The Essential Travel Insurance Guide for South Africans Over 55 – Part 3
There is no age limit on wanderlust! 55 plussers are loving new adventures! Hitting the roads (or the skies) is always the start of something so exciting, but what comes hand in hand with that excitement is the niggle of risk. It’s wise to pack in a little piece of mind – in the form of travel insurance.
Is Travel Insurance a must-have? In Part 3 of The Essential Travel Insurance Guide for South Africans over 55, we explore the key benefits and potential drawbacks of travel insurance. We trust that this will help you make an informed decision before you book your next trip. So whether you’re planning a scenic and cross-country road trip, or an overseas escape, understanding your coverage options is a smart step toward smooth and stress-free travel. Let’s make your next trip a breeze!
Pros of Travel Insurance for the Over-55s
Higher Medical Risk Coverage
As travellers age, the likelihood of medical incidents increases. Older adults are more prone to serious injuries (e.g., fractures from falls) and chronic conditions. Additionally, we see that elderly clients tend to travel for longer periods to further destinations like US, Canada, Australia. These countries also impose higher medical costs, due to foreign exchange rates, medical inflation, etc.
Peace of Mind
Knowing that you’re covered for medical emergencies and evacuations, and lost belongings significantly reduces travel-related stress—especially for older travellers and their families back home
Pre-Existing Condition Cover
Many policies offer options to include pre-existing conditions, which is vital for older adults. It is important to note that insurers provide this cover up to a specific age. Also important to note that once travellers reach the age of 70yrs, many insurers exclude cover for cardio and related events. Some insurers offer a cardio exclusion buy back, terms and conditions apply.
Flexible Cancellation Terms
Coverage often includes cancellations due to health reasons or emergencies.
Bryte Travel Insurance provides cover under cancellation and postponement and refunds you if the insured journey needs to be cancelled due to one of the following insured events.
Your death or the death of your spouse, business associate, children, a family member, travel companion, or the person who you had intended to stay with abroad;
Your illness or injury or the illness or injury of your spouse, business associate, children, a family member, travel companion, the person who you had intended to stay with abroad, or pet if a medical practitioner considers it necessary.
A traumatic event that occurs within 30 days before the start date of the policy that you, your spouse, business associate, children, a family member, travel companion or the person who you had intended to stay with abroad suffers from. The traumatic event must require the medical advice of a medical practitioner that it is necessary to cancel your insured journey.
A terrorist attack within 14 days of the start date of the insured journey in a city listed on your original itinerary.
Cancelling or diverting a scheduled public transport carrier service, including because of strikes or other industrial action affecting the public transport carrier service. We do not pay if there was media warning before the date you booked the journey that the event was likely to happen.
Considerable accidental damage to immovable property you own caused within 30 days of the intended start date of the insured journey. The cause of the damage must be unexpected or unintentional, and it must require you to cancel the journey to safeguard your interests.
Loss or theft of travel documents causing unavoidable changes to your original itinerary
A natural disaster in a country listed on your original itinerary. We pay you for the non- refundable, unused portion of your travel costs if your flight is cancelled or your pre-paid accommodation is unusable because of the natural disaster.
Tertiary examinations moved due to strikes, riots and civil unrest. We do not pay if there was warning before the date you booked the insured journey that the event was likely to happen. The cause of the date change must be unexpected, unintentional and excludes supplementary examinations due to failing the original examination.
If you, your spouse or travel companion is retrenched. This does not apply if you, your spouse or travel companion is self-employed.
Please note – very specific terms, conditions and exclusions apply.
It is extremely important to note and understand what is not covered
and to ask questions when you need further clarification.
Tailored Benefits
Some insurers offer additional features like caregiver support.
Bryte extends cover to the age of 89yrs inclusive, we also provide the cardio buy back for travellers who are 70 – 74yrs old
Emergency Assistance Services
All of Bryte’s policies include 24/7 assistance for emergencies, which can be invaluable for older travellers navigating foreign healthcare systems.
Coverage for Travel Companions
Bryte’s policies extend benefits to travel companions or caregivers, which is useful if the traveller needs assistance.
Assistance for an accompanying spouse or travel companion whilst on a cruise
When you are on a cruise and your spouse or travel companion gets injured or suffers from an emergency illness that requires medical treatment form a medical practitioner on land, we will refund you for reasonable additional accommodation and travel expenses to be with your spouse or travel companion if they cannot continue with the cruise.
Condition for assistance for accompanying spouse or travel companion whilst on a cruise
Your spouse or travel companion must also have insurance under a Bryte policy.
Return of stranded travel companion
Where possible, we change the existing tickets of your travel companion if they are left stranded in any one or more of these circumstances: Your death on an insured journey; Your return to South Africa by emergency medical transport; Your admission to hospital as an in-patient. If it is not possible to change their tickets, we arrange and pay for their transport back to South Africa.
Condition for return of stranded travel companion
Your travel companion must also have insurance under a Bryte travel policy.
Repatriation Cover
In the unfortunate event of serious illness or death, repatriation costs can be extremely high. This is particularly relevant for older travellers, and is a benefit for which Bryte provides cover and assistance.
Cons of Travel Insurance for the Over-55s
Higher Premiums
Insurance costs rise with age, sometimes steeply after 65 or 70.
Pre-Existing Conditions Exclusions
Some conditions may not be covered, or may come with high premiums or excesses.
Age Restrictions
Certain policies may have upper age limits, especially for adventure or long-term travel.
Complicated Medical Questionnaires
Some travel insurance applicants may may find the application process invasive or confusing. Bryte’s medical questionnaire only applies to the top age tier, 86-89yr olds and cardio buy back requests, and this provides us with the relevant insight to the client’s medical history and general health. The form is straightforward and requires your treating physician or cardiologist to provide the necessary medical information in support of your request.
Reduced Coverage Scope
Some activities or destinations (e.g., high altitude, remote locations) may be excluded. Please note that this is not necessarily specific to older clients.
Option to extend coverage for long stays or frequent travel
This is age dependent as there are limitations. Speak to your travel insurance company about this.
While travel insurance is not essentially a “must-have”, it is most definitely a financial safety net that could turn that disrupted trip into a manageable inconvenience as opposed to a costly disaster. It’s all dependent on you, your health, your tolerance to risk, your destination and the kind of trip you are planning. It’s not cheap, but most certainly, the pros far outweigh the cons. In essence, you need to ask yourself if peace of mind is more important to you – decide before you pack your bags.
The Essential Travel Insurance Guide for South Africans Over 55
Part 1: Over 55 and Ready to Roam? Don’t forget the travel insurance – Click here
Part 2: “What If?” Happens Abroad – The Essential Travel Insurance Guide for South Africans Over 55 – Click here
Part 3: “Is Travel Insurance a Must-Have? The Pros and Cons Unpacked” – Click here
A YEI article in collaboration with Bryte Travel Insurance
