HEALTH INSURANCE AND INTERNATIONAL SOS

All USC students are required to have sufficient health and accident insurance protection during their study abroad program.  In order to ensure proper coverage, all students going abroad must enroll in either the USC Overseas Policy or the USC Student Health Insurance Plan for the semester (or year) during which they are abroad. Both policies have a $150 deductible while you are overseas, after which your eligible medical expenses are covered at 100%.  These insurance policies work on a reimbursement system, which means you will generally be expected to pay for your medical care and prescriptions out of pocket and then file a claim for reimbursement. When you submit a claim, you need to attach all of your receipts for payment. If your receipts are not in US dollars, you must also submit exchange rate information.

Health and Safety Information

The Office of Overseas Studies at the University of Southern California urges students and parents to stay informed of conditions that may affect the health and safety of USC students abroad.  Traveling and living in a foreign country always have their elements of risk.  In study abroad as in other settings, students’ own decisions and behaviors can have a major impact on their own health and safety.  There are many resources available to better understand the risks and precautions one can take.  To aid students and parents in their consideration of potential health and safety risks, we have put together some information and provided links to readily accessible web sites that address issues of health and safety while abroad. 

Health 

The most frequent health issues faced by students abroad are those that affect travelers in general and include gastrointestinal troubles, colds and flu.  The stress of adjusting to a new culture and new physical environmental can contribute to health problems.  More serious health issues can and do arise.  Sometimes these issues are not new to the student but are exacerbated when the student tackles the challenges of living in a different culture far from his or her normal routine and support system.  Some health issues are new to the student or unique to the host country or region.  Students receive more detailed information on health in the Study Abroad Handbook that they receive prior to studying abroad.  The Student Health Center has an International Travel Clinic where students can seek advice on health issues involved living in another country.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) websites have information on health risks and considerations for most countries and regions around the world. 

USC Student Health Center’s International Travel Clinic:  http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/Health_Center/ms.travel.clinic.shtml

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:  http://www.cdc.gov/travel/

World Health Organization:  http://www.who.int/ith/en/

The CDC occasionally issues travel alerts for specific countries or regions.  When the CDC issues a travel alert for a country or region where USC students study abroad, University officials meet to determine what steps to take to maximize student health.

Health Insurance

When USC students participate in a study abroad program, they are required to have one of the two health insurance coverage types available through the University:  USC Regular Student Insurance or USC Overseas Student Insurance.  Study abroad students are not allowed to waive out of USC-provided insurance.  Both types of health insurance include International SOS coverage.  International SOS coverage includes referrals to physicians, dentists, psychologists, clinics, and hospitals; medical evacuation; repatriation; and a range of other services.  Students receive both a health insurance card and an International SOS card prior to studying overseas.

USC Student Health Center – Health Insurance Plan Descriptions:  http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/Health_Center/ins.plan.description.shtml

Safety

Students are encouraged to carefully consider the safety risks and relevant precautions involved in traveling and living in a foreign country.  Issues of safety are covered in the Study Abroad Handbook that study abroad students receive prior to studying abroad and are covered in the mandatory pre-departure orientation.  When students arrive at their study abroad sites, they usually receive more specific information on safety issues. 

Students should carefully read the Study Abroad Handbook and consider all materials issued by the program sponsor that relate to safety, health, legal, environmental, political, cultural, and religious conditions in their host country.

The U.S. Department of State offers valuable information for students who are planning to travel or study abroad.  Students should read the State Department’s Consular Information Sheet for the country in which they plan to study or visit, and check any Public Announcements or Travel Warnings that may pertain to that particular country.  Consular Information Sheets provide an overview of conditions pertaining to travel in each country.

Students are advised to consult the website of the U.S. Department of State at http://www.travel.state.gov.  There students can find the following:

Consular Information Sheets (link)

Tips for American Students Abroad (link)

U.S. Embassies around the World (link)

Travel Warnings (link)

Registration with Embassies (link)

University Response

When there is a known significant increase in the level of potential danger to USC students in a city or region where they study abroad, University officials meet to determine what steps to take to maximize student safety.  U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings and Public Announcements, the travel advice of other governments, news sources, the resident directors and international student offices at the study abroad sites, and other information sources are all instrumental in informing University decisions. 

Travel Warnings issued by the United States Department of State are currently in effect for our programs in Israel and Kenya.