Older travellers urged to get coverage with claims on the rise

Older travellers urged to get coverage with claims on the rise | Insurance Business New Zealand

Travel

Older travellers urged to get coverage with claims on the rise

Insurer cites a $1.3 million cost following a fall in the US

Travel

By
Kenneth Araullo

A Kiwi insurer has highlighted the realities of age that underscore the significance of proper coverage, as mishaps and abrupt health issues tend to occur with greater frequency as individuals age.

Jo McCauley, CEO of Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI), emphasised the insurer’s commitment to assisting New Zealanders during their travels. The coverage extends to travellers up to the age of 118, acknowledging the remarkably long lifespans of some Kiwis.

“Older customers are often grateful to have cover available for their age group. It’s so important to us to support every age of New Zealander to travel the world. It’s a wonderful way to enrich your life, but it can also come with risks or challenges that you need to be prepared for,” McCauley said.

Recent cases highlight the challenges faced by older travellers, often embarking on long-awaited vacations, akin to the younger demographic venturing abroad after the pandemic. Notably, a number of them have encountered injuries from falls or strokes, incidents as likely to transpire overseas as within the confines of New Zealand.

McCaulay points out that a prevalent reason for procuring travel insurance is to mitigate medical expenses. Instances such as strokes, broken hips, or falling severely ill, whether from a bad flu or COVID, can incur substantial costs, particularly for those on fixed incomes, a common scenario for older New Zealanders. Comprehensive travel insurance offers a sense of security in such circumstances.

“For example, in cases like those outlined below concerning travellers in their 70s and 80s, our emergency assistance team has swung into action to cover medical help, arrange for family members to support the traveller or even medevac them home to Aotearoa either on a commercial airline or in purpose-built aircraft with doctors or nurses on hand,” McCauley said.

Other notable examples include:

A person fracturing their hip in a fall while travelling in Greece, resulting in a $50,500 claim to cover travel expenses for surgery back home
A broken arm sustained in Bali, with a $230,000 insurance claim
A traveller needing medical evacuation from a cruise in French Polynesia following a stroke After local surgery, they required repatriation with medical support, leading to a $151,500 insurance claim
An individual requiring intensive care treatment after a fall in the US, resulting in a total cost of $1.3 million covering treatment and repatriation to New Zealand

McCaulay also addressed concerns about pre-existing medical conditions, particularly for older travellers.

“Southern Cross does offer cover for pre-existing medical conditions,” she said. “We ask customers to complete a medical assessment when they buy their policy, either online or over the phone. Cover is available dependent upon the customer’s individual circumstances, but we are confident in our ability to offer support in most cases, no matter what your age. In those instances where we are unable to cover a high-risk pre-existing medical condition, we can still offer a travel insurance policy to cover other needs.”

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