In March 2019, the University of Illinois Board of Trustees approved a new International Travel Policy. The Illinois campus will operationalize the policy in the 2019-2020 academic year. As an extension of the new policy, the University of Illinois System will pay the International Insurance fee for faculty and staff who enroll for travel after July 31, 2019.
International Insurance refers to the University’s global health insurance for University-related programs or activities abroad. It is required for all students participating in University-related activities abroad. Faculty and staff are required to enroll when traveling with students or to high-risk destinations. Enrollment is strongly encouraged for all other university travel. International Safety and Security (https://safetyabroad.illinois.edu/), a unit of Illinois International (https://international.illinois.edu/), manages the International Insurance for the Illinois campus.
The System’s new initiative and resulting International Insurance coverage benefits faculty, staff, and units.
- Free enrollment extends unit, program and/or grant travel budgets.
- Travelers will no longer need CFOP information during enrollment.
- Medical and evacuation coverage provide peace of mind to travelers and units.
- A 24/7 assistance center can help travelers find local providers, make appointments, and arrange payments.
- The International Insurance eliminates deductibles or co-pays for covered benefits; any out-of-pocket costs are fully reimbursed with receipts.
For travelers already familiar with the International Insurance, the current terms, benefits, limitations, and exclusions are being extended. The System’s initiative does not extend to graduate students, even when traveling for an assistantship. As appropriate, however, units can continue paying for the International Insurance via CFOP as they have in the past.
Enrolling in the University’s International Insurance is easy. The application can be completed entirely online through the International Safety and Security website: https://safetyabroad.illinois.edu/insurance/register/.
Travelers and units may direct questions about implementation of the new policy to safetyabroad@illinois.edu. International Safety and Security address answers to several frequently asked questions on their website: https://go.illinois.edu/Intl-Insurance-FAQ.