Insurance While Abroad/Away

Your health and safety are our top priority. Insurance will not prevent accidents or illness from happening; however, it can relieve other stressors and provide assistance when you most need it. Learn about the importance of maintaining primary health insurance while abroad/away, St. Olaf’s international travel insurance, and additional insurance coverage options.

All students are required to be enrolled in adequate, US-based healthcare coverage while studying abroad/away if they are returning to the U.S. at any time during the academic year. This is in place to minimize the risk of paying out of pocket costs for pre-existing conditions upon returning to the US and gaps in coverage between travel insurance and health insurance. Furthermore, the circumstances of students studying abroad/away may change at any time, potentially resulting in an early departure/return from one’s study abroad/away program, necessitating the need for health insurance coverage in the United States and/or participant’s home country.

EIIA International Travel Insurance does NOT replace comprehensive, U.S.-based health insurance as required by U.S. law. To maintain primary health insurance coverage while studying abroad/away, students often choose to continue on their existing comprehensive health insurance plan, whether that be through a parent or self sponsored (independently arranged or the student insurance arranged by St. Olaf).

International students who are NOT going to be in the US for the full year they are studying abroad (traveling directly from their home country to their study abroad country and back again) will be given an exemption from the College’s health insurance requirement, regardless of their class year. LewerMark, the College’s international student health insurance option, is aware of this exemption and will not require a completion of a waiver request form for full-year study abroad students. Should a student return to the US for any reason, they will need to enroll in the student health insurance at that time.

Suggested questions to ask your health insurance provider to help you understand your benefits and how they work out-of-state/network and abroad:

Are there geographical limitations to my plan’s coverage?
Are there any limitations to what my health insurance covers while out of state/network and abroad?
Are there preferred “in-network” providers?
If I have to pay out-of-pocket, how will I get reimbursed?

Individuals traveling on behalf of St. Olaf, or as a participant in institution sponsored trips (i.e. study abroad/away programs), outside of the United States or its Territories and Possessions automatically receive international travel insurance coverage through EIIA. EIIA International Travel Insurance provides emergency coverage and is considered secondary to an individual’s primary health insurance and does not remove a student’s obligation to have separate and full medical insurance while abroad. Services and benefits outside of the United States include, but are not limited to: Accidental Death & Dismemberment; Emergency medical care for a serious accident or sickness; Evacuation – Medical, Natural Disaster, and Security (Political Unrest); Lost or Stolen Baggage; Trip Cancellation and Interruption resulting from a serious accident or sickness. See summary coverage restrictions below * ^

Visit EIIA Travel Insurance for more information and claims forms.

*This insurance excludes routine preventative care, dental, etc. Visit EIIA Travel Insurance for full exclusion information.
^EIIA International Travel Insurance is unable to provide insurance for international students who are traveling in their home country of citizenship. We recommend these travelers secure other insurance options such as personal family coverage, possible home country national insurance plans for which the student remains eligible, or independent coverage.

Liability Insurance

Travelers should consider purchasing liability insurance prior to departure, which will provide coverage for any damage to property and lost or stolen items while overseas as well as damage to other’s property for which you are liable. This is not required for study abroad/away participation.

Check with your family homeowners’ policy to find out whether your personal belongings are covered if a loss were to occur.
If they aren’t covered, consider purchasing a policy that would cover your personal possessions while abroad.

Trip Cancellation/Lost Baggage

Students are encouraged to research and decide if travel and trip cancellation insurance would be beneficial to them. It is not required for participation in study abroad/away programs. This type of insurance often provides monetary support for non-refundable expenses and service charges imposed by public carriers and travel suppliers, including baggage loss or delay. Be sure to note within the policy any omissions to the coverage offered.

Consider “cancel/interrupt for any reason” policies
Option may offered when you book your flight through airlines or travel agents