Northern Illinois University
Risk Management
Division of Administration and Finance

International Travel

International Affairs and Risk Management have vetted several insurance options for individuals traveling abroad. Students are generally required to carry the NIU student health insurance as it provides coverage for medical injuries and emergency situations internationally. Faculty and staff are expected to use their personal health insurance for general medical care. For emergencies, the university purchases a foreign travel policy that may be able to provide assistance.

Insurance status and coverage options

Anyone traveling internationally is encouraged to check their current insurance status and investigate international coverage options. More specifically, you should check:

• Whether general coverage will apply internationally – this is about a student who seeks treatment for a moderate illness or a flare-up of an existing condition or routine health checks;
  • If so, what are the limits? Are there penalties for seeking treatment outside the U.S.?
  • Are there any exclusions?
  • Can direct billing be arranged, or will students have to pay out of pocket and seek reimbursement? (This is the case with the student health coverage through NIU.)
• Is there emergency accident coverage? Examples: burst appendix, broken leg.
  • If coverage exists, does it include emergency medical evacuation?
  • Emergency medical repatriation (readmission to home country)?
• Are there any other coverages extended internationally? These are usually bonuses, but they will want to be prepared.
  • Political unrest evacuation?
  • Natural disaster evacuation?
• Do they have contact information for claim reporting or questions while out of the country? Who should they reach out to if they break a leg?

Faculty and Staff

Faculty and staff who wish to discuss the coverages available to them through the university may contact Risk Management to discuss. General medical insurance questions would still need to be directed to the insurance carriers, but questions about emergency medical situations, evacuations, and the like can be discussed with Risk Management.

Students

Students who have the student health insurance can contact Health Services to conduct a coverage review. Students with individual coverages (through their parents/legal guardian or through an employer) are encouraged to conduct the review noted above.

Additional International Coverage

If coverage does not seem sufficient, international policies can be procured through AJ Gallagher:

• Under the “Enroll Now” section on the left of the page, select “International Travel Enroll”
• Create an account (hint: add zeros in front of student ID to reach nine digits; if you are not a student, enter zeros in front of empl ID or enter nine random digits for individuals not employed by NIU)
• Follow the steps to procure the appropriate policy.