Insurance for International Travel
Am I required to have insurance for medical and emergency services while studying abroad?
UW Oshkosh-sponsored programs
YES! UW System requires all participants on UW Oshkosh-sponsored programs abroad to purchase medical evacuation/repatriation benefits provided through the UW System international health insurance policy. For UW Oshkosh-sponsored programs, this insurance is provided through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) and is included in your study abroad program fees. Information on this policy is available at http://www.culturalinsurance.com/uwis0066/. UW System does not allow for the exemption of any student for any reason from the mandatory health insurance policy offered through CISI.
Australia & New Zealand: in addition to CISI, all students studying through an Australian university or university in New Zealand are required by the foreign government to carry health insurance purchased in Australia or health insurance purchased in New Zealand. This insurance coverage is more comprehensive than the coverage offered through CISI. At your Australian university's orientation, you will receive instructions and the necessary paperwork to obtain your insurance card.
AustraLearn (Fiji, short-term & Internship programs): in addition to CISI, all students studying in Fiji or completing an internship or short course through AustraLearn will be covered under an AustraLearn-purchased health insurance policy.
Non-UW Oshkosh-sponsored programs
You are not required to carry health insurance which covers medical evacuation/ repatriation but it is highly recommended. Every year students travel abroad and learn too late that their home health insurance policy will not sufficiently cover them while abroad. Evacuation, repatriation and emergency medical reunion benefits are rarely found in domestic policies. See "What are evacuation, repatriation and emergency medical reunion?" below for more information on these provisions.
Who is eligible for UW System CISI insurance?
This insurance coverage is available to faculty, staff and students who engage in university-sponsored educational activities occurring outside the United States. A student is any person who is enrolled in a course or academic program at a UW System institution. Eligibility for this insurance does not extend to relatives or dependents of participants in courses or programs abroad.
Participants on programs for which no fees are charged by UW Oshkosh or through which no academic content is provided are not eligible for CISI insurance and may be required to be covered under a different policy.
Can I use my personal health insurance plan without purchasing additional insurance for travel abroad?
UW Oshkosh-sponsored Programs
No. UW System policy requires that the UW Oshkosh OIE purchase health insurance through CISI on your behalf. The cost of this insurance is included in your study abroad program fees.
All Other Travelers
Sickness and accident coverage while in a foreign country may be included in your personal health insurance plan, but it is rare for personal health insurance plans to cover repatriation, evacuation or medical reunion. BEFORE you travel abroad you should be familiar with the type of coverage you have and the steps you need to take in order to use your policy abroad. If you are not satisfied that you have sufficient coverage abroad, you can purchase a temporary policy.
Most insurance companies require you to be a full-time student in order to stay on your parents’ health insurance policy. If you are not enrolled in classes at UW Oshkosh for a full semester (i.e. you are transferring credits back to UW Oshkosh at the end of your study abroad program), and you are not enrolled for full-time credit through another accredited U.S. institution, this may affect your eligibility to remain on your parents' insurance. Information on your enrollment status is automatically extracted from UW Oshkosh records and sent to a Clearinghouse, which many insurance companies monitor. You will show up in the Clearinghouse as “not enrolled” at UW Oshkosh since you are not enrolled for courses AT UW OSHKOSH, and your eligibility may be affected.
In order to avoid problems, contact your insurance company BEFORE leaving for your study abroad destination. Your insurance company will either give you a form or a list of information which they need. You can fax this form/list to the institution abroad for verification of full-time status while studying there.
Please note that if you are on Academic Leave of Absence, you are being reported by UW Oshkosh as "not enrolled."
What are some insurance alternatives?
At $22, the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) is a popular option for students. It provides basic accident, sickness and emergency evacuation/repatriation insurance while traveling outside the U.S. It does NOT, however, include medical reunion. The ISIC can be purchased on line, but look over the information at https://www.myisic.com/MyISIC/Travel/Main.aspx?MenuID=5004 for insurance policy details before purchasing. To call STA Travel: 1-800-329-9537 (menu option “Student, youth and teacher identity cards”).
A second option is to search on the internet or contact your local travel agent. There are many other insurance companies that will cover you during your time abroad.
What are evacuation, repatriation and medical reunion?
Most international health insurance policies, including the CISI policy used by the UW System, provide for evacuation, repatriation and medical reunion. Evacuation/ repatriation benefits cover the insured when the insured is moved from to a location outside of the host country or returned to the U.S. either because a medical condition cannot be treated locally or because of the death of the insured. Medical reunion benefits cover a family member who travels to the location where the insured is undergoing emergency medical treatment. If you have this type of insurance, you may want to identify one or more family members who have a valid passport as your emergency contact. Anyone not holding a valid passport would need to apply for one before being able to take advantage of emergency medical reunion.
Is the insurance offered through CISI sufficient?
CISI insurance is not comprehensive. It is each program participant's responsibility to look over the CISI insurance policy to make sure that sufficient coverage is offered. If a program participant feels that coverage is insufficient, additional coverage can be purchased (see "What are evacuation, repatriation and emergency medical reunion?" above).
See "Am I required to have insurance for medical and emergency services while studying abroad?" for policy details.
Do not cancel your health insurance policy in the U.S. while you are gone! In most cases, your international policy will cover you while you are gone and/or bring you back to the U.S., but once you return, your domestic policy will need to provide coverage.
Do I need trip cancellation insurance or baggage insurance?
Because the UW Oshkosh OIE runs all programs on a cost-recovery basis, it is not possible to make exceptions to the withdrawal and refund policy for any reason, including withdrawal for medical reasons or family emergencies. To protect yourself, purchase TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE. If you choose not to purchase trip cancellation insurance, study abroad fees assessed by the OIE will be your responsibility regardless of your reason for needing to withdraw.
Trip cancellation insurance provides reimbursement for financial losses due to a withdrawal from a program BUT ONLY UNDER A LIMITED SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES. If you decide to purchase this type of policy, read the entire policy very carefully and shop around before purchasing. Trip cancellation insurance often allows for coverage in the case of "illness, injury or death" (among other things). In addition to the insured, some policies cover cancellation or interruption of your trip because of illness, injury, or death of a close family member. Be aware that not all policies cover preexisting conditions (for you and/or a close family member).
Baggage insurance typically provides coverage related to lost or delayed luggage. Whether or not you purchase this type of insurance should depend on the value of the items you are carrying. Because there are fairly low limits on the claims you can make, you may also need to purchase insurance riders through your home insurance policy to cover items such as digital cameras or other expensive equipment.
This page was last updated on: January 7, 2008