Cigna launches new travel insurance for mature travellers

Exciting news for mature travellers as Cigna Life Insurance New Zealand launches new travel insurance cover.

Cigna announced today its entry into the travel insurance market, with the new Cigna 50+ Travel Insurance designed specifically with the mature traveller in mind. Cigna already provides travel insurance through partner companies, but this is their first travel insurance product under the Cigna brand.

Drawing on knowledge from its global insurance network which includes one of the UK’s top five travel insurance companies, Cigna found that travellers over the age of 50 were considerably more likely to make a medical or cancellation claim than under 50s. Cigna’s travel insurance is designed to meet these needs with unlimited medical cover, no age restrictions and comprehensive cancellation cover.

"We are committed to understanding our customers’ needs and providing solutions that improve their health, well-being and sense of security. We spent a lot of time getting the mix of benefits and cover right for this new product and believe it will provide mature customers peace of mind and sense of security when traveling away from home," says Cigna’s Travel Insurance Manager, Adam Rudland.

"Unexpected medical costs when travelling can escalate quickly adding up into the hundreds of thousands for accidents or illness," says Adam. "It’s easy to forget that our public health system doesn’t cover us when travelling and ACC provides very limited cover. We risk facing astronomical costs for seemingly simple procedures while overseas. We’ve seen cases where medical bills can be several hundred thousand dollars when treatment is provided overseas."

"While a bill of this size is a worst case scenario, medical bills can quickly add up," adds Adam. "These bills can create major financial headaches at a time when travellers would prefer to be sharing holiday photos and reminiscing over their adventures."

A large number of medical claims come about as a result of pre-existing conditions, yet many travel insurance products don’t cover these. Cigna 50+ Travel Insurance provides coverage for a much wider range of pre-existing medical conditions, combined with access to 24/7 New Zealand-based assistance while travelling.

"We’ve recognized that the possibility of a medical claim being declined because it related to a pre-existing condition is an issue for New Zealanders," says Adam. "Our online application form makes it easy for customers, especially for those over 50, to insure themselves for a wider range of pre-existing medical conditions, providing the widest possible medical protection and less chance of being declined. And this is combined with a 35% online discount."

But it’s not just unexpected medical bills that can add up when travelling. Before even getting to the airport, changes to travel plans can be costly, particularly for multiple people travelling or for lengthy journeys. Cigna 50+ Travel Insurance covers up to $100,000 per person in travel cancellation costs.

In summary, the benefits of the Cigna 50+ Travel Insurance product are:

-Unlimited medical cover

-No age restrictions

-Comprehensive cancellation cover.