rdsMedical Questionnaires for Travellers 60 and Older
Completing a medical questionnaire is a vital step for Canadian snowbirds 60 and older. Learn how accurate disclosure and understanding stability periods protect your coverage.
Snowbyrds Editorial Team. For individual eligibility, speak with a licensed travel insurance advisor.
Medical Questionnaires for Travellers 60 and Older
For many Canadians, planning a winter escape to a warmer climate is a cherished annual tradition. As you approach your golden years, ensuring you have the right travel insurance coverage is essential. One critical step in this process is completing a medical questionnaire. If you are 60 years of age or older, you will likely encounter these forms when you apply for coverage with major providers like soNomad, GMS, TuGo, or Allianz. Understanding what these questionnaires ask and why they matter is the first step in protecting your health and your bank account while travelling abroad.
Medical questionnaires are designed to help insurance companies understand your health status before you depart. Providers need to assess the risk of potential medical emergencies during your trip to determine your eligibility and your premium rate. At age 60 and older, the requirement to complete these forms becomes standard across the industry to ensure that the coverage provided matches your specific health needs.
The questionnaire acts as a mirror of your health history. It typically asks for a detailed account of your pre-existing conditions, medications, recent hospitalizations, and any diagnostic tests you have undergone. By answering these questions accurately, you provide the insurer with the information they need to confirm if you are eligible for a specific policy. It is vital to understand that your answers directly influence both the availability of coverage and the price you pay for your premium.
If you are unsure about your health status or how your history might impact your eligibility, you can use the Find Your Match tool. This resource helps you navigate the complexities of health history matching, ensuring you understand how your personal situation fits with different policy requirements before you commit to a purchase.
What Insurers Look For
When you sit down to complete your questionnaire, you will find that providers focus on several core areas. They are primarily interested in pre-existing conditions, which are health issues you had before the start of your policy. You will be asked about chronic illnesses, recent medical procedures, and any ongoing treatments. Insurers like GMS and TuGo may have specific disqualification lists or defined stability periods that you must satisfy to qualify for coverage.
Medication history is another major component of the questionnaire. Providers often ask about any changes to your prescriptions within a specific timeframe. For example, soNomad considers a dosage increase as a change that affects stability, while a dosage decrease might be permitted under specific conditions for certain products. It is important to remember that discontinuing a medication is also classified as a change. Always read the policy document carefully to understand how your specific medication regimen impacts your status.
The Importance of Stability Periods
Stability is a term you will see often in your travel insurance policy. A stability period is a duration of time, such as 90, 120, or 180 days, during which your medical condition must remain unchanged. If you have been diagnosed with a condition, your health must be considered stable for this set period before your date of departure. This means no new symptoms, no changes in medication, and no new treatments or tests.
Each provider has different requirements regarding stability. Allianz and TuGo typically look for a 90-day stability period for pre-existing conditions. soNomad offers varying stability requirements depending on the product chosen, such as 90-day stability for specific conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes under their NomadX product. If you fail to meet these stability requirements, your pre-existing condition may not be covered, which could lead to significant out of pocket expenses if you require medical care while away.
Honest Disclosure is Your Best Defence
Providing accurate and complete information on your medical questionnaire is the most important part of the application process. Some travellers might be tempted to omit a minor condition or a recent medication change to save money or simplify the process. However, this is a dangerous practice. If you submit an insurance claim and the insurer discovers that you failed to disclose a relevant medical detail, they have the grounds to deny your claim entirely.
If you find yourself confused by a question, do not guess. If you are uncertain about how to classify a past surgery or a recent checkup, contact the provider directly to seek clarification. Ensuring your medical record is represented correctly is your best defence against a denied claim. You can also review our Your Health guide for a deeper understanding of how health history affects your coverage options.
Preparing Your Medical Information
Preparing in advance will make the application process much smoother. Start by gathering your medical records, including reports from any specialists you have visited in the past year. Keep a clear, written list of all your current medications, including the dosages and the dates you started or changed them. If you have had any recent hospitalizations or emergency room visits, make sure you have the exact dates and the reasons for those visits recorded.
Having this information handy allows you to answer the questions on the questionnaire with confidence and speed. If you have multiple medical conditions, write down the history of each one, including when it was first diagnosed and any treatments you have received. If you are still unsure about your eligibility, compare providers to see how different companies treat your specific health history.
Before You Go: Your Checklist
- Gather all your medical records and contact your doctor for a summary if necessary.
- Create a comprehensive list of all medications, including dosages, and note any changes made in the last 12 months.
- Identify the exact dates of any hospitalizations, surgeries, or diagnostic tests you have had recently.
- Review the specific stability period requirement for your chosen policy, such as the 90 or 180-day rules.
- Read your policy document thoroughly to understand the definitions of "stability," "change," and "pre-existing condition."
- Use the Find Your Match tool to check if your medical history meets the criteria of your selected provider.
- Ensure you provide honest and complete answers; withholding information can result in a denied claim.
- Contact the provider directly if you have any questions regarding your eligibility or the language in the questionnaire.
Where to Go Next
- Use our Find Your Match tool to find a plan that accommodates your specific health needs.
- Visit our Your Health guide to learn more about how pre-existing conditions and stability periods function.
- Head to compare providers to view a side by side look at soNomad, GMS, TuGo, and Allianz.
Sources
- CA-TRVL-MED-EN-10-2025 (soNomad Policy Document)
- 21JULYCA2026 (GMS TravelStar Policy Document)
- TuGo Policy Documents
- Allianz Global Assistance Policy Documents
This article is educational. For your actual coverage, confirm the specific wording with the insurer or speak with a licensed travel insurance advisor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need to complete a medical questionnaire at age 60?
Insurers require these questionnaires to assess your health risk and confirm eligibility, as medical needs often change as we get older.
What happens if I forget to list a medication change?
Failing to disclose a medication change can lead to your claim being denied if the insurer determines your condition was not stable at the time of departure.
What does a stability period mean?
A stability period is a set number of days before your departure during which your medical condition must have remained stable with no new treatments, tests, or changes in medication.
Should I be worried about answering honestly?
You should be honest to ensure your coverage is valid. While your health history affects your rate, it is better to have an accurate policy than to face a denied claim during an emergency.
Want to see how this applies to you?
Use Find Your Match to get a suggested starting point, explore the Your Health guide, or ask Artie a specific question. No medical details required.
Snowbyrds Weekly
Get practical snowbird insurance guides, destination ideas and important travel updates by email.
Keep reading
Pre-Existing Conditions and Travel Insurance: What Canadian Snowbirds Should Know
Most snowbirds have at least one condition they manage. Here's how travel insurance treats pre-existing conditions — and what to check before you buy.
What Does "Stable" Mean in Travel Insurance?
Stable is the most important word in snowbird travel insurance — and policies don't all define it the same way. Here's what to look for.
Mobility Assistance and Activities of Daily Living on Medical Questionnaires
Learn how mobility assistance and activities of daily living impact your travel insurance eligibility and why honest disclosure is vital for Canadian snowbirds.