Age Restriction On Travel Insurance

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32053, 30 July 1969, Page 1

Age Restriction On Travel Insurance

Insurance cover against illness or accident was generally available to overseas travellers between the ages of five and 70, a travel agency principal said yesterday.

After an article in “Tije overseas travellers to take Press” yesterday advising all out accident and illness ini surance, several persons complained by telephone that those over 65 could not get cover.

The company insuring travellers booking through his agency had an upper age of 70, the travel agent said, and he thought this was general. He had been reported incorrectly in a reference to an insurance cover of as low as $2 for a month’s tour. The cost was likely to be between $lO and $l2. For a six weeks tour a traveller could take out an insurance for $lOOO at a cost of $13.30, and this would cover two months, he said. Generally the insurance cover was for medical expenses overseas, and it could cover the cost of air travel to catch up with a ship on which the injured or ill passenger had been travelling, he said. Everyone going overseas was advised to take out insurance, he repeated. They were told that medical care overseas was more costly than in New Zealand, and that they could not claim on social security. If they did not insure after being advised to do so, there was no responsibility on anyone to give assistance, although, as happened when uninsured homes were lost in fires, there were organisations and individuals prepared to assist.