For many Australians, retirement finally opens the door to the trips that got pushed aside for decades— watching the cherry blossoms in Japan, cruising through Alaska, taking a safari in Africa, exploring Europe by river cruise or finally experiencing the wonders of Antarctica.
A bucket list adventure is more than just holiday. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that can represent a significant financial investment.
This is why choosing the right travel insurance is so critical.
Here’s what to consider before you purchase your travel insurance.
The importance of declaring pre-existing medical conditions
Most people over 60 have at least one pre-existing medical condition, even if it’s a minor condition such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
Unless your existing medical condition or conditions is/are automatically covered by the travel insurance provider, it’s important that you declare them. If you have a medical event while in your bucket list destination and a doctor deems that the cause is a pre-existing medical condition, failure to declare the condition when purchasing your travel insurance policy could invalidate your claim.
Emergency medical evacuation and repatriation
Emergency medical evacuation — especially by air ambulance, medevac flight, or helicopter from a remote area — routinely runs into six figures. Older travellers are statistically more likely to need evacuation for cardiac events, falls, or complications from pre-existing conditions, so the tail risk is more real for this demographic than for a younger traveller. All Boomers Travel Insurance plans include unlimited cover for the costs of medical evacuation and repatriation.
Repatriation costs can escalate if a condition worsens, requires ongoing in-country treatment before the patient is stable enough to fly, or needs a medical escort and stretcher transport on commercial flights.
Adventure and sports activities
Boomers Travel Insurance policies automatically include cover for over 90 adventure and sports activities for no extra premium. The activities automatically included are most of what mature-age travellers actually do: bushwalking, cycling, snorkelling, golf, kayaking (up to grade 3), horse riding (excluding racing/jumping), hot air ballooning, camel/elephant riding, safari trekking, via ferrata (established routes), trekking up to 4,000m without technical gear, white water rafting up to grade 4 and sailing within territorial waters.
A few notable caps within the “automatic” list:
- Scuba diving — up to 10m depth only, must be qualified or with an instructor
- Trekking — up to 4,000m, no ropes/picks/climbing gear, and no cover at all for climbing or trekking in Nepal
- Bungee jumping — max two per person per trip
Several activities (abseiling, canyoning, hot air ballooning, jet boating/skiing, paragliding, quad biking, rap jumping, safari trekking, tandem skydiving, zip lining) require a licensed commercial operator, and none of these are covered at all in the USA or Canada.
Trip cancellation before departure
The costs of bucket trip bookings are usually paid long before the date of departure. Some of these payments are usually non-refundable if you need to cancel your trip.
In the case of a severe injury or illness to you or a close family member or travelling companion, and a medical practitioner confirms that you or they are unable to travel, non-refundable payments may be covered by comprehensive travel insurance.
With the Boomers Travel Insurance Essentials and Comprehensive Plans, you may also be covered if you need to curtail your trip due to accidental serious injury or serious illness affecting you or your travelling companion. In such cases, cover may include:
- Reasonable additional costs for travel and accommodation
- A proportionate refund of unused and irrecoverable travel bookings
- The original value of unused airfares that cannot be redeemed
Final things to consider
A bucket list adventure is more than just holiday. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that can represent a significant financial investment.
And, as many bucket list destinations don’t have Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with Australia, if you get injured or fall ill, the costs of medical treatment and repatriation back to Australia can be significant.
When planning your bucket list adventure, consider purchasing travel insurance immediately you buy your airfares or make deposits. Comprehensive travel insurance is about protecting your health and non-refundable deposits. And 24/7 emergency assistance is just a phone call away.
Disclaimer: The information provided here is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or insurance advice. Terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions apply. Please read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) to ensure that the policy is suitable for you.
