June 1, 2020
Due to travel restrictions, plans are only available with travel dates on or after
Due to travel restrictions, plans are only available with effective start dates on or after
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Snowbirds truly are living their best life. Around the time that the rest of us are putting on cozy sweaters, snowbirds begin migrating to warm and sunny destinations for the winter.
Those from Michigan and Ohio take I-75 (the “Snowbird Highway”) south to Florida. New Yorkers and their neighbors cruise down I-95 to Florida and the Carolinas. Midwesterners high-tail it to Texas. Snowbirds in the northwest head to Arizona and California.1 Still others leave the U.S. entirely, venturing to Mexico, Central or South America, the Caribbean, or Europe.
While most snowbirds are retirees 55 and older, younger adults who work remotely are adopting the lifestyle as well.2 One truth applies to every snowbird, regardless of age or destination: You need a reliable travel insurance plan.
Get a quote now to find the best snowbird travel insurance plan for you.
You might escape cold and flu season back home… but what if you get seriously ill (or injured) while traveling? For snowbirds, travel insurance with emergency medical benefits is a must, especially if you’re heading overseas.
U.S. healthcare plans are not typically accepted by hospitals and providers in other countries. Often, patients are required to pay up front before receiving care.3 Medicare and Medicaid do not cover health care received while traveling abroad, except in a few limited circumstances.4
What about Medigap plans? Several plans do include foreign travel emergency coverage for trips outside the United States, but that protection is limited. Plans C, D, F, G, M, and N provide 80% coverage for foreign emergencies up to $50,000, after a $250 deductible.
Only emergencies that occur within the first 60 days of international travel can be covered.5
Emergency medical travel insurance from Allianz Partners, on the other hand, can reimburse 100% of eligible expenses for a covered medical emergency that occurs anytime during your trip. Emergency transportation benefits can cover the costs of medically necessary transportation to the nearest hospital or appropriate facility following a covered illness or injury. Not only that, but Allianz Partners can arrange and pay for your transportation home following a covered medical emergency.
Even for U.S. travel, the best travel insurance for snowbirds includes emergency medical benefits. Why? For one, it can help fill gaps in Medicare for snowbird travelers. And emergency transportation and repatriation benefits can potentially save you tens of thousands of dollars if you need to be airlifted to a hospital and/or brought home to recover.
Do snowbirds need travel insurance that covers trip cancellations and interruptions? That depends on where you’re staying and how you’re getting there.
Is it possible to buy travel insurance specifically for snowbirds spending months away? Absolutely. The typical snowbird travels for up to six months at a time, leaving home in October or November and returning in March or April.
What if you’re a snowbird who flits back and forth between home and warmer climes? There are plenty of snowbird travel insurance plans offering coverage for multiple destinations, such as AllTrips annual travel insurance plans. One affordable plan protects you for 365 days, with no limit on the number of trips you can take. There is, however, a limit on trip length.
Learn more: Buying Annual Travel Insurance Over 65
If you have any kind of chronic illness or injury, or an ongoing health concern, you need to understand how travel insurance covers existing medical conditions.
It’s actually not hard to find snowbird travel insurance for pre-existing conditions! Virtually all Allianz Travel Insurance plans include the Pre-Existing Medical Condition Exclusion Waiver. This means that your travel insurance plan can reimburse you for:
Just make sure you meet the requirements for qualifying for the waiver. You must be a U.S. resident, and you must also be medically able to travel when you purchase your policy. (It’s wise to get a doctor to confirm this.) Also, you must purchase your travel insurance plan within 14 days (or the time period specified in your plan) of the date of the first non-refundable trip payment or deposit, and insure your full nonrefundable trip costs on the policy purchase date. Additional trip costs must be insured within 14 days of purchase.
Check your plan for the specific requirements you need to meet. Questions? Call us! Contact our insurance advisers at 1-866-884-3556.
Learn more: When Does Travel Insurance Cover Existing Medical Conditions?
Even the most carefree snowbird sometimes needs help while traveling. That’s why every Allianz Partners travel insurance plan includes 24-hour assistance. Our team of global travel experts can help you:
Before you head down the Snowbird Highway, download the Allyz® app—your ultimate travel companion. Use Allyz® to reach assistance, manage your Allianz travel protection plan on the go, and get exclusive access to digital services to help you during your trip.
View all of our travel insurance products
Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Please see your plan for full details. Benefits/Coverage may vary by state, and sublimits may apply.
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