Registering Travel with SOS
Are you traveling abroad on Colorado College business? You are eligible for coverage on the College's International SOS+UHP health insurance bundle. International SOS provides emergency assistance while abroad:
- Pre-trip planning resources via website, smart phone app, and phone call to an assistance center for pre-travel information (e.g., vaccination, medication, security)
- Arranges, coordinates, pays for approved medical care
- Advises on loss of travel documents or legal assistance
- No copays or out of pocket expenses when SOS and UHP approve and coordinate your care
- Covers medical evacuation when approved
- Covers natural disaster and national emergencies
Common examples of international travel eligible for coverage
- Teaching abroad, or serving as the class SRA (second responsible adult)
- Course-development visit
- Research trip (college-funded or personally-funded)
- Scholarship travel to launch your performance/exhibit
- Conference travel
- Sabbatical research abroad
How do I register my travel?
There is no cost for faculty and staff on college business to enroll in International SOS and UHP health insurance (but see caveats below on how to register your travel). The college pays the annual coverage.
- If you are teaching a CC course abroad, you will be asked by the Center for Global Education & Field Study staff to complete the required "Faculty Emergency Info & Itinerary Form" in Summit to register your travel dates and the required information about the logistics of you & your course abroad, in case of emergency. The CGEF&S staff will then use this form to register you for the SOS/UHP insurance.
- For all independent international College-related business, research, and conference travel, you need to register your international trip by completing the "Insurance Enrollment Form: Independent College-Related Travel Registration" on Summit using this link.
- Students traveling with you on independent, international College-related business (research, conferences) are also eligible to be covered. Each student also needs to register their own covered international trip by completing the "Insurance Enrollment Form: Independent College-Related Travel Registration" on Summit using this link. Venture Grants, international internships, and students participating through other organized funds through the College will already be covered automatically, so students only need to enroll themselves if they are participating in something truly independent of an existing, established fund or program abroad administered by the College.
My family is traveling with me on this work trip. How do I purchase coverage for them?
Family accompanying you during your work-related travel, even if the family members are not engaged in work for the college, can be covered by SOS & UHP insurance (and sometimes it is required, see below). The College does not cover the cost of family coverage.
- Complete the "Insurance Enrollment Form: Independent College-Related Travel Registration" on Summit. You can add each family member, and now pay for it via Summit as well.
- If your family is accompanying you while you are teaching on a CC program abroad, you are required to purchase coverage for them. Family coverage is mandatory because should an emergency arise, you, your students, and your family will be assisted using the same emergency response coordination team. For example, in an emergency (e.g., a bus accident, disease outbreak, earthquake), you will not need to worry about working with one company (SOS+UHP) for your students and yourself, while working with a different company for treatment or evacuation for your family.
- If your family is accompanying you on other types of work-related travel where you will not be responsible for coordinating students, the family coverage is highly recommended, but optional.
How to access SOS+UHP support
You will receive your electronic membership card and policy information after your register your travel online, or you can easily print out a card on the member section of the SOS website. This link should you log you in as a CC member.
You can contact International SOS by phone at +1 215-942-8478. Additional numbers for other countries will be on the electronic membership card. CC's membership number is 11BSGC000027.
We strongly recommend that you download the International SOS Emergency Assistance App, and register using your CC email address. You can access care and service easily through the app, and also get travel information and alerts, and one-click dial to assistance centers. It is available for Android, iPhone, iPad, Amazon, WP, and BlackBerry.
Workers' Compensation & Foreign Business Travel Accident Insurance while abroad
CC employees are automatically enrolled in Workers' Compensation coverage at no cost to the employee. If you are engaged in work-related travel as an employee of the college, you may be covered.
Workers' Compensation covers medical treatment and evacuation and requires no copay. Workers' compensation will pay an eligible claim for injury that originates during international work travel and continues paying claim until final resolution (whether you are still abroad or have returned to the US).
If you are injured or become sick during your work while abroad, first seek medical treatment---in most cases you will find it most convenient to call International SOS to help arrange emergency care. In cases of workers' compensation, especially because there might be anticipated or unanticipated continuation of medical treatment after your return to the US, or there might be a need to claim other workers' compensation related benefits, it is important that you also promptly notify your department chair/supervisor and Laurie Mozingo at HR +1 719-389-6422 laurie.mozingo@coloradocollege.edu. We will assist in helping you determine what the next steps could be, and help coordinate the transfer of the injury coverage to workers' compensation if needed.
In addition to International SOS, College benefits also provide Foreign Business Travel Accident Insurance (accidental death & dismemberment $100k / medical $25k) automatically; no additional registration in this plan is necessary.
Faculty and staff personal travel
CC employees should check their personal medical insurance to find out what coverage you have outside the United States. If you have enrolled in CC's Cigna medical insurance, it requires the employee to pay first and then seek reimbursement from Cigna. In additional, in or out-of-network deductibles and coinsurance applies, and there may be other limitations. Check prior to treatment.
For benefits-eligible employees, United HealthCare Global provides limited emergency medical evacuation support, but will not pay for political security evacuation or disaster evacuation. Read more about the coverage at the CC Benefits website (www.mybensite.com/coloradocollege "Life and Disability" tab, left menu "travel assistance flyer").
Take-away point: For Personal travel, the emergency travel coverage that you have as a part of the standard benefits package is not as comprehensive as the SOS+UHP bundle for work-related travel. We recommend that you become familiar with what is covered by Cigna (or your medical insurance) and United HealthCare Global, and consider purchasing additional coverage if you desire a higher level of coverage (such as the level of coverage in SOS+UHP).
Additional personal international travel coverage can be purchased at a reasonable cost.
Renting cars outside the US on college business
CC employees who rent cars outside the US on college business need to purchase the coverage at the car rental agency to meet the in-country compulsory insurance requirements. The College's foreign auto policy provides excess coverage over what is required to be purchased in-country.
Questions and additional information
Allen Bertsche, Director of Global Education
Armstrong 214
+1 719-227-8280
abertsche@coloradocollege.edu
Laurie Mozingo, Benefits Manager, HR
Spencer Center
+1 719-389-6422
laurie.mozingo@coloradocollege.edu