As an older adult, you may look forward to traveling the world when you retire. Whether taking a single trip or traveling extensively, health concerns and sickness can derail even the best plans.

One way to address those risks is to purchase one of the best travel insurance policies for older adults. We cover multiple insurance carriers and provide policy premiums and benefits examples to help you find the best travel insurance to meet your needs.

This is the shortlist of the best travel insurance for older adults:

HTH Travel Insurance.

John Hancock.

TravelSafe.

Seven Corners.

Tin Leg.

World Nomads.

Factors we considered when picking a travel insurance policy

Choosing the right travel insurance policy is an important decision. Yet, the best travel insurance company depends on your needs and budget. Here are the factors we focused on when making this list.

Available policy types. The best travel insurance companies offer multiple policy types to meet the needs of various travelers.

Policy coverage limits. How much will the policy cover if you need to make a claim?

Exclusions. Do you have pre-existing conditions that may affect your ability to travel, increase the potential for medical treatments during your trip or cut your trip short? What would cause the insurance company to deny a claim?

Cost. How much does the insurance company charge for a basic policy? Is this price affected by your age, length of the trip or overall health condition?

Website usability. We value insurance companies that make it simple for travelers to compare options, get a quote and purchase a policy online.

Customization. Are the insurance company's policies customizable to meet a traveler's needs or must they choose from a rigid set of options?

What matters most to you also impacts which travel insurance is best for you. Whether it's medical evacuation, pre-existing conditions or the repatriation of remains, each policy's coverages and limits differ.

Additionally, policy premiums can vary widely based on the length of coverage and your age. If you frequently travel, buying an annual policy instead of policies for each trip may make more sense. Additionally, your premiums may be much different as a new retiree at 65 compared with someone in their 70s or 80s.

You may be able to save money on your travel insurance policy by taking advantage of credit card benefits. For example, many travel cards include trip cancellation, delay and interruption benefits, luggage protection and rental car coverage at no additional charge when using the card to book flights and rent cars.

An overview of the best travel insurance for older adults

We requested quotes from multiple travel insurance companies for a 10-day trip to Madrid in July 2023. Our hypothetical traveler is a 65-year-old man from California who is spending $8,000 for the trip. His trip cost includes airfare plus prepaid hotels and excursions.

On average, the price of a policy offered by the listed companies was about $514, with a median price of $609.

* Cost refers to the basic coverage cost if multiple options are available.

There are various coverage options and price points when comparing travel insurance policies for older adults. While the lowest-priced options in the chart are the most affordable, their policies offer different coverage. For example, policies from HTH Travel Insurance only provide medical coverage but not trip interruption, delay or cancellation protection.

Comparing coverage limits and exclusions when selecting a policy is important so you are satisfied when making a claim.

Top travel insurance options for older adults

Let's look at our six travel insurance policy recommendations for older adults.

HTH Travel Insurance

What makes HTH Travel Insurance great:

Medical benefits of up to $1 million with deductibles as low as $0.

Access to English-speaking doctors in more than 180 countries.

Insurance covers hospital care, surgery and prescription drugs.

Here's a snippet from our HTH Travel Insurance review:

"HTH has a few travel insurance policies. These include medical plans and trip protection plans, so you'll want to decide what type of coverage you require."

Since Medicare doesn't cover healthcare needs when traveling outside the United States, some travelers purchase healthcare-only policies such as this one from HTH Travel Insurance. For our test trip, their healthcare-only coverage cost is just $90. However, keep in mind that this plan only provides medical coverage — if you want insurance for things like trip cancellation, trip interruption or baggage delay, you'll need to purchase a different plan.

Read our review

John Hancock

What makes John Hancock great:

Emergency medical evacuation coverage starts at $250,000 per person.

Trip interruption coverage of 125% of trip cost.

Trip delay benefits start at six hours.

Here's a snippet from our John Hancock review:

"John Hancock offers three different plans for travelers depending on their needs: Gold, Silver and Bronze. As you'd expect, the Gold level comes with the most coverage and the highest price, while the Bronze level costs the least."

John Hancock's basic coverage cost for our test trip is $616, which is slightly above average. This policy is ideal for travelers worried about health problems requiring an emergency medical evacuation during their trip.

Read our review

TravelSafe

What makes TravelSafe great:

Coverage for pre-existing conditions is available if the policy is purchased within 21 days of booking travel.

Includes a $500 benefit for missed connections or trip delays.

Trip cancellation protection of up to $10,000.

Here's a snippet from our TravelSafe review:

"TravelSafe insurance offers two different plan types: Basic and Classic. Both of them only cover single trips; the company doesn't sell multi-trip or year-long plans. The TravelSafe Basic plan offers a lower level of protection than the company's more expensive option, TravelSafe Classic."

TravelSafe's basic coverage cost for our test trip is $855. While this policy has a higher price, it offers coverage for pre-existing conditions if you buy it within 21 days of booking your trip.

Read our review

Seven Corners

What makes Seven Corners great:

Lost baggage benefits of $500 per person (per item limit of $250).

Delayed bags are reimbursed up to $100 per day ($500 max).

Trip delay of up to $200 per day per person after six hours ($600 maximum).

Here's a snippet from our Seven Corners review:

"The RoundTrip Basic plan is a good comprehensive travel insurance option and offers 100% trip cancellation (for trips up to $30,000), 100% trip interruption, $100,000 for emergency medical expenses (secondary coverage), $250,000 for medical evacuation/repatriation, lost luggage, baggage delay and other benefits."

Seven Corners' basic coverage cost for our test trip is $602, which is slightly above average. It offers superior protection against lost or delayed luggage, which can really put a damper on your travel plans.

Read our review

Tin Leg

What makes Tin Leg great:

Trip cancellation and interruption for COVID included at no extra charge.

Coverage extended up to seven days for medical quarantine.

Sports equipment is covered under baggage loss coverage.

Here's a snippet from our Tin Leg review:

"Tin Leg offers nine different travel insurance coverage policies. Prices vary for each depending on your itinerary and trip costs. The Basic plan is exactly what it sounds like: a policy for low-risk trips. It includes coverage for trip cancellation, delay and interruption, plus missed connections, emergency medical and evacuation, and lost and delayed luggage coverage."

Tin Leg's basic coverage cost for our test trip is $844. COVID's impact on retirees can be severe, so having a policy with generous benefits regarding coronavirus is critical. One of the best features includes up to one week of additional coverage at no charge if you're medically quarantined.

Read our review

World Nomads

What makes World Nomads great:

Covers more than 200 adventure activities.

Ability to extend coverage while traveling.

Emergency medical coverage of $100,000 for all policies.

Here's a snippet from our World Nomads review:

"World Nomads offers the Standard and Explorer travel insurance plans and excels in sports/activity-related travel insurance coverage while offering solid trip delay, baggage delay and lost luggage protections. The provider offers insurance plans for travel to nearly any country and is available to residents of most countries."

World Nomads' basic coverage cost for our test trip is $74. However, take note of the coverage limits on its policies, which can be much lower than the cost of your trip. Its Basic policy coverage caps trip cancellation or interruption at $2,500, which could leave a large gap in comparison to our traveler's $8,000 trip cost.

Read our review

Best travel insurance for older adults recapped

The types of insurance plans for older adults — and how much they cost — vary significantly. There are options for those who only want to cover medical costs and plans for those who want coverage for any travel mishap that might befall them.

Other things to consider are pre-existing medical conditions, what types of activities you're doing and how long you'll be traveling.

Your chosen policy will depend on your travel needs and your comfort with risk. The upfront cost may be well worth it if you need to make a claim on an expensive injury, a canceled flight or a medical evacuation.