Frequently Asked Questions

If you have an emergency while traveling at least 100 miles from your primary residence or when traveling in a foreign country, call On Call International as soon as possible by dialing 1-866-525-1956 (TTY: 711) (within the United States) or 1-603-328-1956 (TTY: 711) (outside the United States). On Call International can provide the travel and medical assistance services. 

Call On Call International at any time, day or night to speak with an assistance coordinator who can refer you to a qualified medical professional in your travel location. 

Yes. Once you enroll in a student health insurance plan that includes these benefits, you will receive an On Call International member card. The card may be used for services in the United States (anytime you are 100 miles or more from your campus address) or in any other country. Always carry the card with you when you travel. The 24-hour help-line telephone number is printed on the card. 

It is not required that you contact On Call International before you leave on a trip; however, if you will be traveling for more than one semester, please contact On Call International to receive valuable pre-trip and extended travel information. Also, remember to take your On Call International card with you and call if you need medical, travel or security advice or assistance. 

No. On Call International is a service provider, not an insurance company; therefore On Call International must make the arrangements for all services. On Call International cannot reimburse participants for any assistance expenses not arranged, approved and provided by On Call International. 

You will need to pay the provider and then file a claim for foreign medical assistance with Aetna Student Health. If you do not have the funds available to pay the hospital, On Call International can help you make financial arrangements with the provider. The source of the funds is your responsibility. 

Yes. If an eligible participant is traveling alone and the participant is expected to be hospitalized for seven or more days, On Call International will transport a family member or friend to be by the participant's side. On Call International must coordinate and pre-approve the transport in order for the benefit to apply. 

If you still need assistance at the point of discharge from the hospital and the treating doctor and On Call's medical team recommend that you return home for follow-up care, On Call International will arrange and pay for any medically necessary return arrangements you require. For example, On Call can coordinate and pay to return you home with a medical escort if the treating physician and On Call's medical team recommend that that is the safest way for you to travel. 

On Call International will help you with any medical situation if you are 100 miles or more from your primary residence or traveling in a foreign country - this can mean while you're on campus, studying abroad, or on spring break. If you become ill or have an accident while traveling, you may not know how to access care, but with On Call International, you can call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for assistance and advice. 

By calling On Call International immediately, you can receive services before your medical condition becomes serious. Also, On Call International can protect you in the event of an emergency by getting you to appropriate medical care when there may not be good local medical facilities.  

To find out if your school offers emergency assistance services:

• Read your school's Health Insurance Plan brochure. You can find it on the Member page of your school-specific site. Click 'Select School' from the menu and select your school. The plan brochure will be listed toward the bottom of the "Members" page.
• Contact your school's Health Center or Insurance Office.
• Call Aetna Student Health's Customer Service Center at 1-877-480-4161 (TTY: 711).

Most Aetna Student Health Insurance programs include access to emergency assistance services when you are traveling 100 miles or more away from your primary residence or outside your country of residence. You can access the On Call International assistance services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year during your policy effective period. On Call International provides a wide array of services to assist you in the event of an emergency. Some of the many services include:

Medical Consultation and Evaluation - Your call to the On Call International Global Response Center will be handled by professionals who will refer you to qualified doctors and medical facilities throughout the world.

Medical Monitoring - On Call International's Global Response Center will communicate regularly with your attending physician. On Call's medical team will monitor your condition by reviewing medical reports and consulting with your attending physician. On Call's Assistance Coordinators will relay information to you and to your family if you release them to do so.

Emergency Medical Evacuation - Should adequate medical facilities not be available locally, On Call International will evacuate you, by whatever means medically necessary, to the nearest medical facility capable of providing you with appropriate care.

Foreign Hospital Admission Guarantee - On Call International will assist you in gaining access to emergency medical care by validating your health insurance coverage.

Medically Necessary Repatriation - If you require special arrangements to return home upon being discharged from the hospital, On Call International will coordinate and pay for the medically necessary arrangements to get you back to your primary residence or campus location.

Prescription Assistance - If you are traveling and require prescription medication, On Call International will help you fill that prescription.

Emergency Trauma Counseling - On Call International will provide online telephonic counseling for emergency situations while traveling.

Personal Assistance Services include:

General travel information - On Call International will provide you with pertinent travel information such as passport and visa requirements, country-specific cultural information and travel advisories.

Transport of a family member - if you are injured or fall ill while traveling alone more than 100 miles from your primary residence and will be in the hospital for more than 7 days, On Call International will arrange and pay for economy transportation for a family member or friend to join you.

Legal Assistance - On Call International will refer you to legal counsel in the event you have been arrested or detained. On Call International will also notify the consulate/embassy.

Lost Documents/Lost Luggage and Translation assistance - On Call International will assist you in replacing lost documents such as passports and will assist in the tracking of lost luggage. Additionally, On Call International provides telephonic translation assistance.

Return of Mortal Remains - On Call International will render every possible assistance in the event of a death while traveling. This service includes locating a sending funeral home to prepare the remains for transport, procuring required documentation and the necessary shipping container.
 

You may also need insurance for your family while attending school. The first step is to ensure your school offers dependent coverage. (Your student health insurance brochure will highlight this information.) During the open enrollment period, you may add your dependents onto the student health insurance plan. You may also add a dependent outside of the enrollment period when you experience a "change in life status" (marriage, birth, divorce or loss of a job). 

• Enrollment periods are specific to your academic schedule.
• Enrollment requirements do not depend on age, but on student eligibility status as determined by your school.
• Coverage is continuous during your academic career, 24 hours a day, anywhere in the world--summer break included.
• The student health insurance plan coordinates care with each campus and its local community providers to promote access to appropriate medical care.
• In most cases, a student health insurance plan will include a worldwide travel assistance service offering unlimited emergency medical evacuation services.
• Spouse and dependent coverage is available at most schools.

Some insurance companies offer plans that students can buy on a short-term basis.

Why is selecting a school-sponsored student health insurance plan more advantageous than buying a short-term policy?
Short-term policies may have strict enrollment guidelines.

• Pre-existing conditions may be limited or completely excluded from a short-term policy.
• There is no guarantee that you can extend coverage past your original enrollment period.

Should I consider COBRA an option for my health plan?

• The policy may not provide travel assistance services with unlimited medical evacuation or repatriation.
• Monthly COBRA premiums can possibly change if your company previously paid a percentage of your premium while employed.
• Under COBRA your former employer can charge you up to 102% of the total premium amount to continue coverage in your original plan.
• Aetna Student Health premiums will remain the same throughout your enrollment period.
• COBRA coverage could run out while you are still in graduate school because employers are required to offer the COBRA option only for a set number of months.
• Aetna Student Health coverage is guaranteed during the entire enrollment period.

Massachusetts students must have health insurance - it's the law!

If you are planning to attend school in Massachusetts, you must have health insurance that provides adequate coverage and is easily accessible (that is, insurance that is recognized and available in Massachusetts). This is the law under QSHIP (Qualifying Student Health Insurance Program).

• Coverage by an insurance company outside the U.S. is not considered comparable.
• National Health Service Programs from other countries are not considered comparable.
• If you have comparable coverage, and the University you attend allows you to waive the student health plan, it is your responsibility to provide proof of comparable coverage by following the waiver process at your school.

Visit the Massachusetts Division of HealthCare, Finance and Policy

Sponsors must require that all exchange visitors (as well as their accompanying spouses and dependents) have insurance in effect that covers them for sickness or accidents during the time of their exchange visitor program. The recent rule increases the minimum coverage to meet today’s medical insurance needs. As of May 15, 2015, minimum coverage must provide medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness; repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000; expenses associated with medical evacuation to the exchange visitor’s home country in the amount of $50,000; and deductibles cannot exceed $500 per accident or illness. Inadequate insurance coverage may be catastrophic for an individual exchange visitor. Thus, the Department increased the requirements.

Program participants and their dependents are required to have medical insurance coverage with the following minimum benefits.

• Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness
• Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000
• Expenses associated with the medical evacuation of the exchange visitor to his or her home country in the amount of $50,000
• A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.