Travel insurance premiums for New Zealanders can nearly double the moment a traveller turns 70 – and for 80-year-olds, quotes can run up to six times higher than those for younger travellers seeking identical cover, new research shows.
Personal finance research website MoneyHub published two guides in late February examining how New Zealand’s travel insurance market treats older and medically complex travellers. The research is described as the only published resource in New Zealand to systematically price-test which insurers quote for travellers aged 70 and 80, comparing pricing across multiple destinations.
MoneyHub obtained quotes from more than 12 insurers for 70- and 80-year-old couples travelling to Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Fiji.
The research found that an 80-year-old couple travelling to the US for 22 days received quotes ranging from about $2,200 to over $6,300 – a difference of more than $4,000 for identical cover. A 22-day UK trip for a 70-year-old couple ranged from about $390 to over $1,200, while an eight-day Australia trip for the same age group ranged from roughly $90 to over $300.
Premiums roughly doubled from age 70 to 80 across all destinations tested. Every insurer in the study offered cover for both age groups, although cover quality and pricing varied widely.
Christopher Walsh, founder of MoneyHub, said the stakes for uninsured older travellers are high.
“Medical emergencies are more likely after 70, treatment costs are higher, and the consequences of being uninsured are more severe,” Walsh said. “A broken hip in the US can cost $150,000 or more. Medical evacuation from Fiji to New Zealand can exceed $50,000.”
Walsh said shopping around is critical, noting the gap between the cheapest and most expensive quote for identical cover can reach thousands of dollars.
“Unlimited medical cover is non-negotiable at this age – do not accept a policy with capped medical cover,” he said.
Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) reported that from January to November 2025, it paid more than $7.3m across more than 3,350 medical and evacuation claims, averaging $2,181 per claim. Older travellers accounted for a growing share of the claims profile, with SCTI paying more than $1m across 266 claims involving older customers in that period. Losses included a Covid-related illness in Singapore costing $220,000, an illness case in Italy costing $642,000, and a fractured hip in India costing $95,000.
SCTI also noted that compared with 2023 and 2024, both the number of medical and evacuation claims and total amounts paid have risen.
A separate MoneyHub guide identified non-disclosure of pre-existing medical conditions as the most common reason travel insurance claims are rejected in New Zealand.
The research found that many common conditions – including mild asthma, controlled blood pressure, high cholesterol, and coeliac disease – are often automatically covered at no extra cost. However, conditions such as heart disease, cancer history, diabetes, and mental health conditions can result in significant premium increases, exclusions, or declined cover. Outcomes varied significantly between insurers for the same condition, with price differences of hundreds or thousands of dollars recorded.
Walsh warned that failing to declare a known condition carries consequences beyond financial loss.
“Travelling without declaring a known condition isn’t just a financial risk – it can leave you stranded overseas with no support, no claims assistance, and no way home,” he said. “The cost of declaring a pre-existing condition might increase your premium. Not declaring it can cost you everything.”
He urged travellers to seek at least three quotes, noting that a declined application from one insurer does not reflect the position of all insurers.
“We’ve seen cases where one insurer excludes a condition entirely while another covers it for a reasonable premium,” Walsh said.
