insurance coverage prior to their departure from India. This is critical because the propensity for having an unexpected illness or accident is slightly higher when compared to lower age categories and hence insurance coverage is a must. The Indian Senior Citizen plans offer coverages from $25,000 to $100,000 (INR ₹ 70,00,000) of Accident & Sickness coverage which is sufficient cover when they travel abroad. It is also advisable to choose plans which have Trip Cancellation as part of the coverage since there could be a possibility of the trip being cancelled and this will enable a reimbursement of the non-refundable portion of the air, hotel and other tour bookings.

Does Travel insurance premium go up at age 70?

One of the factors that determine the insurance premium is the age of the traveller apart from the duration of travel, destination country and the Accident & Sickness Sum Insured opted for. This means that the premium payable for a 70 year old traveller will be higher than that of a 35 year old assuming they are both opting for the same coverage, and visiting the same destination country for the same duration of time. Based on historical data, there is a propensity for more frequent and larger medical claims as the age of the traveller increases.
Having said that, it is important to note that irrespective of the premium difference, it is critically important for both the 70 year old and 35 year old traveller to remain insured on their international trip. There could be a medical or non-medical emergency that hits them unexpectedly and the insurance coverage will come in handy to deal with the financial loss from such an emergency. An unplanned medical emergency could set the traveller back by a few thousand $ USD or £ GBP or € Euros, which can be managed through an insurance plan.

Is there an age limit on travel insurance?

As per the plans offered by all insurance companies, the normal age of coverage is upto 70 years of age. However some of them have Senior Citizen plans without any age capping and other offering coverage between 80 and 99 years. The maximum age limit offered by the various insurance providers is tabled below for your immediate perusal.

Apollo Munich Health Insurance	Upto 80 years
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance	Upto 99 years
Cholamandalam Travel Insurance	Upto 80 years
GO Digit General Insurance Limited	Upto 60 years
Future Generali India Insurance Co Ltd	Upto 80 years
HDFC Ergo General Insurance Co Ltd	Upto 70 years
Religare Health Insurance Company Limited	No Max Age Restriction
Reliance General Insurance Co Ltd	No Max Age Restriction
Royal Sundaram General Insurance Co Ltd	No Max Age Restriction
Tata AIG General Insurance Co Ltd	No Max Age Restriction

What is the maximum age when travelers can buy this travel insurance?

Most insurance companies have a maximum entry age of 70 years on the date of commencement of travel for their Standard Plans. But almost all of them have a Senior Citizen Plan which is for travelers from 71 to 99 years/No Max Age Restriction of age and hence the traveler can avail this specific plan for their travel.

Travel Insurers	Age Criteria
Apollo Munich Health Insurance	6 months to 70 years
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance	6 Months to 60 years Senior Citizen: 61 – 99 years
Cholamandalam Travel Insurance	• 1 year to 70 years • Senior citizens - 71 Years to 80 Years
GO Digit General Insurance Limited	3 Months to 60 years
Future Generali India Insurance Co Ltd	6 Months to 70 years Senior Citizen: 71 – 80 years
HDFC Ergo General Insurance Co Ltd	6 Months to 70 years
Religare Health Insurance Company Limited	1 day – no maximum age restriction for Single Trip. 18 years – 70 years for Annual Multi Trip
Reliance General Insurance Co Ltd	1 day – 90 years for Single Trip. 18 years – 70 years for Annual Multi Trip
Royal Sundaram General Insurance Co Ltd	91 days – 70 years > 71 years  for Senior Citizen Plan – No upper age limit
Tata AIG General Insurance Co Ltd	6 months – 70 years Senior Plan – 71 years to no maximum age restriction