6 Best Senior Travel Insurance for Elderly in Singapore

Looking for a comprehensive travel insurance plan for seniors? Here are the best travel insurance plans to buy.  

Best Travel Insurance: TIQ Travel Insurance | MSIG TravelEasy | Allianz Travel Insurance | Ergo TravelProtect | Singlife Travel Insurance | Sompo Travel Insurance | Tokio Marine Travel Insurance | Allied World Travel Insurance | Starr Travel Insurance | FWD Travel Insurance | AIG Travel Guard

If you’re travelling overseas with elderly travellers or you're an elderly traveller yourself, getting a travel insurance plan with comprehensive medical coverage can be a challenge.

That's because insurance companies typically reduce their medical coverage for elderly travellers who are 70 years and above. However, seniors need the most medical coverage above all else, especially if coverage for pre-existing conditions is needed.

So, whether you want the best travel insurance plan to protect against sudden flare-ups of your pre-existing condition or a plan with good medical benefits, we've shortlisted the best travel insurance plans for elderly travellers well past their 60s over to their 80s. 

Table of contents

• Best travel insurance for seniors
• Can the elderly fly without seniors travel insurance?
• Does travel insurance for elderly cover pre-existing conditions?
• How much does a travel insurance plan for seniors cost?
• What to look for when choosing travel insurance for seniors
• MSIG TravelEasy Travel Insurance
• FWD Travel Insurance
• TIQ Travel Insurance
• AIG Travel Guard
• Singlife Travel Insurance
• NTUC Income Travel Insurance

Best Travel Insurance for Seniors

Here’s an overview of the coverage amount for elderly people who are 70 years old and above on a single-trip plan to Thailand, an ASEAN country.

Product	Emergency evacuation and repatriation	Overseas medical expenses	Medical expenses in Singapore	Covers pre-existing conditions?	Premiums	Apply
FWD Premium Apply Now	Unlimited	S$40,000 to S$200,000	S$1,200 to S$6,000	No	S$30 to S$52.80	Apply Now
MSIG Premier Plan Apply Now	S$1,000,000	S$50,000 to S$100,000	S$500 to S$2,000	No		Apply Now
MSIG Premier Pre-Ex Plan (For Pre-existing Conditions) Apply Now	S$1,000,000	S$50,000 to S$100,000	S$5,000 to S$10,000	Yes (for single trips only)		Apply Now
Tiq Travel Luxury Apply Now	S$1,000,000 to S$1,800,000	S$30,000 to s$75,000	S$1,000 to S$3,000	No	S$39 to S$72	Apply Now
Singlife Travel Prestige Apply Now	S$250,000 to unlimited	Combined with emergency evacuation	S$10,000 to S$80,000	No	S$43.51 to S$86.05	Apply Now
AIG Travel Guard® Direct - Supreme Apply Now	S$500,000 to unlimited	S$50,000 to S$200,000	S$1,000 to S$5,000	Yes (for repatriation only)	S$48 to S$125	Apply Now

Can The Elderly Fly Without Seniors Travel Insurance?

While seniors can still travel without coverage, it’s generally recommended (as it is for travellers of any age!) to have travel insurance for your financial protection and assured peace of mind. 

However, technically, there isn’t really a specific ‘travel insurance for seniors’. What most insurance companies will offer, however, is an insurance plan that covers medical expenses for seniors above a certain age. This bridges the coverage gaps in most other insurance policies, ensuring that you can continue to explore the world confidently and worry-free well into your golden years.

Travel insurance also isn't a mandatory requirement for flying, and indeed, some travellers opt out of it for shorter journeys, like a quick weekend trip. However, it's important to be aware that without travel insurance, you will be without a safety net when hiccups occur, such as delays, cancellations, or unforeseen issues. If you need more time to think, remember that you can still buy travel insurance after booking.

When travelling internationally with elderly family members, particularly those over 80, or with pre-existing medical conditions, it's worth considering how access to necessary medical care could impact your trip. Although it's not pleasant to think about emergencies while on vacation, travel insurance offers peace of mind, ensuring you can fully enjoy your time away, knowing your loved ones have protection. Always take into account the specific needs of your travel party and the nature of your trip when deciding on the best travel insurance.

Does Travel Insurance for Elderly Cover Pre-Existing Conditions?

Most travel insurance policies do not cover pre-existing medical conditions unless explicitly stated by the insurer. These conditions can range from chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and asthma to injuries you may have had prior to buying your insurance.

For those travelling with senior citizens who may have pre-existing conditions prone to flare-ups, finding a travel insurance that covers pre-existing conditions would be your best course of action. Additionally, for those with a preference for alternative treatments, some insurers may offer plans that cover Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), among other options. 

Securing the best travel insurance policy that accommodates pre-existing conditions can provide significant relief by covering unforeseen medical expenses, allowing you and your loved ones to travel internationally with more confidence and peace of mind.

How Much Does A Travel Insurance Plan for Seniors Cost?

The cost of travel insurance for seniors typically varies based on factors such as the age of the travellers, the duration of the trip, and the overall cost of the trip. Some insurers may also charge a higher premium for seniors as they are more prone to more medical issues, leading to higher insurance costs compared to younger travellers on the same itinerary. So while Forbes estimates that travel insurance should be 5% to 6% of your total trip costs on average, be prepared for that number to potentially rise to about 7% to 9% for seniors.

What To Look For When Choosing Travel Insurance for Seniors

When choosing travel insurance for seniors, what’s important is prioritising comprehensive medical coverage and flexibility to ensure a worry-free journey. The best buy in senior travel insurance plans for elders—whether they are over 65, 70 or 80— typically includes:

• A Minimum of $150,000 in medical coverage per person: Medical expenses can escalate quickly. Consider the expenses from ambulance services to hospital stays and diagnostics, and look for a policy that offers a robust coverage amount for seniors to cover potential healthcare costs.
• At least $250,000 in medical evacuation coverage: This is crucial for situations requiring transportation to a more suitable medical facility, especially in remote locations. A good plan not only covers these costs but also offers assistance in arranging medical evacuation, ensuring seniors have support in navigating medical emergencies internationally.
• Coverage for pre-existing medical conditions: Opt for plans offering a pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver. This will ensure your existing health issues are covered. Typically, you'll need to secure your travel insurance promptly after booking your trip—usually within two to three weeks—to qualify for this waiver.
• Option to add ‘Cancel for Any Reason’ (CFAR) coverage: For an additional layer of protection, look for plans that allow you to add CFAR coverage. This upgrade lets you recoup a significant portion of your trip costs for cancellations outside the standard reasons, offering unparalleled flexibility. Though it may increase your premium by about 50%, it's a worthwhile investment for those seeking peace of mind.

MSIG TravelEasy and TravelEasy Pre-Ex

MSIG TravelEasy is known for its holistic coverage, but just how good is it for elderly travellers?

As you can see, the medical coverage is quite generous and is on par with most travel insurance plans out there; you get up to S$500,000 for personal accident coverage, up to S$1,000,000 for overseas medical expenses, and up to S$1,000,000 for emergency evacuation. 

Travellers over 80 who want coverage for pre-existing conditions will be pleased to know that MSIG also has a pre-ex plan. The TravelEasy Pre-Ex plan provides additional coverage for overseas medical expenses (up to S$100,000 for travellers over 70) and emergency evacuation and repatriation (up to S$1,000,000) if they’re due to your pre-existing conditions. 

However, the downside is that you can’t buy an annual plan with pre-existing conditions coverage, plus the TravelEasy Pre-Ex plans also don’t have COVID-19 coverage.

FWD Travel Insurance

FWD is for seniors who want a no-frills plan for their international travels that offers generous coverage with affordable premiums. In fact, premiums for its premium (the cheapest plan) start from S$30 for a 1-week trip to ASEAN countries. 

FWD travel insurance gives you high medical coverage, even for the premium plan, making it a strong contender for best buy travel insurance policies.

For example, overseas medical expenses coverage for premium members is S$40,000 to S$200,000 for those 70 years and above and from S$200,000 to S$1,000,000 for those below 70 years old. 

It also offers extremely high local medical expenses benefit, starting from S$40,000 for premium plan members, which is much higher than Singlife’s.

Additionally, the personal accident benefit is also high, starting from S$40,000 to S$80,000 for members 70 and above, and S$200,000 to S$400,000 if you’re below 70.

Last but not least, you also get unlimited coverage for emergency medical evacuation and repatriation offers high coverage for local medical expenses. 

While COVID-19 coverage isn’t included, you can buy a COVID-19 add-on which allows you to claim up to S$200,000 in COVID-19 medical expenses.

Tiq Travel Insurance and Tiq Pre-Ex Travel Insurance

If you want a comprehensive travel insurance plan that doesn’t cost an arm and leg, Tiq travel insurance plan is for you.

Like Income, Tiq also offers a non-pre-existing and pre-existing condition plan — the latter is good for your elderly who want additional coverage for their chronic health problems. 

In particular, Tiq's pre-existing plan insures you for up to S$1,000,000 for overseas medical expenses and a combined limit of up to S$1,800,000 for emergency medical evacuation and repatriation.

The drawback of the pre-ex plan is it’s only available for single trips, so you can’t buy an annual plan with pre-existing conditions coverage. Also, pre-ex plans don’t come with COVID-19 benefits. 

If you don't need pre-existing coverage, you can opt for Tiq’s standard travel insurance plan, which offers the same amount of coverage minus pre-existing coverage.

You can also opt for a COVID-19 add-on, which covers travel inconveniences before, during, and after your trip, such as travel postponement, trip cancellation, overseas medical expenses, travel curtailment and disruption, and hospitalisation benefits in Singapore. However, note that medical expenses in Singapore are excluded from the Entry plan. 

It's also worth noting that international medical coverage is from S$30,000 to S$80,000 for seniors aged 70 years old and above, which is not the highest. 

But as mentioned, the premiums are quite affordable; for a week’s trip to ASEAN countries, the pre-existing plan starts from S$93, while the standard plan starts from just S$39. 

AIG Travel Guard

Unlike the aforementioned plans, AIG Travel Guard doesn’t have a standalone pre-existing conditions plan. Strangely, you get unlimited coverage for repatriation if it’s due to a pre-existing condition, but there are no overseas medical expenses and emergency evacuation coverages. 

What’s most notable about AIG’s travel insurance is that it has high overseas medical expenses benefit, up to S$200,000 if you’re on the classic plan (cheapest plan) and up to S$2,500,000 on the premier plan (most expensive plan).

While its personal accident coverage isn’t the best, it’s quite sufficient as you can claim up to S$300,000. On top of this, you also get COVID-19 coverage for medical expenses and emergency medical evacuation and repatriation (overseas) of up to S$300,000.

As for its premiums, the classic plan starts from S$48, which isn’t too pricey where international travel insurances for seniors are concerned, but it doesn’t include many benefits, so you’re better off with the mid-tier ‘superior’ and highest-tier ‘premier’ plans.

Singlife Travel Insurance

Seniors who want the highest coverage for medical expenses may want to consider buying Singlife travel insurance.

While most insurance plans have lower coverage benefits for seniors 70 years and above, Singlife travel insurance maintains the same benefits across the board. 

In particular, the Prestige plan (the highest tier) offers unlimited coverage for overseas medical expenses, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation. But even on the basic tiered 'Lite' plan, the benefit starts from S$250,000, which is higher than the industry average. This is great, especially if you travel to countries with high medical treatment/hospitalisation. 

Singlife insurance also offers high local medical expenses compared to others, as it starts from $10,000 and up to S$80,000, which is higher than the S$1,000 to S$3,000 offered by most. Aside from that, the COVID-19 coverage for overseas medical expenses is up to S$200,000 and unlimited for emergency evacuation.

However, Singlife’s personal accident cover is not the best. In fact, the Lite plan, or the most basic tier, only allows you to claim up to S$50,000. If you’re 70 and above, even to 80 and over, the coverage is a paltry S$10,000.

Something else to consider is that the benefits for overseas medical expenses and emergency medical evacuation and repatriation are shared, though it’s unlimited for the Prestige plan.

Income Travel Insurance Standard and Enhanced PreX

Income travel insurance is one of the biggest household names and offers two different plans: Income Standard and Enhanced PreX. Both plans are split into three tiers.

But let’s talk about its pre-existing plan, Enhanced PreX, first — Income’s Enhanced PreX plan is one of the few pre-existing coverage travel insurance plans in Singapore. 

This is great for seniors because it means you get additional coverage for events that are related to your pre-existing conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, stroke, and more. For instance, you can get up to S$350,000 for overseas medical expenses claims related to pre-existing conditions, though this limit is combined with emergency evacuation and repatriation.

The Enhanced PreX plan offers higher coverage limits for most other categories than the Income Standard plan. But again, the limit for overseas medical expenses, emergency evacuation, and repatriation is shared. 

Income’s travel insurance plans also come bundled with COVID-19 coverage, and you can get up to S$150,000 for medical expenses overseas, emergency evacuation and repatriation due to COVID-19, among other COVID-19 benefits. 

However, these additional coverages come at a cost, as the premiums are among the priciest of travel insurance plans. A week’s trip to ASEAN countries starts from S$102 — which is way higher than the standard S$30 something you pay for a typical travel insurance plan.

But if you don’t want coverage for pre-existing conditions, then you may also consider Income Standard travel insurance plan. 

While there’s no pre-existing coverage, you get higher-than-average coverage for trip cancellations, travel delays, and baggage loss. Plus, there’s also COVID-19 coverage.