World Travel Assistance
New Member Registration Request Form (xls)
Worldwide Assistance Coverage Description (pdf)
I. Overview
II. How to Obtain Coverage
III. Coverages
A. Emergency Assistance
B. WorldNet International Description of Coverage
IV. International Travel Links
I. Overview
The WorldNet International Assistance Program provides important emergency assistance to registered individuals for travel outside the United States. Section III below provides a summary of these coverages. The program is administered by CMI Insurance Specialists, a MEDEX Global Group Company; the emergency assistance services are provided by MEDEX Global Assistance Servies; and the insurance coverages are provided by ACE American Insurance Company.
The program is available to employees and students traveling outside the United States for University related education or research. In addition, the program is available to an employee’s spouse and unmarried children, under age nineteen, who have campus administration approval to travel and reside with the traveling employee, provided the family members are dependent upon the employee for maintenance and support. All eligible travelers are strongly encouraged to make use of this program.
The program does not include accident or sickness medical expense benefits (however, it is strongly recommended that all travelers have accident and health insurance in place prior to travel).
II. How to Obtain Coverage
Coverage is not automatic. Travelers must register in order to be covered. Coverage is effective for one year from the date coverage is requested and approved through the System Office. To obtain coverage, the traveler or other campus personnel needs to complete and submit the New Member Registration Request Form. Registration can be done on a case-by-case basis or the campus can send a list of travelers in advance. Employee registration can come directly by the employee or department, but eligible student and family member registrations must come through campus department responsible for the travel.
The program is free to employees (faculty, administration/staff, and student employees). However, students and family members will be charged the $25 per person for annual enrollment. It is up to the campus whether this cost is paid by the traveler or the campus; either way, the campus needs to provide the System Office with the appropriate chartfields to charge.
Upon enrollment, the traveler will be sent a letter regarding the program, along with a membership card with the needed phone numbers, and a full description of the program coverages.
III. Coverages
Below is a brief summary of the two coverage parts that make up the WorldNet International Assistance program:
A) Emergency Worldwide Assistance Services
B) the WorldNet International Insurance Plan.
This summary of coverages, provided by CMI Insurance Specialists, is for informational purposes; please refer to the WorldNet International Assistance Coverage Description for full description of coverages, limitations and exclusions.
In addition to coverages listed below, the program provides pre-trip assistance. Pre-trip assistance includes assistance with country information, Visa and passport requirements, inoculation & immunization requirements, foreign exchange rates, embassy and consular information, and U.S. State Department Travel advisories Additional international travel information can be found at the International Travel Links listed in Section IV.
A. Emergency Assistance
MEDEX Global Assistance Services, Inc. is under contract with ACE American Insurance Company to provide international services in conjunction with the insurance benefits. The following is a brief summary of their services:
1. 24 Hour Access: You will be able to reach the multilingual MEDEX Global Assistance coordination center, toll-free or calling direct or collect by telephone, telex, and facsimile 24-hours a day, 365 days a year to confirm coverage and obtain access to the following services.
2. Location of Medical Providers: Upon your request, MEDEX Global Assistance will provide the names, addresses and telephone numbers of Doctors, hospitals, dentists, and dental clinics in the area where you’re traveling. Worldwide will also attempt to confirm the availability of the provider, ascertain required payments which you will be required to pay and make an appointment for you with the medical provider of your choice. In a serious medical emergency, it is advisable that you first try to arrange for immediate emergency help through local sources and then call MEDEX Global Assistance. MEDEX Global Assistance cannot guarantee the quality of the medical services provider or the medical facility. The final selection of a local Doctor or medical facility is your right and responsibility.
3. Emergency Medical Monitoring: When notified of your medical emergency resulting from an accident or sickness, MEDEX Global Assistance’s multilingual staff will, whenever appropriate in the judgment of MEDEX Global Assistance or a Doctor designated by MEDEX Global Assistance, attempt to contact you or your local attending medical personnel and attempt to monitor your condition. MEDEX Global Assistance continues to monitor your condition and will remain in communication with your family until the medical problem is resolved.
4. Emergency Medical Transport: If, in the event of a medical emergency and upon your request and that of a Doctor designated by MEDEX Global Assistance, in consultation with a local attending Doctor, transportation under medical supervision to a different hospital or treatment facility or repatriation to your place of residence for treatment is determined to be medically necessary, then MEDEX Global Assistance will arrange and pay for the medical evacuation or repatriation under proper medical supervision. As part of a medical evacuation, MEDEX Global Assistance will also make all necessary arrangements for ground transportation to and from the hospital, as well as pre-admission arrangements, where possible, at the receiving hospital.
All medical decisions (such as the medical need for evacuation, medical equipment and the medical personnel to be used) and the final destination will be made by MEDEX Global Assistance’s designated Doctors in consultation with a local attending Doctor based on medical factors. Their decisions shall be conclusive in determining the need for such services.
5. Repatriation of Remains: In the event of your death while on a covered trip, MEDEX Global Assistance will arrange and pay for all necessary government authorization, including a container appropriate for transportation and will arrange for the repatriation of the remains to your place of residence for burial.
6. Replacement of Medication: If you have an unexpected need for prescription medication while on a covered trip, or you lose, forget, or run out of prescription medication while traveling, MEDEX Global Assistance will attempt to locate the medication or its equivalent and attempt to arrange for you to obtain it locally, where it is available, or to have it shipped to you, subject to local laws, if it is not available locally. You will be provided with a cost estimate for the replacement medication and/or shipment costs that are subject to your approval and payment.
7. Guarantee of Payments and Method of Payments: Should it be necessary to provide a guarantee of payment to a medical provider, or to make arrangements to pay in local currency, MEDEX Global Assistance will work with you or a family member to make that guarantee. MEDEX Global Assistance may further assist you by advancing money in dollars or local currency to medical providers according to repayment provisions worked out with you or a family member.
8. Travel and Communication Assistance/Telephone Interpretation Service: If you need help communicating in an emergency, MEDEX Global Assistance will provide telephonic interpretation services in all major languages. In emergency situations that require extensive translation, MEDEX Global Assistance will make referrals to local translators.
9. Transmission and Retention of Urgent Messages: In an emergency, MEDEX Global Assistance will use its best efforts to transmit an urgent message to your family, friends, and/or business associates. MEDEX Global Assistance will also accept and retain messages for you at the MEDEX Global Assistance North American coordination center for up to fifteen (15) days.
10. Legal Assistance: In an emergency, MEDEX Global Assistance will use its best efforts to provide you with the names, addresses and telephone numbers of lawyers in the area in which the you are traveling in case of a car accident, traffic violations, and other civil offenses. However, the selection of and the expenses associated with a particular attorney will be your responsibility.
B. WorldNet International Insurance Plan
Underwritten by ACE American Insurance Company (herein referred to as “The Company”)
1. Emergency Medical Evacuation Benefit: The Company will pay 100% of covered Emergency Medical Evacuation Benefits for expenses incurred for the medical evacuation of a covered person.
Benefits are payable if the covered person: 1) is traveling outside of his or her Home Country; 2) suffers an Injury or Sickness during the course of the trip; and 3) requires Emergency Medical Evacuation.
Benefits will not be payable unless: 1) the doctor ordering the Emergency Medical Evacuation certifies the severity of the covered person’s Injury or Sickness requires an Emergency Medical Evacuation; 2) all transportation arrangements made for the Emergency Medical Evacuation are by the most direct and economical conveyance and route possible; 3) the charges incurred are Medically Necessary and do not exceed the usual level of charges for similar transportation, treatment, services or supplies in the locality where the expense is incurred; and 4) do not include charges that would not have been made if there were no insurance. “Emergency Medical Evacuation” means: a) the covered person’s immediate transportation from the place where he or she suffers an Injury or Sickness to the nearest hospital or other medical facility where appropriate medical treatment can be obtained; or b) the covered person’s transportation to his or her Home Country to obtain further medical treatment in a hospital or other medical facility or to recover after suffering an Injury or Sickness.
An Emergency Medical Evacuation also includes Medically Necessary medical treatment, medical services and medical supplies necessarily received in connection with such transportation. An Emergency Medical Evacuation of a covered person to their Home Country will terminate all benefits under the Plan. All arrangements must be made by the Assistance Provider and approved by the Company in order for expenses to be considered eligible.
2. Repatriation of Remains: The Company will pay 100% usual and customary covered expenses to return a covered person’s body home to the Home Country if he or she dies while covered by this Plan. Covered expenses include, but are not limited to, expenses for embalming, cremation, coffins and transportation. All arrangements must be made by the Assistance Provider and approved by the Company in order for expenses to be considered eligible.
3. Emergency Reunion Benefit: In the event of an Emergency Medical Evacuation due to a Covered Injury or Sickness, where the doctor feels it would be beneficial for you to have a family member at your side during transport, the Company will pay the expenses incurred for travel and lodging for that relative, up to a maximum of $12,500. Covered expenses include an economy airline ticket and other travel related expenses not to exceed $300.00 a day for a maximum of ten days. All arrangements must be made by the Assistance Provider and approved by the Company in order for expenses to be considered eligible.
4. Exclusions and Limitations: With respect to Emergency Medical Evacuation, Repatriation of Remains and Emergency Reunion Benefits, no benefit shall be payable with respect to expenses incurred: 1) for services, supplies, or treatment, including any period of hospital confinement, which were not recommended, approved and certified as necessary and reasonable by a doctor or expenses which are non-medical in nature; 2) for loss incurred as a result of declared or undeclared war, or any act thereof; 3) for injury sustained while participating in professional, club, interscholastic or intercollegiate sports; 4) for cosmetic or plastic surgery, except as the result of an accident; 5) as a result of or in connection with the covered person’s commission of a felony offense; 6) for treatment by an immediate family member.
5. Definitions
Sickness means an illness, disease or condition of the covered person that causes a loss for which a covered person incurs medical expenses while covered under the Policy. All related conditions and recurrent symptoms of the same or similar condition will be considered one Sickness.
Injury means accidental bodily harm sustained by a covered person that results directly and independently from all other causes from a covered accident. The Injury must be caused solely through external and accidental means. All injuries sustained by one person in any one Accident, including all related conditions and recurrent symptoms of these injuries are considered a single Injury.
Home Country means a country from which the covered person holds a passport. If the covered person holds passports from more than one country, his or her Home Country will be that country which the covered person has declared to the Company in writing as his or her Home Country.
Medically Necessary means a treatment, service or supply that is: 1) required to treat an Injury or Sickness; 2) prescribed or ordered by a doctor or furnished by a hospital; 3) performed in the least costly setting required by the covered person’s condition; and 4) consistent with the medical and surgical practices prevailing in the area for treatment of the condition at the time rendered. A service or supply may not be Medically Necessary if a less intensive or more appropriate diagnostic or treatment alternative could have been used. The Company may, at its discretion, consider the
cost of the alternative to be the covered expense.
IV. International Travel Links
Travel Administrative Practice Letter
Travel warnings, passport, and other information (U.S. Department of State): http://travel.state.gov/
Embassy listings: http://www.embassyworld.com/
Traveler's health information (Center for Disease Control): http://wwwn.cdc.gov/
Emergency Services to U.S. Citizens Abroad: http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/emergencies/emergencies_1205.html
Flight Information: http://www.flytecomm.com/cgi-bin/trackflight
Fodor's Travel Guides: http://www.fodors.com/
University of Maine Office of International Programs: http://www.umaine.edu/international
University of Southern Maine Office of International Programs: http://www.usm.maine.edu/international/intlsa.htm