Contents of this guide
Maximum age and what changes from 71
The ASSA Travel website states that the acceptance age runs from 6 months to 80 years. For people aged 71 to 80 the website specifies two adjustments: a surcharge on the insurance and a medical expense coverage equal to 50% of the amount shown for the plan. ASSA Travel’s general conditions add that the maximum age of permanence in the policy is until the insured turns 80, and that on turning 80 the policy is canceled and the company only refunds any excess payment.
Those three figures organize the rest of the decision: up to age 70 the full limits of each plan apply, between 71 and 80 the adjustment applies, and from 80 the policy ends. For travel dates that cross a 70th or 80th birthday, the bracket is confirmed with ASSA before buying. The general conditions document linked from the website carries a 2011 reference in its footer, so it is worth confirming that it is the current version.
Table by age bracket
| Age bracket | Acceptance per the website | Medical expenses | Other adjustments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 months to 17 years | Accepted | Plan amount | Accidental death, dismemberment and disability capped at 25,000 dollars |
| 18 to 70 years | Accepted | Plan amount | Full limits of the chosen plan |
| 71 to 80 years | Accepted with surcharge | 50% of the plan amount | The surcharge is confirmed when quoting |
| From 80 years | Maximum age of permanence | Policy canceled on turning 80 | Excess payment refunded |
Data from the ASSA Travel website and its general conditions. The current validity of each condition is confirmed with the insurer before buying.
How much is left in medical expenses
The 50% is easier to understand with numbers. The table starts from the medical expense limits the website publishes for each plan and calculates half, which is what would apply from 71 to 80 under that rule. It is a calculation made with those figures and not an amount published by the insurer.
| Plan | Medical expenses up to age 70 | Medical expenses from 71 to 80 (50%) |
|---|---|---|
| Silver (rest of the world) | 15,000 dollars | 7,500 dollars |
| Gold (rest of the world) | 50,000 dollars | 25,000 dollars |
| Platinum (rest of the world) | 100,000 dollars | 50,000 dollars |
| Máxima cobertura (Europe) | 30,000 euros | 15,000 euros |
For a traveler over 70, the Europe plan would fall below the 30,000 euro benchmark that the EU Delegation to Panama recommends for Schengen travel. That comparison is the reason why, in this age range, it is worth looking at the higher-coverage plan and not only the cheapest one. The website’s other coverages, such as evacuation, repatriation, medication or cancellation, have their own limits per plan, and the website does not say that the 50% affects them.
Pre-existing conditions: the definition and how to read it
ASSA Travel’s general conditions define a pre-existing condition as one for which the insured received or was recommended care, treatment or medical advice, or had a medical or hospital history, symptoms, noticeable changes or diagnostic tests within the 2 years before the claim. A condition that required hospitalization or surgery within the previous 5 years also counts. The insurer can verify it through medical records and other means.
That definition connects with two rules in the same document. The first is the general exclusion of illnesses originating in a pre-existing condition, with exceptions: it does not reach funeral repatriation or, if the policy is issued within 72 hours after paying for the hotel booking or the transport, cancellation and trip interruption. The second is that, if a pre-existing injury or illness is established, medical assistance benefits are suspended and care becomes the insured’s responsibility; the insurer may also ask for up to three medical examinations while benefits are pending.
Read positively, the definition gives a method: before buying, the traveler reviews the last 2 years of consultations, tests and treatments and the last 5 years of hospitalizations or surgeries, and asks ASSA how it would apply to their case. What the public system pays and what the private one pays in Panama, useful for someone traveling from here with a treatment under way, is in the guide to Panama’s health system.
What the CDC recommends for older travelers
The US CDC Yellow Book notes that specialized policies can be especially useful for travelers with pre-existing medical conditions and for those over 65, and that people over 75 should start the search early because coverage for underlying conditions is harder to get. The same source warns that receiving care abroad usually requires cash or card payment at the point of service, with amounts that can run to thousands of dollars, and that credit card benefits do not replace a travel policy. It also puts medical evacuation between 25,000 dollars within North America and more than 250,000 dollars for distant destinations.
What to check before buying
- Age on the travel date. Confirm the bracket for the departure day and the return day, especially near 70 and 80.
- Plan and destination. Choose among Silver, Gold, Platinum or the Europe plan according to the destination, remembering that the 50% applies to medical expenses.
- Real medical expenses. Compare the halved amount with the possible cost of a hospitalization and an evacuation.
- Pre-existing conditions. Review 2 years of medical care and 5 years of hospitalizations or surgeries and discuss it with ASSA before paying.
- Issue date. Buy within 72 hours after paying for the booking, to keep cancellation and interruption.
- Documents. Carry prescriptions, medical reports and a medication list; the website says to keep invoices and a copy of the prescription.
- Assistance contacts. Keep the contacts document and the assistance phone, which runs 24 hours in Spanish, English and Portuguese.
ASSA Travel publishes on its website the acceptance ages, the adjustment for the 71 to 80 bracket and the limits of each plan, with 24-hour assistance and no deductibles.
If a disagreement with the insurer arises, Panama’s Superintendency of Insurance and Reinsurance describes a two-step path: a written complaint to the insurer, which has 30 calendar days to reply, and then a complaint to the Superintendency within the following 90 business days. This content is informational and does not replace professional advice or reading the full policy.
Frequently asked questions
Up to what age does ASSA Travel insurance cover?
According to its website, the acceptance age reaches 80, and the general conditions set 80 as the maximum age of permanence in the policy.
What changes in travel insurance at 71?
According to the ASSA Travel website, from 71 to 80 a surcharge applies and the medical expense coverage is 50% of the amount shown for the plan.
Does travel insurance cover pre-existing illnesses?
ASSA Travel’s general conditions exclude them, with exceptions for funeral repatriation and, if the policy is issued within 72 hours after paying for the booking, for cancellation and trip interruption.
What counts as a pre-existing condition?
Under those conditions, one with care, treatment, symptoms or diagnosis in the 2 years before the claim, or one that required hospitalization or surgery in the previous 5 years.
When should someone over 75 look for travel insurance?
Early, according to the US CDC, because coverage for underlying conditions is harder to get at that age.
Related articles
- How Panama’s health system works
- Panama pensionado visa: requirements, discounts by law and mistakes that delay the process
- Panama Visas: What Is Needed to Enter, to Stay and to Reside
Sources
- ASSA Travel: acceptance ages, the 71 to 80 adjustment, limits per plan and assistance.
- ASSA Travel general conditions: maximum age of permanence, definition of pre-existing condition and exclusions.
- CDC Yellow Book 2026, travel insurance, travel health insurance and medical evacuation insurance: specialized policies, over 65 and over 75, payment at the point of service.
- Superintendency of Insurance and Reinsurance of Panama, consumer protection: steps and deadlines of a complaint.
Ask about this article
Type your question and we will show you the answer inside this article or in other Radar Panamá publications.
