Travel insurance for seniors

Senior travellers can experience medical emergencies anywhere - even during holidays. We’re here to help with Aussie based support when you need it most. Fast Cover’s Aussie based team of experts, our Emergency Assistance Team, are available to provide senior travellers with 24/7 support for overseas medical emergencies wherever you are, depending on your situation and location. ^  

Fast Cover’s International  travel insurance policies may include access to our Australian based Emergency Assistance hotline with 24/7 support for unexpected medical emergencies overseas. Our Emergency Assistance team may be able to help arrange experienced medical support services in the event of unexpected circumstances. ^

An unexpected trip to a hospital overseas is the last thing you might want on your seniors holiday, but it could be a reality for many senior travellers.  If you’re struck with Bali Belly, break a bone in the US, or need emergency surgery in Europe, Fast Cover may be able to help with overseas emergency medical and hospital expenses in some circumstances which are covered under your travel insurance policy. ^ 

Fast Cover’s International travel insurance policies are available to provide seniors travellers with protection against the financial burden of reasonable and unexpected overseas emergency medical and hospital expenses associated with unexpected illness or injuries, incurred by you, for which you are not reimbursed, during your trip overseas. ^

If you’re a senior traveller and become seriously injured or sick during your overseas trip, access to emergency medical care could make a huge difference. Fast Cover may be able to help with the cost of getting you to the nearest hospital for emergency medical treatment or even flying you back to Australia, in circumstances covered under your travel insurance policy. ^ 

In case you are seriously injured or sick while on your seniors trip overseas, Fast Cover’s International travel insurance policies are available to provide cover for your reasonable additional accommodation and travel expenses, medical  transfer, evacuation or repatriation if you must be transported to the nearest hospital for emergency medical treatment or be brought back to Australia with appropriate medical supervision. The medical transfer, evacuation or repatriation must first be approved by Fast Cover. ^

Need to cancel your seniors' trip? If you become  unexpectedly sick or injured before your holiday and need to cancel your trip, our Trip Cancellation Expenses benefit may help protect the non-refundable trip bookings you’ve already paid for including cruises, flights, accommodation and tours in circumstances explained in your policy.^  

At Fast Cover, you can take out travel insurance for your trip up to 12 months prior to your departure date, including before you’ve purchased your cruise tickets and booked your flights, tours and accommodation. Please note cancellation cover is only available with our Standard Saver, Comprehensive, Domestic Plus, Snow Sports Plus and Frequent Traveller Saver policies. ^

Seniors holiday on pause? If you’re stuck at an airport or seaport because your pre-booked carrier with which you are travelling - including your aircraft or cruise ship -  is cancelled and rescheduled or delayed in situations covered under your policy, Fast Cover’s Travel Delay Expenses benefit is available to reimburse you for the reasonable cost of extra meals and accommodation in situations covered under your policy. ^ 

Our Travel Delay Expenses benefit may provide cover for the reimbursement of reasonable additional meals and accommodation expenses up to $200 for each traveller (excluding dependants) for each subsequent full 24-hour period beyond the initial 6-hour delay from the time your carrier was scheduled to depart until your rescheduled departure time. ^

Lost, stolen or damaged luggage can turn a dream seniors' holiday into a traveller’s nightmare! That’s why cover may be available for the loss, theft or accidental damage of your luggage and personal items in situations covered under your policy. ^

Fast Cover’s travel insurance cover for seniors includes the Luggage and Personal Effects benefit which may be able to provide cover if your luggage and personal belongings such as your phone, camera or laptop are lost, stolen or accidentally damaged during your seniors' holiday. Limits and sub-limits apply to how much you can claim for each item. Conditions including situations in which we would provide cover apply. ^

Senior travellers can complete a medical screening for: 

• Your existing medical conditions that you have or have had, during the period of 3 years prior to your policy issue date 
• Any changes to your health that occur after your policy issue date and before the date of departure for your trip 
• New medical conditions you develop after you buy your policy and before you leave for your trip 

You should also be aware of the General Exclusions that apply to all benefits, please refer to the general and other exclusions in the PDS.  

Below is some more information about applying for cover for medical conditions and existing medical conditions.

If you have a medical condition, we may be able to provide you with cover. you can complete a medical screening if you have or have had a medical condition within the last 3 years prior to your policy purchase date, or experience changes to your health including new medical conditions from the date you purchase your policy, up until the date of departure for your trip.

Following your medical screening, we will tell you if we are able to provide cover in relation to the conditions you disclose. If you would like the cover for the approved conditions to be added to your policy you will need to pay the additional premium we apply for the cover, by the time required. We will then list the conditions as covered on your Certificate of Insurance.

If we do not list any such conditions as covered, or you do not disclose any such conditions, there is no covered provided in relation to them.

If any changes in health occur (as defined in our PDS) after your policy issue date and before the date of departure for your trip, you need to contact Fast Cover and undertake a further screening process to determine what premium adjustment may be required. 

This is because we automatically exclude cover for:  

• any new medical conditions or pregnancy conditions that occur after your policy issue date and before the date of departure for your trip, and  
• all conditions we have listed as covered on the Certificate of Insurance where changes in health have occurred after your policy issue date and before the date of departure for your trip (other than for a claim under Trip Cancellation Expenses, relating to the cancellation or rescheduling of your trip between the time of your policy issue date and the date of departure for your trip). 

Based on the rescreening we may:  

• agree to provide cover for the existing listed conditions and/or add the new listed conditions as covered. You may choose to accept this cover or not. If you do not, you will not be covered in relation to the conditions not listed as covered, or 
• not agree to provide cover, where based on the changes, our underwriting rules require us to do so. 

On being advised of the changes, we will adjust the premium payable (up or down) to reflect the premium that is payable by reason of the changes in accordance with our underwriting rules.

You will need reasonable knowledge of all of your medical conditions, pregnancy conditions or changes in health, which include but are not limited to, the names of your medical conditions or pregnancy conditions. 

Check with your medical practitioner if you are unsure of the name because you will not be able to complete the medical screening if you only know the medication you are taking or the treatment you are receiving.  

As some medical conditions may be interconnected, you must declare all of your medical conditions, pregnancy conditions or changes in health, regardless of whether or not you:

• want cover for them, or  
• consider them treated, dormant or under control, or  
• do not consider them important or related to any of your other conditions.  

If you do not declare all of your medical conditions or pregnancy conditions, you may not have cover for your medical conditions or pregnancy conditions that are listed as covered on your Certificate of Insurance.

In all of the above cases, if you are not happy with our decision you may exercise your cooling off rights where applicable or cancel the policy before the date of departure for your trip and obtain a refund in accordance with the policy terms. Please refer to our Product Disclosure Statement for eligibility criteria, policy terms and conditions, benefit limits and sub-limits and any exclusions that apply.

This benefit provides senior travellers with reimbursement for unexpected medical emergencies that can happen on your seniors trip overseas, from food poisoning to treatment for a broken bone or emergency surgery for appendicitis depending on your circumstances. 

You should be aware that cover isn’t available for all medical expenses as it depends on the terms and conditions of your policy and some of these include (but are not limited to):   

• medical emergencies related to your existing medical conditions which aren’t listed as covered on your certificate of insurance,    
• planned medical procedures or other non-emergency medical treatments,   
• routine medical or dental check-ups,    
• injuries sustained from your participation in sport or leisure activities covered under the Adventure Pack or snow sports unless you’ve purchased additional cover for them, and    
• your medical expenses once you’ve returned to Australia,   

so, it’s important to review your policy and PDS to understand what is and isn't covered while you're overseas and the terms and conditions that apply.

Some countries have a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with Australia which may provide cover for some medical costs during your seniors trip if you meet the eligibility requirements. Please check with the relevant information sources for more information. In these cases, Fast Cover’s travel insurance may not pay for the cost of medical care that is covered by the RHCA. However, a RHCA may not cover every type of medical expense, so considering taking out travel insurance for international trips with cover for unexpected overseas emergency medical and hospital expenses may potentially save you thousands of dollars when cover is not available under a RHCA.

If you’re travelling to an overseas destination that doesn’t have a RHCA with Australia, you may likely be responsible for all your medical expenses if you unexpectedly fall sick or are injured while travelling there. Having cover for these unexpected medical situations during your travels may potentially save you from costly out-of-pocket expenses. Please remember to do your own research regarding this to make an informed decision based on your personal and financial circumstances.

Remember, if further changes in health occur before the date of departure for your trip, you may need to undertake our medical screening process more than once as the changes in health exclusion would automatically apply again from the time any further changes in health occur.  

Find out more about what we consider to be a medical condition in our page on travel insurance for existing medical conditions.

As each individual's circumstances are different, we will assess each claim on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with your specific circumstances, policy and PDS, T&Cs and Certificate of Insurance. Any advice is general advice only and does not take into account your individual objectives, personal and financial situation or needs. Consider the PDS as eligibility criteria, policy terms, conditions, exclusions, limits and sub-limits apply.

At Fast Cover, our Domestic Plus policy provides travel insurance for seniors who plan to travel within Australia provided your destination is at least 200 km from your home in Australia.

Fast Cover is unable to provide cover for medical emergencies and medical expenses incurred within Australia because medical expenses are covered by Medicare and/or your private health insurance. However, our Domestic Plus policy can provide cover for Trip Cancellation Expenses due to a medical situation or condition that is covered under your policy and listed on your Certificate of Insurance. ^

Read our examples to see how our Domestic Plus travel insurance policy may be able to provide senior travellers with cover in circumstances covered under their policy. Please note our examples are purely fictional and are for illustrative purposes only. As each individual’s circumstances are different, our Claims team will assess each claim on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with your specific circumstances, policy terms and conditions, and Certificate of Insurance.

Example: A 70-year-old senior traveller bought a Domestic Plus policy to cover herself and her husband on a couple’s holiday to visit their grandchildren in the Gold Coast during the September school holidays with activities including theme parks, going to the beach and hiking. Two days before the couple was due to depart on a flight from Sydney to the Gold Coast, the wife fell and broke her leg, requiring surgery, and resulting in the need to cancel the couple’s holiday.

No Cover: Fast Cover is unable to provide cover for medical emergencies and medical expenses incurred within Australia because medical expenses are covered by Medicare and/or your private health insurance. In this instance, the costs of the surgery would likely be covered by Medicare and possibly their private health insurance policy, but not their domestic travel insurance policy.

Claims Assessment: However, under the Trip Cancellation Expenses benefit of the Domestic Plus policy, the wife can submit a claim for the cost of the flights, hotel or theme park tickets that cannot be refunded or credited for the claims team to assess further under the policy terms and conditions as the trip was cancelled due to an unexpected injury.

Please Note: This example is purely fictional and is for illustrative purposes only. As each individual's circumstances are different, our Claims team will assess each claim on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with your specific circumstances,  policy terms and conditions, and Certificate of Insurance. Any advice is general advice only and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider the PDS as eligibility criteria, policy terms, conditions, exclusions and limits apply.

Example: A 70-year-old senior traveller bought a Domestic Plus policy to cover herself and her husband on a couple’s holiday to visit their grandchildren in the Gold Coast during the September school holidays with activities including theme parks, going to the beach and hiking. She completed a medical screening and applied to include cover for her existing medical condition. Fast Cover was able to include cover for her existing medical condition, and it was listed as ‘Covered’ on her Certificate of Insurance. Two days before the couple was due to depart on a flight from Sydney to the Gold Coast, the wife experienced a medical situation as a result of her covered existing medical condition, resulting in the need to cancel the couple’s holiday.

No Cover: Fast Cover is unable to provide cover for medical emergencies and medical expenses incurred within Australia because medical expenses are covered by Medicare and/or your private health insurance. In this instance, the costs of the surgery would likely be covered by Medicare and possibly their private health insurance policy, but not their domestic travel insurance policy.

Claims Assessment: However, under the Trip Cancellation Expenses benefit of the Domestic Plus policy, the wife can submit a claim for the cost of the flights, hotel or theme park tickets that cannot be refunded or credited for the claims team to assess further under the policy terms and conditions as the trip was cancelled due to a covered existing medical condition.

Please Note: This example is purely fictional and is for illustrative purposes only. As each  individual's circumstances are different, our Claims team will assess each claim on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with your specific circumstances, policy terms and conditions, and Certificate of Insurance. Any advice is general advice only and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider the PDS as eligibility criteria, policy terms, conditions, exclusions and limits apply.