Which pre-existing medical conditions are covered as standard?

National Seniors covers over 40 pre-existing medical conditions as standard, including anaemia, cataracts, and diabetes. However, specific limitations or conditions may apply so be sure to check the PDS carefully..

Do I have to have over 65 to buy travel insurance from National Seniors?

No, you just have to be over 18 to take out your own policy.

National Seniors Travel Insurance

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National Seniors automatically covers over 40 pre-existing medical conditions with no age limits on most plans.
Comprehensive cover can be expensive, often exceeding $1000 for a two-week US trip.
Snow sports cover is available for travellers over 75; however, high-risk adventure activities are excluded.

Pros

Over 40 pre-existing medical conditions are covered as standard and cover for other conditions can be considered following a medical screening.
There's no age limit for the snow sports add-on option, making National Seniors Travel Insurance one of the few brands that covers over 75s on the slopes.

Cons

Cover is expensive. We requested a quote using the details of a 65-year-old traveller heading to the US for two weeks. Comprehensive cover came in at over $1,000.
There's no option to add an adventure pack which means some higher risk activities aren't covered including rock climbing or riding a scooter.

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Summary of National Seniors International Comprehensive policy

Overseas Medical and Hospital Expenses	Unlimited
Cancellation and Amendment Fees	Cover chosen
Luggage and Personal Effects	$12,000
Maximum Age Limit	110

^{Table updated October 2023}

How does National Seniors Travel Insurance cover COVID-19?

National Seniors has strong cover for risks related to COVID-19. Here's what you can expect:

Overseas medical costs, emergency assistance, and hospital costs.
Relevant costs if you or a travelling companion are diagnosed with COVID-19 and you have to cancel or rearrange your trip
Relevant costs if a close relative or business partner is hospitalised or dies due to COVID-19 and you have to cancel, reschedule or return home early.
Relevant costs if you or travelling companion are permanently employed as a healthcare worker, residential care worker or law enforcement officer, and your or their pre-approved leave is cancelled due to COVID-19.
Relevant costs if a pre-paid tour is cancelled due to your tour guide contracting COVID-19
Relevant costs if you're not permitted to board scheduled public transport due to you being suspected of having COVID-19
Childcare costs if you're unable to take care of your dependant children due to contracting COVID-19 on your trip.
Pet care costs if you're unable to return home on your scheduled date due to contracting COVID-19 on your trip.
Transport of your remains or burial costs if you die as a result of COVID-19 during your trip.

There are some scenarios that are not covered by National Seniors including costs incurred as a result of border closures or government travel bans.

Also, if you were diagnosed with COVID-19 before heading on your trip but you went anyway, you won't be covered for any COVID-related overseas medical expenses.

What policies does National Seniors offer?

National Seniors offers four insurance policies to travellers. Comprehensive, Essentials, Multi-Trip and Domestic.

Comprehensive

Essentials

Multi-Trip

Domestic

The insurer of this product is Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd. It comes with a cooling-off period of 21 days and choice of $250 standard excess for international plans.

Here's a breakdown of National Seniors Travel Insurance features

Standard features
Optional add-ons
Exclusions

Check icon

Standard features

These are some of the main insured events that National Seniors will cover. Some of these benefits may only apply on the Comprehensive International policy.

Overseas medical treatment
Lost, damaged or stolen property
Trip cancellation or amendment
Additional accommodation and transport
Rental vehicle excess
Theft of money

Luggage and travel delay
Emergency dental costs
Kidnap and hijack
Personal liability
Permanent disability
Accidental death

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Optional add-ons

National Seniors Travel Insurance also offers options to customise your cover, including:

Snow Sports Cover. Cover for equipment and cancellation expenses if you're going skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing or snowmobiling.
Additional rental vehicle insurance excess. Increase the amount covered for your rental car excess.
Specific items. Increase the amount covered for specific items, such as tech or jewellery.
Specified medical conditions. Apply to have specific pre-existing medical conditions covered by your policy.

Exclusions

Unfortunately, travel insurance doesn't cover everything. Generally, National Seniors will not pay your claim if it relates to:

Unlawful, wreckless or unreasonably unsafe behaviour by you
Behaviour while you were drunk or under the influence of drugs
Expenses related to a pre-existing medical condition not listed on your policy
An act of war, invasion or revolution
Insolvency of a travel agent, tour operator or accommodation provider
Mandatory quarantines or isolations
An act of war, invasion or revolution
You being unfit to travel or travelling against medical advice
Childbirth or pregnancy complications after the 26th week of gestation or if you have had previous pregnancy complications
An elective medical or dental treatment, cosmetic procedure or body modification (including tattoos or piercing)
Self-inflicted injury or illness, suicide or attempted suicide

Make sure you review the National Seniors PDS for a detailed breakdown of what won't be covered, found under its list of general exclusions.

How to make an National Seniors Travel Insurance claim

You can submit your claim online, via the National Seniors or nib website.

Alternatively, you can download a travel insurance claim form online and submit your travel insurance claim via post or email claims@nibtravel.com.

If you need help with your claim, you can call the claims hotline on 1300 62 52 29 (within Australia) or +61 2 8263 0487 (from overseas).

Here's the bottom line about National Seniors Travel Insurance

National Seniors is one of the few brands that offer snow sports cover to over 75s, making it a good option for older travellers who want to hit the slopes.

It also offers excellent cover for COVID-19, covers a wide range of pre-existing medical conditions as standard and allows medical screenings so travellers can apply to have other conditions covered.

However, cover is quite expensive and there is no option to add an activity pack, so some pastimes won't be covered, including riding a scooter or rock climbing outdoors.

If you're still not sure about National Seniors, you can compare other travel insurance companies here.

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Written by

Nicola Middlemiss

Journalist

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Nicola Middlemiss is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience in personal finance and insurance. She has contributed to Domain, Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Insurance Business Australia, offering in-depth insights into commercial insurance in the Australian market. Nicola holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Leeds and a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification, which complies with ASIC standards. See full bio

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2 Responses

ChristineFebruary 12, 2017

I need I need travel insurance to cover trekking I Tasmania. I have osteoporosis and have had a stress fracture in past 12 months. Will you cover me. What will be the premium cost
Thank you

Finder

ZubairFebruary 13, 2017Finder

Hi Christine,

Thanks for getting in touch. I’m sorry to hear about your osteoporosis and medication condition.

I might be able to tell you with you will be covered or not as we don’t represent any insurer. However, please note that pre-existing conditions are assessed on a case-by-case basis. With this in mind, you might want to check our guide about travel insurance for pre-existing conditions.

Open that link and on that page, there are travel insurance brands listed on our comparison table that may consider your situation. Compare them based on various details. Once you’re done, you can then get in touch with your chosen insurer.

While looking for insurers, please make sure you read the terms and conditions of the policy to learn more and know if it is the right policy for you or not.

I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out again.

Have a wonderful day!

Cheers,
Zubair

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