Risk Management and Health Insurance Support Services
Risk Management and Health Insurance Support Services
The Study Abroad Office provides students with risk management support through a variety of partners. For risk management and emergency response support, we work with International SOS (ISOS). We also ensure that our travelers have access to quality healthcare through GeoBlue health insurance for international travelers and Domestic Camper health insurance for those traveling in the US.
ISOS Overview
ISOS is a comprehensive and invaluable system to further support the health, safety, and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff participants. ISOS offers participants:
- A global network of security and medical experts
- 24/7 assistance for participants and our team to navigate situations that occur on our programs
- Pre-program travel advice
- Enhanced mental health support
- Resources covering topics such as travel risks, mental health, how to access services abroad, and specialty support for travelers (such as women and LGBTQ+).
Download ISOS Assistance App
FAQs – ISOS
International SOS is designed to be used for any medical, mental health, or security incident anywhere in the world. No issue is too big or too small for calling their 24/7 emergency assistance line (accessible through the ISOS app or Call: Philadelphia Assistance Center: +1.215.942.8478).
- You get sick and need to go to the hospital. International SOS will direct you to their nearest hospital or clinic, where they will work on setting up a guarantee of payment, so that you’ll never see a bill or need to submit a claim.
- Your passport is stolen. International SOS will be able to point you in the direction of the local embassy and advise you on next steps, related to traveling home.
- Your mental health takes a turn. International SOS has both virtual and in-country resources (depending on location) and can work with you on getting the help you need while abroad.
Students, faculty and staff on UNC domestic and international programs coordinated by the Study Abroad Office.
ISOS can be contacted anytime. UNC program participants are able to contact ISOS with any health and safety questions before, during, and after programs. For example, if you take medication, ISOS can help make sure you have the information to legally and safely travel with your needed medication.
In an emergency situation, you should call the country’s 911-equivalent first. If you need an ambulance, fire department, or police, you will be dependent on local services to establish immediate safety.
Contacting International SOS works a little bit like car repairs: as soon as your car starts making a strange noise, it’s best to get it checked. If you wait until there is smoke under the hood, it is likely to be a much longer and more complicated process. The sooner you can call International SOS, even if it might turn out to be nothing, the better.
The 24/7 emergency assistance line is there to be used for any medical, mental health, or security incident while abroad.
As always, you can reach out directly to the Study Abroad Office, with any questions or to report an incident. If you are calling after hours, contact the UNC Study Abroad Office via UNC Police at +1(919) 962-8100: Students should ask the UNC Police to contact the Study Abroad Office.
- Connect to the International SOS Information Portal(opens in a new tab)
- or International SOS Assistance App, which includes LiveChat feature
- or Call: Philadelphia Assistance Center: +1.215.942.8478
GeoBlue International Health Insurance Overview
All study abroad participants are required to maintain the UNC GeoBlue comprehensive health and accident insurance for the duration of their program abroad. The University provides international accident and sickness coverage from GeoBlue for students traveling internationally.
GeoBlue Student SiteFAQs – GeoBlue
In addition to providing comprehensive sickness and accident insurance, the GeoBlue policy provides emergency travel medical insurance, including coverage for medical evacuation and repatriation of remains, which generally is not provided by domestic insurance policies.
GeoBlue also has identified a network of doctors worldwide who will provide treatment and file claims on your behalf without requiring payment at the time of treatment. Prior to departure for study abroad, GeoBlue assists students in establishing treatment for ongoing medical conditions while abroad (including doctor visits and continuing medications).
All faculty, staff and students traveling internationally on programs coordinated by the Study Abroad Office.
- Approximately one week before your program begins, you will receive an email from GeoBlue with online login information and a policy number. This email contains login information to allow you to access geobluestudents.com, the online portal for GeoBlue insurance.
- Make sure to check your spam folder regularly, as sometimes these emails get automatically flagged as spam.
- GeoBlue insurance is valid starting one day before the program start date until two days after the program end date.
- If you decide to travel internationally before or after your program, you can extend your GeoBlue insurance to ensure you are covered throughout your time abroad.
- GeoBlue insurance only costs about $2 per day, so we highly recommend that you extend your insurance as needed.
If you need a letter outlining your insurance coverage in order to apply for a visa or residence permit, your Study Abroad Advisor will provide it to you. Look for a notice from them after the commitment deadline or reach out to them directly if needed sooner.
While GeoBlue insurance is valid anywhere internationally, it is not valid in the United States. Therefore, you will need to maintain some type of domestic coverage while you are abroad, whether it’s your UNC student policy or your parents’ or guardians’ policy. Domestic insurance is necessary not only for your return to the US at the end of your program, but also in case an emergency situation causes you to come home before the end of your program – we want to make sure you’re covered no matter what!
Semester “exchange” students will automatically be enrolled in StudentBlue as they would in a typical semester and can take action to waive StudentBlue if they have an equivalent insurance policy.
Semester “non-exchange, study abroad, direct enroll” students are not automatically enrolled in StudentBlue and may need to take action to purchase this to maintain domestic coverage. Please contact Campus Health Insurance Associate at (insurancerep@unc.edu).
After you have been enrolled in GeoBlue insurance and have received your medical insurance ID card from GeoBlue, you should go to the GeoBlue student website. Using the certificate number on the front of the card, sign in to the site to obtain comprehensive information relating to this plan, including a doctor locator, city health profiles and translations of medical terms and phrases. Your family can access this same information by logging in to the GeoBlue parent website. Your family will need your insurance ID card number or your email address to sign in.
No, all students must be enrolled in the UNC GeoBlue Health Insurace policy. This may mean that some students will be double covered for certain services.
Domestic Camper Policy Overview
The Domestic Camper Policy (The Hartford) provides additional emergency accident coverage for students, faculty, and staff on UNC domestic programs. This required coverage is meant to fill in gaps in a participant’s insurance when accidents occur during a program. Domestic participants will still need to maintain their personal medical insurance during the period of their program. Reach out to your study abroad program coordinator or advisor if you need to file a claim.
View BrochureCost
The cost of International SOS and either GeoBlue or the Domestic Camper insurance policy will be charged to your student account according to the duration of of your program. The estimated cost for these services will be reflected on the program brochure page.
While the insurance will be charged according to your program dates, UNC has four brackets for ISOS, used to determine both the length of your program and subsequent charge.
ISOS Brackets:
- $15 Short-term (one-two weeks)
- $30 Summer
- $75 Semester
- $150 Yearlong (Academic Year or Calendar Year)