Retirement is the perfect time to travel. You no longer have the responsibilities that go with work and raising a family, and the number of tours and cruises on offer make creating an itinerary a breeze.
But what if you have existing medical conditions? Can you still travel as a retiree? The answer is yes – but you need to have adequate travel insurance. Here’s what you need to know to select the right cover:
Many existing medical conditions are automatically covered
Everyone has different health issues – some minor, some major. Cover-More travel insurance automatically covers a variety of existing medical conditions, helping to limit the hassles of travelling as a retiree.
“From Bell’s palsy and gout to coeliac disease and epilepsy, we automatically cover a number of conditions*,” explains Professor Stephen Rashford, Cover-More’s chief medical officer. “Make sure you review the list, and if your health condition is missing, be sure to disclose it.”
Some existing medical conditions will need to be assessed
If your health issue isn’t automatically covered*, you’ll need to help your travel insurance provider understand more about your condition.
“Cover-More has an easy-to-use online health assessment form, which makes it simple for you to record all your health details,” says Professor Rashford.
You will need medical information from your doctor to make a claim
In 2018, 48 per cent of all Cover-More customers aged 55-plus made a claim relating to illness, with the average claim totalling $3140.41. If you need to obtain medical help abroad, be sure to collect a medical certificate before you’re discharged. This will help provide your insurance provider with the details required to process the claim.
“Cover-More may also request additional information from your regular doctors, so be prepared to share more details if required,” adds Professor Rashford.
Want more information?
To learn more about Cover-More, visit covermore.com.au or call 1300 72 88 22.
*A full list of automatically covered conditions is available in the Cover-More Policy Disclosure Statement (PDS)
