Senior travel insurance (2022): 7 best plans in Singapore for elderly travellers

Finally planning to take your parents or grandparents on holiday this year? You’ve probably got a good handle on the travel itinerary, but you might not have thought about yet is which travel insurance plan to buy for the older folks.

It matters because most insurers drastically reduce their travel insurance coverage for those 70 years old and above. That’s terrible because you want MORE medical coverage for the elderly, not less!

Finding a travel insurance plan for the elderly is a tedious affair. I had to comb through all the major insurers’ boring “summary of benefits” tables to shortlist which are the least bad.

Senior travel insurance (2022) – 7 best plans in Singapore for elderly travellers

Here are the key benefits for the seven more appropriate travel insurance plans for seniors in Singapore. The amounts represent coverage limits for those 70 years and above, i.e. how much you can claim.

* Sublimit of $100,000 for pre-existing medical conditions

Wondering what on earth all these insurance terms mean? Here’s a brief description:

• Emergency medical evacuation: In the event of an emergency, this is the cost of sending you home for treatment via an air ambulance
• Medical expenses (overseas): Reimbursement for hospital and medical expenses overseas during your trip
• Medical expenses (Singapore): Reimbursement for medical expenses in Singapore when you come back from your trip (within a certain time frame)

NTUC travel insurance (PreX) for senior citizens

Since it’s probably the biggest travel insurer in Singapore, I doubt NTUC travel insurance needs any introduction.

What’s special about NTUC is that they offer two types of plans: normal and Enhanced PreX. The latter covers pre-existing medical conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, which is definitely a big plus for seniors.

Here’s a look at the coverage limits for NTUC Income Enhanced PreXtravel insurance. This is the Basic plan which is the cheapest.

Coverage limits	Below 70 years old	70 years old & above
Personal accident (death or TPD)	$200,000	$100,000
Emergency medical evacuation	Unlimited	$300,000* (overseas medical expenses + evacuation combined)
Medical expenses (overseas)	$500,000*
Medical expenses (Singapore)	$25,000	$2,000
Chiropractor or TCM	$500	$500
Medical expenses due to Covid-19 (overseas)	$150,000	$150,000
Emergency medical evacuation due to Covid-19	$150,000	$150,000

*Note that there are sublimits for claims directly related to pre-existing conditions. This is $150,000 for adults below 70, and $100,000 for those aged 70 and up. So, although pre-existing medical conditions are covered, the actual coverage isn’t as high as it looks.

Another thing to note is that NTUC Enhanced PreX plans are very expensive. A week’s coverage in ASEAN starts from $102 – way, way higher than the usual $30 something you’d expect to pay for regular travel insurance.

ALSO READ: Best travel insurance policies for places prone to natural disasters (2022)

That said, NTUC is the only insurer that provides adequate coverage for seniors with medical conditions. MSIG also has a range of insurance for pre-existing conditions, but the benefits are drastically reduced for those above 70. For instance, the overseas medical coverage limit falls from $250,000 to $50,000 for those above 70. 

NTUC travel insurance for senior citizens

It’s not a MUST to spring for PreX. In the past, before NTUC PreX came along, it was pretty much impossible to get travel insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions, so everyone just sucked it up and hoped for the best.

If you’re comfortable with that, the regular NTUC travel insurance is also worthy of consideration.

At a low price point, the cheapest Classic plan offers one of the most generous medical benefits for seniors: a $250,000 combined limit for overseas medical expenses + emergency evacuation.

Coverage limits	Below 70 years old	70 years old & above
Personal accident (death or TPD)	$150,000	$100,000
Emergency medical evacuation	$500,000	$250,000 (overseas medical expenses + evacuation combined)
Medical expenses (overseas)	$250,000
Medical expenses (Singapore)	$12,500	$1,000
Chiropractor or TCM	$300	$300
Medical expenses due to Covid-19 (overseas)	$150,000	$150,000
Emergency medical evacuation due to Covid-19	$150,000	$150,000

For more on NTUC travel insurance promotions, claims procedure and T&Cs, read our review here.

Singlife with Aviva travel insurance for senior citizens

My personal favourite of the lot is Singlife with Aviva travel insurance because its medical coverage totally does not discriminate against elderly travellers.

Check out the coverage on their cheapest plan (Lite) – there’s no difference for any of the benefits, except the personal accident payout.

Coverage limits	Up to 70 years old	Above 70 years old
Personal accident (death or TPD)	$50,000	$10,000
Emergency medical evacuation	$250,000 (overseas medical expenses + evacuation combined)	$250,000 (overseas medical expenses + evacuation combined)
Medical expenses (overseas)
Medical expenses (Singapore)	$10,000	$10,000
Chiropractor or TCM	$250	$250
Medical expenses due to Covid-19 (overseas)	$50,000	$50,000
Emergency medical evacuation due to Covid-19	$250,0000	$250,000

In particular, I like that the local medical expenses limit is extremely high for seniors – $10,000 compared to $1,000 or $2,000 offered by other insurers.

Aviva travel insurance is also extremely affordable. If you or an immediate family member is an Aviva policyholder, you can get a 30per cent discount. Otherwise, they’re running a 18per cent off promotion for selected buyers.

For more on Aviva travel insurance promotions, claims procedure and T&Cs, read our review here.

UOB travel insurance for senior citizens

Although I’m really not a fan of UOB’s other products, I honestly think that UOB travel insurance is some of the best in Singapore pre-pandemic. A major drawback of UOB’s insurance is the lack of Covid-19 coverage. Especially for senior travellers, getting Covid-19 overseas could lead to some serious medical implications. 

While they’ve delivered excellent benefits for senior travellers on other fronts, the lack of Covid-19 coverage is definitely a concern.

UOB travel insurance comes in 3 tiers Basic (cheapest), Essential (cheaper) and Preferred (premium). All plans cover anyone aged 70 and above.

Here’s a look at the coverage for UOB Insure & Travel Basic plan:

Coverage limits	Below 70 years old	70 years old & above
Personal accident (death or TPD)	$150,000	$50,000
Emergency medical evacuation	Unlimited	$100,000 (overseas medical expenses + evacuation combined)
Medical expenses (overseas)	$200,000
Medical expenses (Singapore)	$10,000	$5,000
Chiropractor or TCM	$200	$200
Medical expenses due to Covid-19 (overseas)	N.A.	N.A.
Emergency medical evacuation due to Covid-19	N.A.	N.A.

Of the seven plans here, if you were to upgrade to UOB’s Essential plan, you would be privy to the highest benefits for post-travel local medical expenses of $15,000 and $25,000 respectively for those above and below 70, which I think is good because older folks have weaker immune systems and illnesses may linger (or even develop) after the trip.

For more on UOB travel insurance promotions, claims procedure and T&Cs, read our review here.

OCBC travel insurance for senior citizens

You might not associate OCBC with travel insurance, but it should be legit since it’s provided by Great Eastern, OCBC’s insurance arm.

Their plans are very affordable thanks to near-perpetual discounts. Here’s what the coverage for the cheapest Starter plan looks like.

Coverage limits	Below 70 years old	70 years old & above
Personal accident (death or TPD)	$150,000	$75,000
Emergency medical evacuation	$1,000,000	$1,000,000
Medical expenses (overseas)	$300,000	$90,000
Medical expenses (Singapore)	$15,000	$4,500
TCM	$600	$600
Medical expenses due to Covid-19 (overseas)	N.A.	N.A.
Emergency medical evacuation due to Covid-19	N.A.	N.A.

*Sublimits apply for local medical expenses ($15,000 for adults under 70 / $4,500 for elderly) and TCM ($600).

My key takeaway is that, among the plans compared here, OCBC travel insurance has the highest emergency medical evacuation benefit for senior citizens. And more importantly, it is calculated separately from overseas medical expenses.

This is a travel insurance plan to consider if the medical infrastructure in your travel destination is poor, e.g. a rural/remote place. In a medical emergency, you’re more likely to be evacuated home than rushed to the nearest hospital.

OCBC also has the highest benefits for Traditional Chinese Medicine ($600) for a basic plan.

However, the OCBC’s cheapest Starter plan does not offer any Covid-19 coverage. Upgrade to the Essential and Ultimate plans for Covid-19 benefits. However, unlike NTUC and Singlife with Aviva, seniors above 70 are only covered a measly $7,500 in medical expenses while overseas.

For more on OCBC travel insurance promotions, claims procedure and T&Cs, read our review here.

Citibank DirectAsia travel insurance for senior citizens

Another bank offering surprisingly good travel insurance for senior travellers, Citibank is also worth considering if you’re in the same scenario as above – going to a place with poor/no medical care available.

Citibank is a distributor of DirectAsia’s Trip Saviour travel insurance plans. Now, we all know Direct Asia has a reputation for being budget-friendly but is its coverage up to par? In theory, you have three tiers to pick from, Classic, Deluxe, and Platinum.

Here’s what the coverage looks like for the cheapest Classic plan:

Coverage limits	Up to 71 years old	Above 71 years old
Personal accident (death or TPD)	$150,000	$75,000
Emergency medical evacuation	$1,500,000	$250,000
Medical expenses (overseas)	$200,000	$100,000
Medical expenses (Singapore)	$5,000	$2,500
TCM	$300	$300
Medical expenses due to Covid-19 (overseas)	N.A.	N.A.
Emergency medical evacuation due to Covid-19	N.A.	N.A.

Note that it’s a little on the pricier side unless there’s a good promotion going on.

Unfortunately, the plans also do not include Covid-19 coverage and it’s not an optional add-on.

For more on Citibank travel insurance promotions, claims procedure and T&Cs, read our review here.

ALSO READ: Travel insurance review: Is MSIG travel insurance worth it?

Allianz travel insurance for senior citizens

Allianz isn’t quite as well-known as the other insurers here, but it’s a very established brand in Europe.

The coverage benefits for the cheapest (Bronze) tier of travel insurance is pretty bare bones. If you’re considering Allianz as an option, you’d be better off with the Silver or Platinum plans. 

Here’s the coverage for the mid-tier Silver plan:

Coverage limits	Below 70 years old	70 years old & above
Personal accident (death or TPD)	$80,000	$80,000
Emergency medical evacuation	$1,000,000	$1,000,000
Medical expenses (overseas)	$1,000,000	$1,000,000
Medical expenses (Singapore)	N.A.	N.A.
TCM	N.A.	N.A.

Unlike most other insurers, the benefit limits is the same across all age groups. However, it’s important to note that the the plan does not cover pre-existing conditions and it does not cover medical expenses when you’re back in Singapore.

The redeeming quality of Allianz travel insurance is that the limits for emergency evacuation and medical expenses are separated. Again, it’s suitable for those travelling to destinations with poor medical infrastructure.

This article was first published in MoneySmart.