Two travel insurers for over 50s offer Covid-19 cover

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The over 50s age demographic has been earmarked as the most vulnerable to Covid-19 and the two insurers aim to give policyholders peace of mind when travel restrictions ease up

Both Saga and Staysure who serve the over 50s demographic, have introduced travel insurance cover for customers who contract Covid-19.

Although this cover still excludes any coronavirus-related cancellation, both firms said they will pay medical expenses and repatriation fees as standard for policyholders that fall ill during a trip.

According to the government, this particular age group is the most vulnerable to Covid-19.

But it will only apply to countries deemed safe to visit by the government.

Saga added the cover as a standalone and add on, to help customers feel more comfortable when travelling when lockdown is eased further and flights resume.

Kevin McMullan, head of product, Saga Health and Travel Insurance said: “Understandably, the current crisis has put travel plans on hold for many people.

”However, with the UK’s strict lockdown measures beginning to lift, more people may be planning both exciting and much needed trips away over the coming months.”

It is a response to increasing customer demand with 74% of Saga customers saying that they would be unlikely to take out travel insurance if it didn’t cover Covid-19 risks.

Underlying conditions

Saga’s policy update will compensate and care for customers should they fall ill with coronavirus while travelling outside the UK and will include those with underlying health conditions.

McMullan added: “We recognise that this may be a daunting process, particularly for customers with underlying health concerns. We want to give people the confidence and reassurance that if they were to fall ill abroad, we’re there to help and get them back home safely.

“We’re continuing to review and innovate our products to ensure they work as well as they can for our customers. However, we know the impact of coronavirus is far-reaching. We’d encourage customers to contact us directly if they’d like to discuss their individual circumstances and how we can best support them through these uncertain times.”

Saga said it will continue to review its policy to ensure customers receive significant value from the cover, and that customer feedback will be central to further policy updates.

Peace of mind

Meanwhile, Staysure Covid-19 travel insurance cover applies to all live policies, the insurer believes that it’s actions could kick start the UK’s troubed travel insurance industry.

Ryan Howsam, group chief executive and founder at Staysure, said: “We need to look at all our options at this time of coronavirus and keep moving ahead. At Staysure, we are well-known for thinking of every eventuality and making sure that our customers have peace of mind when they travel. This new policy is no different. The coronavirus will be with us for some time and so we needed to put this into place as soon as possible”.

It comes at no extra cost to existing or new policy-holders. This new inclusion is now standard for anyone booking travel insurance with Staysure and those that have already booked.