Travel insurance for elderly/infirm parents

[Anonymous]

I would like to know if it is possible to get travel insurance and/or medical evacuation insurance for people who are elderly and infirm. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to start? Good companies to work with?

The backstory is that my parents, aged 84 and in generally poor health, have decided to go to Europe next April. This is a fantastically terrible idea for many reasons. However, my mother has the FOMO, judgment, and self-preservation instincts of a toddler who has missed her nap and my dad might literally rather die than say no to my mom, so here we are.

They want to go on a multi-city tour of Europe by train, not even with a group. The flights alone are 10 hours non-stop (and my dad has a history of blood clots). Their doctors agree it is a terrible idea.

Yes, I wish I could stop them. No, I don’t think I can. So, I’m trying to at least persuade them that they need significant medical evacuation insurance and other forms of insurance. The problem is I don’t know where to start.

Any ideas?

[Anonymous]

You should call the tripinsurancestore.com and ask them for advice, but you will do better if you have more of a plan first.

I’d suggest they do a river cruise — it’s an easy way to see a few different countries and the cruise companies are totally set up to deal with people with physical limitations. Look at AMA waterways or Uniworld.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would like to know if it is possible to get travel insurance and/or medical evacuation insurance for people who are elderly and infirm. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to start? Good companies to work with?

The backstory is that my parents, aged 84 and in generally poor health, have decided to go to Europe next April. This is a fantastically terrible idea for many reasons. However, my mother has the FOMO, judgment, and self-preservation instincts of a toddler who has missed her nap and my dad might literally rather die than say no to my mom, so here we are.

They want to go on a multi-city tour of Europe by train, not even with a group. The flights alone are 10 hours non-stop (and my dad has a history of blood clots). Their doctors agree it is a terrible idea.

Yes, I wish I could stop them. No, I don’t think I can. So, I’m trying to at least persuade them that they need significant medical evacuation insurance and other forms of insurance. The problem is I don’t know where to start.

Any ideas?

Book the trip on Chase Researve Sapphire its expensive but worth it for this

I would call them and double check but up until now that card had fabulous benefits like this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should call the tripinsurancestore.com and ask them for advice, but you will do better if you have more of a plan first.

I’d suggest they do a river cruise — it’s an easy way to see a few different countries and the cruise companies are totally set up to deal with people with physical limitations. Look at AMA waterways or Uniworld.

Thank you! I’ll take a look at both. I might see if I can persuade them to a cruise, really good thought.

I had never heard of the trip insurance store either. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would like to know if it is possible to get travel insurance and/or medical evacuation insurance for people who are elderly and infirm. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to start? Good companies to work with?

The backstory is that my parents, aged 84 and in generally poor health, have decided to go to Europe next April. This is a fantastically terrible idea for many reasons. However, my mother has the FOMO, judgment, and self-preservation instincts of a toddler who has missed her nap and my dad might literally rather die than say no to my mom, so here we are.

They want to go on a multi-city tour of Europe by train, not even with a group. The flights alone are 10 hours non-stop (and my dad has a history of blood clots). Their doctors agree it is a terrible idea.

Yes, I wish I could stop them. No, I don’t think I can. So, I’m trying to at least persuade them that they need significant medical evacuation insurance and other forms of insurance. The problem is I don’t know where to start.

Any ideas?

Book the trip on Chase Researve Sapphire its expensive but worth it for this

I would call them and double check but up until now that card had fabulous benefits like this

They don’t have a Chase card, but I will call and see what their benefits are. Might be worth getting it.

[Anonymous]

I think you should get them to write their will instead. If they die during a wonderful bucket list trip to Europe, maybe it's better than lingering here in poor health for years.

[Anonymous]

My parents are 84, too, and my dad is legally blind and my mom is not in the greatest of health. They do a lot of river cruises these days because there’s less lugging of stuff and if you’re tired, you can just hang out on the boat and skip the excursions. They use Zurich for travel insurance and opt for the medical evac option.

I just processed a claim for my dad because my mom isn’t great with computers and my dad can’t see. It was pretty straightforward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you should get them to write their will instead. If they die during a wonderful bucket list trip to Europe, maybe it's better than lingering here in poor health for years.

OP here. In theory I don’t disagree actually. Live your life and go out with a bang. But as the person who will have to deal with the aftermath of getting them back here after a medical emergency, I’m worried.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My parents are 84, too, and my dad is legally blind and my mom is not in the greatest of health. They do a lot of river cruises these days because there’s less lugging of stuff and if you’re tired, you can just hang out on the boat and skip the excursions. They use Zurich for travel insurance and opt for the medical evac option.

I just processed a claim for my dad because my mom isn’t great with computers and my dad can’t see. It was pretty straightforward.

Thanks, very helpful. Do you mean you had to process a claim with Zurich?

[Anonymous]

USAA also has travel insurance if that is your provider.

My parents are 80 and currently en route to Greenland for a Viking cruise. Mom was telling me yesterday that her friend's husband (same age) fell while in Australia and got a head injury, had to stay there for 6 weeks then be medevac'd home (that part was 75K). Their travel insurance covered it. Since then my mom always gets 100,000 in evacuation insurance and makes sure the fine print doesn't say "evacuate to the nearest hospital" bc she wants to go where she wants to go.

I use insuremytrip.com to compare policies from all different companies. I have had claims with two different ones and both paid no problem.

[Anonymous]

You can search and compare travel insurance policies and terms online at squaremouth and insuremytrip. Note that to avoid as exception for pre-existing conditions you usually have to purchase the trip insurance within 14 days or so of the first booking for the trip. You enter the ages and the premiums take that into account.

[Anonymous]

I read from somewhere, the repatriation of remains insurance is useful ( some travel insurance includes similar), regardless of age, since not every airline agrees to transport and it would end up to be very expensive with private transport, especially when it’s out of country.

[Anonymous]

We haven’t had to use it, but my ILs sound exactly like your parents, and they use Allianz cancel for any reason (CFAR) trip insurance.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you, this is all really helpful.

[Anonymous]

Med Jet is another option. Someone also mentioned a blue cross blue shield global insurance to me recently.