Health and Safety

Living and learning abroad is a great time for discovery and exploration. As you plan for your international program, you likely have questions about how to stay healthy and safe. The following information will help you know what to expect and highlight preparations you’ll make for your experience abroad.

  • Consult with a medical professional to discuss questions about your health abroad and to familiarize yourself with host country requirements. The Travel Clinic at the Student Health Center offers consultations during which you’ll receive information about immunization requirements, disease prevention, recommended medications, dealing with emergencies and obtaining medical assistance outside the U.S. You might also find a consultation with your current care provider to be helpful.

  • Inform yourself about your program location with information and resources provided by the U.S. Department of State and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

  • Stay aware and up-to-date on local/regional news that could impact conditions in your host country. Your awareness and understanding of current events and issues impacting health and safety will help you to stay prepared.

  • OSU GO Staff will discuss health and safety issues in detail at the pre-departure orientation with opportunities for participant questions. 
  • OSU contracts with International SOS, a leading medical & security assistance provider, to support student health & safety while participating in education abroad programming. 
  • Additionally, resources for your use and reference are provided in the online application and at orientation. 
  • Your first point of contact for these important questions is your OSU GO advisor. Our team can refer you to the appropriate resources, which may be on-campus resources, International SOS (OSU’s medical & security assistance provider), or a contact for your education abroad program. It is important to share any questions or concerns you have as they arise. 
  • Student health and safety is OSU’s primary consideration in the administration of education abroad programs for students. 
  • OSU prioritizes students' health and safety by performing ongoing destination health and safety assessments using the expertise of our partners in international health and safety, guidance from several resources including university partners abroad, governmental agencies such as the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and Center for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), professional health and security organizations, U.S. Embassy information, and other relevant sources.
  • OSU’s international travel policy has strict conditions that must be met to approve a particular program, and conditions are monitored on an ongoing basis.
  • Students are briefed on precautions that they can take to be as safe as possible in their new environment.
  • In partnership with International SOS, OSU provides 24/7 support so that we can respond quickly if unexpected events or emergencies occur. 
  • As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact countries differently, the Office of Global Opportunities closely monitors the pandemic’s evolution and its potential impacts on student health in countries where we have programs. Using OSU’s International Travel Policy as a guide, we review conditions in order to identify locations deemed high risk (for COVID-19 or other factors) where education abroad programming may require review by International Travel Advisory Committee or be suspended.
  • As part of pre-departure orientation, you will be briefed on any pandemic-related entry requirements or differences in public health practices at your program location

OSU GO education abroad participants are enrolled in Oregon State University’s international travel insurance which includes a limited accident and health insurance policy and 24/7 assistance services. This insurance is mandatory for all participants unless they are covered by a travel insurance policy through their on-site provider (API, IFSA, SAS, SIT, CIEE, GEO, etc.).  Some host countries may also require students to enroll in national health insurance. In those instances, that insurance usually applies first and the OSU travel insurance serves as a secondary policy.
  
International travel insurance is billed to the student as part of the program cost or directly to an OSU student’s account. International travel insurance benefits include:

  • Coverage for accident/sickness;
  • 24-hour travel, safety and security assistance services provided by International SOS (ISOS);
  • Evacuation due to security/political unrest, natural disaster, emergency medical situations;
  • Quarantine benefit;
  • In-person and remote mental health support. 

Students are strongly encouraged to refer to the insurance plan brochure (link below) for coverage details and exclusions.

When and how to access international travel insurance benefits

After consulting with on-site staff, call International SOS: +1-215-942-8478 (collect calls accepted worldwide). 

When calling, reference member ID 401GDA957900.

When should I contact International SOS? 

Coverage Dates

Students are covered for the dates of their program as indicated on an insurance verification letter that will be uploaded to their OSU GO application in the “attached documents” section. In the event of an unanticipated deviation, the insurance policy will extend coverage for 14 days before and after the program dates. For personal travel outside of program dates, students are encouraged to purchase a separate leisure travel policy (link below).

Resources

International SOS Medical & Travel Assistance

Membership ID Card

OSU international travel insurance plan brochure

Plan Brochure

Reimbursement Claims

In the event you sought medical treatment abroad for a minor accident or sickness and paid out of pocket for that treatment, you may submit a claim for reimbursement. For additional information about the claims process, refer to OSU’s Insurance and Risk Management international travel website.

Claim form

Optional Supplemental Insurance

Students may choose to purchase additional supplemental insurance. Below are a few products for consideration. 

 

 

Global Opportunities