U-M Travel Abroad Health Insurance, provided by BCBS Global Solutions (BCBSGS), offers health coverage and assistance services for eligible U-M travelers outside the United States. Coverage includes medical care, mental health services, telehealth, prescription medications, emergency evacuation, and more.
This is not comprehensive trip/travel insurance. It does not cover voluntary trip cancellation, lost baggage, or ordinary travel delays.
You may enroll via the University Health & Counseling insurance webpage.
Students from the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses must have U-M Travel Abroad Health Insurance when traveling internationally for U-M-related travel (UMRT). This requirement is established by U-M SPG 601.31: International Travel Policy.
U-M Related Travel may include (but is not limited to):
Students must enroll in the BCBSGS Education Abroad Plan even if they already have other health insurance, such as a personal domestic plan or coverage offered by a third-party program
The BCBSGS Education Abroad Plan is available to:
Enrollment depends on your program:
Before departure: Ask your sponsoring unit whether it will enroll you and which travel dates it will cover.
Eligible U-M faculty and staff, including Michigan Medicine employees, are automatically covered by the BCBS Global Solutions (BCBSGS) Business Traveler Plan while traveling internationally on U-M related travel.
Coverage also includes:
Include accompanying family members in your U-M travel registration.
U-M emeritus or emerita faculty and staff and U-M temporary employees are not eligible for the Business Traveler Plan.
BCBSGS offers individual insurance options for travelers who are not eligible for a U-M plan. Coverage and rates vary. Use BCBSGS’s Get a Quote feature to review available options.
Current U-M students, faculty, staff, and Michigan Medicine employees may purchase the BCBSGS Personal/Leisure Plan for international personal travel. Students remain eligible for up to six months after graduation. You may also purchase coverage for a spouse or domestic partner and dependents under age 26 who are traveling with you.
The plan is optional for personal travel but is highly recommended because of the coverage and benefits when traveling outside the United States. Purchase the Personal/Leisure Plan before leaving the United States.
Coverage for personal travel before or after a U-M-related trip depends on your role and how you enrolled.
Eligible faculty, staff, and Michigan Medicine employees are covered by the Business Traveler Plan for U-M-related travel and personal or leisure activities directly before and after it. You do not need to purchase a separate Personal/Leisure Plan for those adjacent personal-travel dates.
When purchasing the BCBSGS Education Abroad Plan, include the personal-travel dates before or after your U-M-related travel.
Your sponsoring unit may enroll you only for official program dates. If so, purchase the BCBSGS Personal/Leisure Plan separately for any personal travel outside those dates. Confirm your coverage dates with your sponsoring unit before departure.
For the purposes of U-M SPG 601.31: International Travel Policy, U-M-related travel to a U.S. territory is treated as travel abroad because it is covered by the U-M Travel Abroad Health Insurance and its associated political and natural evacuation insurance.
This includes travel to:
Students traveling to these locations for U-M-related purposes must enroll in the Education Abroad Plan. Eligible faculty and staff are covered by the Business Traveler Plan and must register their travel.
For medical services in a U.S. territory, you may need to pay the provider and submit a claim to BCBSGS for reimbursement.
Note: You must be logged into your U-M account to access these Google Drive files. Access is limited to U-M users.
After enrolling in BCBS Global Solutions (BCBSGS), complete these steps so that you are prepared in the event of a medical incident abroad:
Explore BCBS Global Solutions (BCBSGS)’s Pre-Departure Program: provides consultations for planning healthcare needs in your host destination. Complete the questionnaire and request follow-up from a clinician. (This can be completed before enrolling in BCBSGS.) See the video below for additional details.
Link to BCBS Global Solutions (BCBSGS) Pre-Departure Program Overview (Video)
What is the Post-Departure Trip Interruption Benefit?
BCBS Global Solutions (BCBSGS) Study Abroad plan (students) includes a post-departure trip interruption benefit. Post-departure trip interruption coverage provides a benefit to you if your trip is interrupted or must be discontinued for any of the following reasons:
What is the coverage amount?
For the instances outlined, the benefit will pay up to the maximum amount of $2,500 per coverage year for the cost of a one-way economy class airfare ticket to reach your destination. The amounts paid will not exceed the cost of economy airfare by the most direct route on the next available carrier. Suppose you must quarantine or delay your return to meet exit/entry requirements while covered under this health insurance policy. In that case, you will be reimbursed for reasonable lodging and meal expenses incurred due to the quarantine*. The benefit will pay up to the maximum of $3,750 per coverage year and is limited to $250 per day for a maximum of 15 days per calendar year.
*BCBSGS reimburses qualified quarantine costs when the host government mandates quarantine outside of your housing. The lodging benefit does not apply if your current housing meets your host country’s quarantine or self-isolation rules. Coverage details are outlined in the BCBSGS Student Member Guide.
What steps do you need to take advantage of this benefit and submit a claim?
Members will need to submit the claim form along with the following documentation for reimbursement:
❏ Doctor’s note
❏ Documentation showing positive test results
❏ Itemized invoice/receipts
❏ Proof of payment
Note: This benefit is only available to those on the BCBSGS U-M Education Abroad Plan. Any U-M student traveling for education or co-curricular purposes is eligible for the BCBSGS U-M Study Abroad Plan.
Questions?
If you have any questions regarding this benefit, please contact BCBSGS. BCBSGS’s International Service Center is available 24/7/365 at +1-844-268-2686 (if calling from inside the U.S.) or +1-610-263-2847 (if calling from outside the U.S.).
U-M faculty and staff may enroll a roster of students and non-UM participants on UMRT into the BCBS Global Solutions (BCBSGS) Study Abroad Plan on their behalf.
To receive BCBSGS administrator access and to submit a roster, follow these steps:
For additional details, you may review the BCBSGS Admin Guide (available upon request).
U-M faculty and staff may enroll a roster of students and non-UM participants on UMRT into the BCBS Global Solutions (BCBSGS) Study Abroad Plan on their behalf.
For current BCBSGS Administrators:
For enrollment issues, contact the U-M Campus Insurance team at [email protected].
