Health Insurance

All USC students are required to have sufficient health and accident insurance during their study abroad program. In order to ensure proper coverage, all students going abroad must have either USC Overseas Policy or the USC Student Health Insurance Plan for the semester (or year) during which they are abroad.

As students may not waive out of USC health insurance when they study abroad, students will be automatically enrolled in the USC Student Health Insurance Plan and billed accordingly by the USC Health Insurance Office. Students who have a waiver on file (because they have successfully waived out of the USC Student Health Insurance Plan through the online process on OASIS) will be enrolled in the USC Overseas Policy and billed accordingly.

Some foreign countries, foreign universities, or third-party study abroad program providers will require that students purchase insurance that they provide or approve and do not allow students to waive out with the USC Student Health Insurance Plan or the USC Overseas Policy.

The insurance carrier that covers students while they study overseas on the USC Student Insurance Plan or the USC Overseas Policy is ACE/Chubb. This is accident and sickness insurance, not a comprehensive  health care plan. It covers accidents and emergent conditions.  It does not cover routine care or management of chronic conditions. This insurance does not cover international students studying in their home country.

You will generally be expected to pay out of pocket for your medical care and prescriptions and then file a claim for reimbursement. There is no deductible for eligible medical expenses. When you submit a claim, you will need to attach all of your medical care receipts. If your receipts are not in US dollars, you must also submit exchange rate information for the dates of service.

For information on how to file a claim, please contact the USC Health Insurance Coordinator at (213) 740-0551 or studenthealth@usc.edu.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE USC OVERSEAS POLICY ONLY COVERS YOU WHILE YOU ARE ABROAD AND ONLY FOR THE DURATION OF THE PROGRAM; it does not provide coverage when you are in the United States. Before you go abroad you should review the policy plan statement and note the limits of the policy.

Before you go abroad, you will also receive a Summary of Benefits from the underlying insurance provider for coverage outside the U.S., ACE American Insurance Company/CHUBB, for both the USC Overseas Policy and the USC Student Health Insurance Plan.

If you are on the USC Student Health Insurance Plan, you are covered by Aetna while in the U.S. and by ACE American Insurance Company/Chubb while on your educational program outside the U.S.

It is important that you become educated about your International SOS services and insurance coverage while you are abroad.  Please note what is covered and excluded.  (An example of exclusion is “injury resulting from off-road motorcycling; jet or water skiing; sky diving; automobile racing; bungee jumping; spelunking; or parasailing.”) Please contact the USC Health Insurance Coordinator at (213) 740- 0551 or b.well@usc.edu if you have questions about your insurance coverage or if you want to request coverage for pre-program or post-program international travel.

 

International SOS

Both the USC Overseas Policy and the USC Student Health Insurance Plan include the services of International SOS, a leading international medical assistance and security services company. Students are advised to contact International SOS as their “first stop” in pursuing medical care. International SOS is NOT a care provider but will assist you in accessing care and managing any “cases” you open with SOS. There are cases in which International SOS can guarantee payment to the service provider, thus making it unnecessary for the student to pay out of pocket and then file a claim for reimbursement.

Both the USC Student Health Insurance Plan and the USC Overseas Policy include important medical assistance and security services (through International SOS) not normally covered under domestic plans.

Before you go abroad you will receive an International SOS card and descriptive brochure. You should bring these with you overseas.

Some of your benefits with International SOS include:

  • 24-hour telephone access to International SOS physicians who provide emergency and routine medical advice
  • 24-hour access to International SOS Global Alarm Centers for medical information, referrals, and emergency assistance
  • Medical and dental referrals
  • Emergency medical evacuation or evacuation in the case of political or other unrest
  • Case Management
  • Medical Expense guarantee and payment –If you are hospitalized, call International SOS and request a guarantee of payment. Please refer to the brochure for a full description of your benefits through International SOS.

PLEASE NOTE THAT INTERNATIONAL SOS SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE IN PREPARATION FOR AND DURING YOUR PROGRAM ONLY.

Download the International SOS App and sign up for destination email alerts

 

What do I do if I get sick or injured?

International SOS will serve as a “first stop” for many of your medical needs. There are some instances in which this may not be the case. In a medical emergency, get help immediately. Contact International SOS first only when doing so will not delay medical attention. If you have a very minor health issue, utilize the student health clinic at your host university or the doctors recommended by your program director. If the issue persists or worsens, you should contact International SOS.

To open a case, check your ISOS card for the phone number to the nearest ISOS call center. ISOS will ask for USC’s membership number, which is 11BSGC000010. Be sure to make a note of the case number they give you.