Health Insurance

Health care coverage for study abroad program directions is essential.

You’ve worked hard to get your study abroad program up and running, and made sure all of the students have proper insurance coverage while abroad, but have you thought about your own coverage?

Insurance for Full-Time IU Employees

  • IU Medical Care Plans

    If you are enrolled in one of the IU Medical Care Plans (through IU Health or Anthem), your insurance already includes overseas coverage. IU Human Resources gives an overview of this coverage on their website.

    Anthem PPO Plans

    Anthem provides overseas coverage through its BCBS Global Core program. To locate medical care abroad, use the Find A Provider search or call the Anthem member services number on the back of your insurance card.

    • Hospitalization - You should not need to pay upfront for inpatient care at participating BCBS Global Core hospitals except for the out-of-pocket costs you would normally pay in the U.S. (non-covered services, deductible, co-payments and co-insurance). The hospital will file your claim if you arranged your stay through BCBS Global Core.
    • Doctor visits or non-participating hospitals – You will pay upfront for outpatient services, care received from a doctor, and inpatient care not pre-arranged through BCBS Global Core. Then you will fill out a claim form and submit it to BCBS Global Core with the original receipts/bills attached.

    BCBS Global Core provides links to claim forms, a medical translation tool, and country/city health profiles.

    IU Health HDHP Plan

    The IU Health HDHP Plan offers coverage out of its area and overseas in cases of emergency and urgent care only.  Such care is paid in-network and reimbursed by submitting a paper claim form (PDF).

  • Evacuation/Repatriation and Travel Assistance

    Assist America is a comprehensive program of information, referral, assistance, transportation, and evacuation services designed to help you respond to medical problems or other emergencies that may arise during travel. Assist America also offers pre-travel assistance, which gives you access to information on things like passport and visa requirements, foreign currency, and worldwide weather. Services are available when you and eligible family members (spouse and children through age 25) travel more than 100 miles from home or internationally for up to 180 days for business or pleasure. https://www.standard.com/eforms/21251.pdf

    Download the Mobile App

    1. Visit Google Playor the Apple App Store
    2. Enter reference number 01-AA-STD-5201 and member name

    Contact Assist America 24/7

    Within the U.S.: 800-872-1414
    Outside the U.S.: +1-609-986-1234

    Press the ‘Tap for Help’ button on the Assist America Mobile app

    Reference Number: 01-AA-STD-5201

Other Domestic Health Insurance Policies for International Travel

If you are not covered by an IU Medical Plan, some domestic health insurance policies may provide coverage during international travel. Check your current health insurance policy to verify what type of coverage it provides and if it will cover you for the duration of your program abroad. If your current policy provides coverage, it may only cover accident or illness expenses outside of the U.S. We recommend that everyone traveling abroad get coverage for medical evacuation, which pays for the expenses to send the patient to a medical facility or back to the U.S. for medical treatment, and repatriation, which covers the expenses to return an individual's remains to their home country in the event of death.

Faculty and staff going on an IU study abroad program to provide program support may choose to purchase insurance coverage through GeoBlue at a discounted rate. They can choose between two insurance plans:

Faculty or staff wanting to purchase one of these plans needs to submit the Faculty & Staff Insurance Enrollment Form to the IUI Study Abroad Office. Please contact the IUI Study Abroad Office if you have any questions (317) 274-2081; abroad@iu.edu.

To access a GeoBlue insurance claim form, go here & check the form.

To research other insurance providers that offer international accident and sickness plans to cover you while abroad, go here.