GlobeHopper Senior Travel Insurance Reviews: 2026 Guide

GlobeHopper Senior is a travel medical plan from IMG for Americans aged 65 and older who are enrolled in Medicare and are traveling outside the United States. It pays after Medicare, a Medigap policy or a Medicare Advantage plan, and it covers medical expenses only outside the US. That last point matters: it cannot insure grandparents from abroad who are visiting family here, so those travelers need a US visitor medical plan instead.

This review is based on IMG's published GlobeHopper Senior brochure and Medicare's own guidance, not on customer star ratings. Plan documents change, so treat every figure below as something to confirm in the Certificate of Insurance before you buy.

Key facts at a glance

• Who can buy: according to IMG's brochure, applicants must be 65 or older, US citizens or permanent residents, and enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B plus a Medicare Supplement plan, or enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan.
• Where it pays: IMG states the plan is secondary to Medicare, Medigap or Medicare Advantage and only provides coverage for medical expenses outside of the US.
• Single trip version: IMG lists coverage from five days up to 12 months, maximum limits of $50,000 to $1,000,000 depending on age, deductibles from $0 to $2,500 and a $2,500 limit for a sudden recurrence of a pre-existing condition.
• Multi trip version: an annual plan where each trip is covered for up to 30 or 45 days, with a $250 deductible per injury or illness and a $5,000 limit for a sudden recurrence of a pre-existing condition, per IMG.
• Shared emergency limits: IMG lists emergency medical evacuation up to $250,000 and return of mortal remains up to $50,000 on both versions.
• Medicare abroad: Medicare.gov says Medicare usually does not cover health care while you travel outside the US, with narrow exceptions.

What is GlobeHopper Senior travel insurance and who is it for?

GlobeHopper Senior fills one specific gap. Original Medicare rarely pays for care abroad, and Medicare drug plans do not cover prescriptions bought outside the US, according to Medicare.gov. Many retirees discover this only when they plan a long stay in Europe, a cruise that leaves US waters or a winter abroad.

IMG built the plan for that retiree: a US citizen or green card holder on Medicare who needs medical cover overseas. Because it is secondary, IMG expects your Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage plan to respond first where it has any foreign travel benefit, and GlobeHopper Senior pays eligible expenses after that. IMG's brochure also says the plan has no maximum age restriction, though the benefit maximums you can choose shrink as you get older.

GlobeHopper Senior single trip: what the plan document shows

The single trip version is designed for one journey of five days up to 12 months, and IMG lists extensions up to 12 continuous months. After the deductible, IMG pays 100% of eligible expenses up to the maximum you choose, with no coinsurance. Eligible expenses are limited to usual, reasonable and customary charges, which is standard wording for this type of plan.

A few details stand out in the brochure. The limit for a sudden and unexpected recurrence of a pre-existing condition is $2,500, which is modest for anyone with heart disease, diabetes or lung disease. Hospital indemnity pays $250 per night for up to 30 nights, outside the deductible. Emergency room visits for an illness that does not lead to a hospital admission carry an additional $250 deductible. Dental treatment for unexpected pain is limited to $100.

GlobeHopper Senior multi trip: how the annual plan works

GlobeHopper Senior Multi-Trip is an annual plan for people who leave the country several times a year. IMG covers each trip for up to 30 or 45 days, depending on the option you pick, and the plan can be renewed for up to 24 continuous months. The brochure lists maximum limits of $100,000 to $1,000,000 depending on age and a fixed $250 deductible per injury or illness.

The multi trip version is not simply the single trip plan sold by the year. Its limit for a sudden recurrence of a pre-existing condition is higher at $5,000, but hospital indemnity drops to five nights, and non emergency evacuation is only available through IMG's Evacuation Plus rider. A trip that runs longer than your 30 or 45 day option is not fully covered past that point, so a single long winter abroad usually fits the single trip version better.

Single trip or multi trip: how do you find the break even?

The math is simple once your travel calendar is honest. List every trip you expect in the next 12 months, with departure and return dates. Get a single trip quote for each one at the same maximum and deductible you would choose on the annual plan, then add those quotes together. If the annual premium is lower than the total, and no trip exceeds 30 or 45 days, the multi trip version usually wins.

Two traps catch people. First, the annual plan's deductible applies per injury or illness, so a year with several small claims can cost more out of pocket than you expected. Second, your age band can change at renewal, which can change both the premium and the maximum available. Premiums for either version depend on age, trip length, the maximum and the deductible, so compare live quotes rather than relying on a figure you saw in someone else's review.

What do GlobeHopper Senior reviews usually leave out?

Many broker pages repeat the headline benefits and skip the conditions that decide claims. IMG's brochure says claims must be submitted within 180 days of the date the expense was incurred, and that coverage is secondary to any other coverage. Treatment after the initial event has a continuation period that ends on the earlier of six months per injury or illness or your return home on the single trip version.

It also helps to know what Medicare already gives you. Medicare's April 2026 fact sheet on coverage outside the US says most Medigap plans (C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, M and N) include foreign travel emergency care: they pay 80% of billed charges for certain emergency care after a $250 yearly deductible, up to a $50,000 lifetime limit, and only if the care begins during the first 60 days of a trip. If your Medigap plan has that benefit, GlobeHopper Senior is mainly buying you higher limits, evacuation and help coordinating care, not first dollar coverage.

Can grandparents visiting the US use GlobeHopper Senior?

No. The plan requires active Medicare enrollment and excludes the United States as a destination, so a grandparent from India, Mexico or the Philippines who visits the US once or twice a year cannot use it. That traveler needs a US visitor medical plan, which you can compare on Ombrela's visitor insurance quote page.

Visitor plans work differently for older travelers. IMG's Patriot America Plus certificate lists maximums of $50,000 or $100,000 for ages 70 to 79 and $10,000 from age 80, and coverage for a sudden flare of a pre-existing condition requires the traveler to be under 70. There is no annual multi trip visitor plan in the catalog Ombrela compares, so a grandparent who visits twice a year normally buys a separate policy for each stay. Our guides for parents over 70 and parents over 80 walk through those age bands in detail.

Plan your year with the free worksheet

Download our free Senior Visitor Multi Trip Planner below. It lays out your trips, the single versus annual break even, the age band notes to check, the medications and conditions to list, the evacuation limits to confirm and a renewal calendar, so the decision takes one sitting instead of several phone calls.

How to get covered

If you are a US Medicare enrollee traveling abroad, ask IMG or your broker for the current GlobeHopper Senior Certificate of Insurance and check your Medigap or Medicare Advantage foreign travel benefit first. If you are heading to Europe, Ombrela's Schengen travel insurance comparison accepts US citizens and lists international travel medical plans side by side.

If the traveler is a parent or grandparent coming to the US, compare visitor insurance plans on Ombrela with their exact age and dates, since the age band decides which maximums are even available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does GlobeHopper Senior cover travel within the United States?

No. IMG's brochure says the plan only provides coverage for medical expenses outside of the US and pays secondary to Medicare, a Medigap policy or a Medicare Advantage plan. Once you are back in the US, your Medicare coverage applies as usual. That is also why the plan cannot insure foreign visitors coming to the US: they are not on Medicare, and the US is not a covered destination for this plan.

Is there a maximum age for GlobeHopper Senior?

IMG's brochure says GlobeHopper Senior does not have a maximum age restriction, and the plan catalog Ombrela uses lists ages 65 to 99. The catch is the benefit maximum: IMG states that the maximum limit depends on age, starting at $50,000 on the single trip version and $100,000 on the multi trip version. Confirm the options for your exact age when you request a quote.

Does GlobeHopper Senior cover pre-existing conditions?

Only in a narrow way. Pre-existing conditions are excluded, but IMG pays for a sudden and unexpected recurrence of a pre-existing condition up to $2,500 on the single trip version and $5,000 on the multi trip version. For someone with a heart or lung condition, those limits are small against hospital costs abroad, so keep your Medigap foreign travel benefit and read the certificate's definition carefully.

Do I need GlobeHopper Senior if my Medigap plan covers foreign travel?

It depends on the trip. Medicare's fact sheet says the Medigap foreign travel benefit pays 80% after a $250 yearly deductible, up to a $50,000 lifetime limit, and only for care that begins in the first 60 days of a trip. A long stay, a remote destination or the need for evacuation are the usual reasons retirees add a plan like GlobeHopper Senior on top.

Whichever side of the border your family is on, start with the right product. Retirees on Medicare heading overseas should compare outbound plans, and grandparents flying in to visit should get visitor insurance quotes on Ombrela for their exact age and dates before the trip is booked.