As far as I and many of my senior nomadic friends are concerned, the biggest problem with all 3 of these companies you mention is - and I quote right off of their website .....
"Unfortunately we don't offer travel health insurance for ages 70+"
This leaves a whole lot of us stuck with the only option of paying literally 100's if not 1000's of $$ to be covered just for a short getaway, of 2-3 weeks, not a typical nomadic excursion of 3-4-6 months. None of these companies care about your overall health, just that you have reached the milestone of REALLY OLD AT 70 and you should either stay home, stop traveling, or rob a bank so you can afford to pay their premium. NOT FAIR!!!
I also appreciate your careful research but think there’s a huge hole for us older folks who FINALLY have the time, desire and means to travel but are the most likely demographic to have health issues, sudden or otherwise. We just have to take our chances and pray we don’t tumble over pretty cobblestones or drop a sharp knife into our bare foot (as I once did in Kobe).
This is SUCH an important topic – thank you so much for writing about it! Something to consider when you take out travel insurance: check to see whether the policy covers flying a family member over to fly to you, should you be hospitalised – and then tell your family (and send them a copy of your policy).
I am South African, and a few years back my brother was hospitalised for three weeks after a car accident in the USA left almost everything on the left side of his body broken. His insurance covered all medical bills, and flew a nurse from South Africa to Michigan to travel back with him (business class), but no-one knew that insurance would have paid for a family member to go and spend those three lonely weeks with him.
Nice! Yes, this is a feature of SafetyWing and...(I think?) Genki. Honestly, I just didn't have remove to include it. But this is VERY important. Also flying your partner/companion home WITH YOU if you're injured.
Thank you so much for your continued delving into nomad healthcare. I think I have used all of your articles to backup my own research. Genki was my choice for 2024 also. Here’s hoping they will figure out people over 69 are worthy of insurance by the time we get there!
Thank you SO much for your research. We have decent insurance COBRA’d through my husband’s former employer & we can sign up for the Italian system soon (🤞🙏) But. Our son just turned 26, lives in CA & spends a lot of time back in Italy with us. It’s been a nightmare figuring out how to get him
covered. This (& an earlier post of yours) has been an enormous help.
I really appreciate your perspective on this, as you mention things I had interpreted differently. What an eye opener!
I think I've gotten around the World Nomads challenges you mention by purchasing monthly, or just for the duration I absolutely know I will be in/out of country, and where I'll be, which is easier to figure if I've booked that lodging already.
But, of course, sometimes I have no idea where I'm going.
But I only purchase for what I know, when I know it. Sometimes that means purchasing at the last minute, which I really need.
For instance, I needed OR, ID, MT coverage one month, then CA for several after that.
I just assume all travel insurance is ER only, and that they will take forever to reimburse, which has proven true.
My World Nomads, in USA, is now averaging around $120/month for a 55 yo (used to be less, though maybe that was because I was in Europe?).
I am definitely more closely comparing WN to Genki now, thanks to your concerns!
You are very welcome! Genki did just reimburse me for having a dermatologist look at some skin issues, and remove two lensions, so it's not JUST emergency room. I think SafetyWing is though.
Dang, maybe I should have gone with Genki. I have the SafetyWing Nomad Insurance subscription because it's got some travel insurance type protections in addition to medical - like you said, lost luggage and Trip Delay (if you have an unexpected flight delay of more than 12 hours, they'll put up to $100 per day towards your overnight hotel). But upon further reading of my policy I've realized they don't have any kind of trip PROTECTION, meaning reimbursement of cancelled or rescheduled flights.
The one time I've had to make a trip insurance claim (World Nomads), it was because an airline went bankrupt and just cancelled all of their future flights entirely, and they couldn't refund any customers at all. I was stuck abroad with no flight, had to get a 10 hour overnight bus and then purchase a new flight home from a different city. World Nomads reimbursed me for the extra costs I had to pay, more than $600. This is the type of issue I'm worried about running into and I'm bummed that my Nomad Insurance with SafetyWing doesn't seem to cover that type of thing. What do you guys do for that stuff? Do you buy Genki and also buy separate travel insurance like with World Nomads? Or when you purchase flights do you get the extra trip protection the airlines always try to sell you during checkout?
Oh! I'll include this information in the update I'm writing now. Thanks!
Keep in mind you might also have some coverage through your credit card, assuming you have a "travel" card. The coverages there are better than most people realize (although, of course, you have to have made the purchase WITH THAT CARD).
Here are the two cards we recommend and our affiliate links:
Thanks, I have one card that has travel insurance benefits but I usually try to use a different card that I get cashback on instead lol. I guess I should start using the other one since it's kind of my only contingency if I don't want to double up by buying both SafetyWing and World Nomads. Or I could try to apply for that Chase Sapphire card again. That was the first credit card I ever tried to apply for many years ago and I was denied because I had no credit history at the time.
I guess I could also make sure I always buy the more expensive airline ticket tier that includes the ability to change your dates/times (for a change fee) too, instead of the affordable Economy tickets that you can't ever change. Although that still wouldn't help in the event of an airline just going kaputt like last time.
So I ended up getting a Chase Sapphire card and I am buying all my flights for 2024 on it. However now that it is possible for me to read the benefits, it says that "financial insolvency" of the company is not something that's covered. So if the airline goes bankrupt I will not be covered through Chase, nor will I be covered through SafetyWing which I also pay for. It sounds like the only thing I could do it also buy a THIRD thing, World Nomads, to cover this situation.
I'm not personally too worried about that. I did have an airline go bankrupt on us once, and other airlines took us, no problem. No extra charge. But it's also only happened once in 45+ years of trravel.
(We never ever buy the protection through the airlines. Those seem very expensive. And honestly? We've had very very few things cancelled where we weren't reimbursed. Even if we pay out of pocket, I think we're still coming out ahead, not buying that kind of trip/travel insurance. Then again, we've got a cushion of money to fall back on, which many folks don't.)
Thank you for the well written and comprehensive article - I just became a subscriber. This article made me consider Genki, but it has been two weeks since I emailed dr-Walter about coverage and no reply. Have you heard reports from people that filed claims?
I have heard that claims were taking some time (but they assure me they're working on it). That said, safetywing took forever to respond to two recent claims of mine (and rejected them both 🙄)
Hi, this article was super helpful! I'm interested to hear if you have any suggestions for someone with pre-existing conditions that have been treated within the past 6 months. What should they do? Thanks!
There is no travel insurance that I know of that will cover pre-existing conditions...EXCEPT for Genki, after six months. Technically, the way I read their policy (and I have had verbal but not written confirmation of this), if you don't receive TREATMENT for six months, after that point, you would be covered by their policy. But I would confirm this through them, in writing.
This article is strictly about their TRAVEL insurance (and Genki Resident is full international health insurance). But yes, we're aware of it and written about Resident too! (I highly recommend it.)
We're in our first month of full-time world travel and have experienced the hardest time finding coverage. We tried Cigna Global but it was quite expensive and very difficult to activate while abroad.
We just signed up for Genki through your link. Thanks so much for this information!
Thanks for the well-reasoned article. I paid out of pocket for medical care in Spain this year, and it was a lot more affordable than _having_ health insurance in the US. I would never want to go back to the US for health care, but I do understand your perspective on this topic. When I was a resident of Mexico I purchased World Nomads for my trips to the states, but since I'm no longer a resident of any country, I can't do that anymore. I just invite friends and family to visit me instead. 😁
The other important thing about World Nomads is that they explicitly state you have to first be covered in your country of residence. (Or at least that's how it was when I purchased it from 2018 to 2021). This might be relevant to some of your readers.
Oh, I think i see it, yes. Yes, you do need to be "covered" in your home country. (You "declare" it in the fine print.) Without this coverage, you are presumably ineligible. Interesting. And sneaky.
It must be different now. We were just members, and while you have to declare you nationality (American), it didn't make us choose "America" for area of coverage.
As far as I and many of my senior nomadic friends are concerned, the biggest problem with all 3 of these companies you mention is - and I quote right off of their website .....
"Unfortunately we don't offer travel health insurance for ages 70+"
This leaves a whole lot of us stuck with the only option of paying literally 100's if not 1000's of $$ to be covered just for a short getaway, of 2-3 weeks, not a typical nomadic excursion of 3-4-6 months. None of these companies care about your overall health, just that you have reached the milestone of REALLY OLD AT 70 and you should either stay home, stop traveling, or rob a bank so you can afford to pay their premium. NOT FAIR!!!
It really isn't far. I'm sorry.
Well said!
Thanks for the article and the extensive research. It infuriates me that so little travel insurance is available to older people.
I bet! very frustrating...
I also appreciate your careful research but think there’s a huge hole for us older folks who FINALLY have the time, desire and means to travel but are the most likely demographic to have health issues, sudden or otherwise. We just have to take our chances and pray we don’t tumble over pretty cobblestones or drop a sharp knife into our bare foot (as I once did in Kobe).
Thank you, Ruth. I'm so sorry, it really is ironic, isn't it?
Clearly a quandary for those over 69 and want to travel with insurance.
Very very much so!
This is SUCH an important topic – thank you so much for writing about it! Something to consider when you take out travel insurance: check to see whether the policy covers flying a family member over to fly to you, should you be hospitalised – and then tell your family (and send them a copy of your policy).
I am South African, and a few years back my brother was hospitalised for three weeks after a car accident in the USA left almost everything on the left side of his body broken. His insurance covered all medical bills, and flew a nurse from South Africa to Michigan to travel back with him (business class), but no-one knew that insurance would have paid for a family member to go and spend those three lonely weeks with him.
Nice! Yes, this is a feature of SafetyWing and...(I think?) Genki. Honestly, I just didn't have remove to include it. But this is VERY important. Also flying your partner/companion home WITH YOU if you're injured.
Thanks for reminding folks!
Er "room" to include it.
Thank you so much for your continued delving into nomad healthcare. I think I have used all of your articles to backup my own research. Genki was my choice for 2024 also. Here’s hoping they will figure out people over 69 are worthy of insurance by the time we get there!
You're very welcome!
I suspect someone will offer something, but it won't be cheap.
Thank you SO much for your research. We have decent insurance COBRA’d through my husband’s former employer & we can sign up for the Italian system soon (🤞🙏) But. Our son just turned 26, lives in CA & spends a lot of time back in Italy with us. It’s been a nightmare figuring out how to get him
covered. This (& an earlier post of yours) has been an enormous help.
ah I'm sorry. It's taken me six years of traveling to finally feel like I have a handle on this issue. LOL
Thanks!
I really appreciate your perspective on this, as you mention things I had interpreted differently. What an eye opener!
I think I've gotten around the World Nomads challenges you mention by purchasing monthly, or just for the duration I absolutely know I will be in/out of country, and where I'll be, which is easier to figure if I've booked that lodging already.
But, of course, sometimes I have no idea where I'm going.
But I only purchase for what I know, when I know it. Sometimes that means purchasing at the last minute, which I really need.
For instance, I needed OR, ID, MT coverage one month, then CA for several after that.
I just assume all travel insurance is ER only, and that they will take forever to reimburse, which has proven true.
My World Nomads, in USA, is now averaging around $120/month for a 55 yo (used to be less, though maybe that was because I was in Europe?).
I am definitely more closely comparing WN to Genki now, thanks to your concerns!
You are very welcome! Genki did just reimburse me for having a dermatologist look at some skin issues, and remove two lensions, so it's not JUST emergency room. I think SafetyWing is though.
Excellent to know about Genki!
Dang, maybe I should have gone with Genki. I have the SafetyWing Nomad Insurance subscription because it's got some travel insurance type protections in addition to medical - like you said, lost luggage and Trip Delay (if you have an unexpected flight delay of more than 12 hours, they'll put up to $100 per day towards your overnight hotel). But upon further reading of my policy I've realized they don't have any kind of trip PROTECTION, meaning reimbursement of cancelled or rescheduled flights.
The one time I've had to make a trip insurance claim (World Nomads), it was because an airline went bankrupt and just cancelled all of their future flights entirely, and they couldn't refund any customers at all. I was stuck abroad with no flight, had to get a 10 hour overnight bus and then purchase a new flight home from a different city. World Nomads reimbursed me for the extra costs I had to pay, more than $600. This is the type of issue I'm worried about running into and I'm bummed that my Nomad Insurance with SafetyWing doesn't seem to cover that type of thing. What do you guys do for that stuff? Do you buy Genki and also buy separate travel insurance like with World Nomads? Or when you purchase flights do you get the extra trip protection the airlines always try to sell you during checkout?
Oh! I'll include this information in the update I'm writing now. Thanks!
Keep in mind you might also have some coverage through your credit card, assuming you have a "travel" card. The coverages there are better than most people realize (although, of course, you have to have made the purchase WITH THAT CARD).
Here are the two cards we recommend and our affiliate links:
https://www.referyourchasecard.com/215n/QNV7JXA0ZC
https://www.referyourchasecard.com/6j/K280V1P44O
Thanks, I have one card that has travel insurance benefits but I usually try to use a different card that I get cashback on instead lol. I guess I should start using the other one since it's kind of my only contingency if I don't want to double up by buying both SafetyWing and World Nomads. Or I could try to apply for that Chase Sapphire card again. That was the first credit card I ever tried to apply for many years ago and I was denied because I had no credit history at the time.
I guess I could also make sure I always buy the more expensive airline ticket tier that includes the ability to change your dates/times (for a change fee) too, instead of the affordable Economy tickets that you can't ever change. Although that still wouldn't help in the event of an airline just going kaputt like last time.
The sign-up bonuses alone make up for the lack of a cash-back bonus.
So I ended up getting a Chase Sapphire card and I am buying all my flights for 2024 on it. However now that it is possible for me to read the benefits, it says that "financial insolvency" of the company is not something that's covered. So if the airline goes bankrupt I will not be covered through Chase, nor will I be covered through SafetyWing which I also pay for. It sounds like the only thing I could do it also buy a THIRD thing, World Nomads, to cover this situation.
I'm not personally too worried about that. I did have an airline go bankrupt on us once, and other airlines took us, no problem. No extra charge. But it's also only happened once in 45+ years of trravel.
(We never ever buy the protection through the airlines. Those seem very expensive. And honestly? We've had very very few things cancelled where we weren't reimbursed. Even if we pay out of pocket, I think we're still coming out ahead, not buying that kind of trip/travel insurance. Then again, we've got a cushion of money to fall back on, which many folks don't.)
Thank you for the well written and comprehensive article - I just became a subscriber. This article made me consider Genki, but it has been two weeks since I emailed dr-Walter about coverage and no reply. Have you heard reports from people that filed claims?
You're welcome. 🙂
I have heard that claims were taking some time (but they assure me they're working on it). That said, safetywing took forever to respond to two recent claims of mine (and rejected them both 🙄)
Hi, this article was super helpful! I'm interested to hear if you have any suggestions for someone with pre-existing conditions that have been treated within the past 6 months. What should they do? Thanks!
There is no travel insurance that I know of that will cover pre-existing conditions...EXCEPT for Genki, after six months. Technically, the way I read their policy (and I have had verbal but not written confirmation of this), if you don't receive TREATMENT for six months, after that point, you would be covered by their policy. But I would confirm this through them, in writing.
Here is our affiliate link:
https://genki.world/?with=brentandmichael
Really sad to hear, but thanks so much!
I assume this has been added since this article was published, but I see now that genki has a plan with NO age restrictions! (Genki resident)
This article is strictly about their TRAVEL insurance (and Genki Resident is full international health insurance). But yes, we're aware of it and written about Resident too! (I highly recommend it.)
Ohhhhh my bad. Carry on ;)
No worries! lol
We're in our first month of full-time world travel and have experienced the hardest time finding coverage. We tried Cigna Global but it was quite expensive and very difficult to activate while abroad.
We just signed up for Genki through your link. Thanks so much for this information!
Thank you! Very much appreciate that!
Thank you very helpful to start my research 😊
You're welcome! Glad I could be of help.
Thanks for the well-reasoned article. I paid out of pocket for medical care in Spain this year, and it was a lot more affordable than _having_ health insurance in the US. I would never want to go back to the US for health care, but I do understand your perspective on this topic. When I was a resident of Mexico I purchased World Nomads for my trips to the states, but since I'm no longer a resident of any country, I can't do that anymore. I just invite friends and family to visit me instead. 😁
Haha smart, very very smart. American health care is ... craaaazy.
The other important thing about World Nomads is that they explicitly state you have to first be covered in your country of residence. (Or at least that's how it was when I purchased it from 2018 to 2021). This might be relevant to some of your readers.
Oh, I think i see it, yes. Yes, you do need to be "covered" in your home country. (You "declare" it in the fine print.) Without this coverage, you are presumably ineligible. Interesting. And sneaky.
It must be different now. We were just members, and while you have to declare you nationality (American), it didn't make us choose "America" for area of coverage.
But now I'm confused...