Multi trip long term holiday cover for 70-plus wrinklies

John Roberts

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I started writing this thread and halfway through I happened to find a solution, but I suppose it might be of interest to another wrinkly so here it is:

Aaargh! This is doing my head in. We take three or four holidays abroad each year, and so far no problems with choosing a policy, but this year we want to go Australia and will be going for six, seven or perhaps eight weeks- it's a long way so we want to make the most of it, the chances are that we won't be going again.

Most policies normally permit stays of up to 31 days per trip (I have seen some that do 35 days) but the problem that arises is that as I'm 71 I can't find one that will cover me for longer than that because of my age, well, not on an Annual Multi Trip policy anyway. I've spoken to several insurers and they have all said that they will of course sell me the Annual Multi but I will additionally need a Single Trip policy for the Australia trip, the prices they quoted for the second policy alone range between £380 and £580.

The strange thing is that I have been offered a renewal for my usual basic Annual Multi (with the usual 31 day limit) for only (only??:confused:) £215 with a 15% renewal discount which would still cover me for the Oz trip but, as I said, only for 31 days. Buying that would not cover the 50(ish) day Oz trip so I would need a Single Trip policy at an extra £400 (or more) for that. It does seem disproportionate to me but by now I'm getting puddled.

STOP PRESS!
Sorted! Rather than delete the above I thought it might be of some help to some other wrinkly on here if I explain how things worked out. I called the insurer Flexicover and by speaking to them directly it turns out that they are indeed able to increase the period of cover to fifty days from thirty one days; they don't do that with applications via comparison sites and they offered an additional discount as well, bringing the final figure to just under £350. If I change my mind there is the usual fourteen day cooling-off period.

So, the moral is to perhaps still use the comparison sites but then to speak to the insurers direct and you could well get lucky, and don't forget to ask for a discount.

PS I know I could have gone for a string of Single Trip policies, but we're having other foreign trips before and after the Oz one and having the one Annual Multi policy ends up cheaper for us. :)
 
Don't forget there's a reciprocal NHS treatment agreement with Australia. Maybe you can get away with more basic cover?
 
Oh, I never thought of that. Actually I"ll leave things as they are as I am sick of searching by now, but it was something I should have considered.
:beerjug:
 
Update

Today I had a mailshot from one of the companies that I'd had a quote from but hadn't taken up all those weeks ago, Staysure. It asked if I was still in the market for Travel Insurance- and this is what I found interesting- they can (or would have been able to) provide up to 100 days' cover.

So once again, it seems that actually speaking to the insurers can be worth it. :)
 


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