Travel Assistance Services for RIT Students
All study abroad students have access to Emergency Assistance provided by MEDEX Assistance Corporation. Enrollment in this plan is done through your study abroad program coordinator.
Included in this program is access to the 24-hour assistance network for emergency assistance anywhere in the world. Simply call the assistance center at MEDEX Assistance Corporation. The multilingual staff will answer your call and provide reliable, professional and thorough assistance.
A multilingual coordinator will assess the situation and help locate appropriate medical care or provide other assistance, as required. If the condition is an emergency, you should go immediately to the nearest physician or hospital without delay and then contact one of the Coordination Centers. MEDEX will then take the appropriate action to assist you and monitor your care until the situation is resolved.
Your program coordinator needs to complete the Enrollment Form and submit it to Risk Management.
Emergency Assistance
MEDEX will provide the emergency medical and assistance services, which are reasonably required by a Member traveling 100 miles or more away from their home. All evacuations, returns to residence after stabilization and repatriations of mortal remains are coordinated by and subject to the prior approval of MEDEX and its Regional Medical Advisor and are paid directly by MEDEX.
International Evacuation / Return to Residence Following Stabilization
If while traveling outside your country of residence, you are involved in an accident or suffer a sudden illness requiring Emergency Medical Services, and in the event that adequate medical facilities are not available, MEDEX will arrange and pay for emergency evacuation to the nearest facility capable of providing appropriate care, as determined by MEDEX.
Medical considerations, including the opinion of the treating physician, the Regional Medical Advisor and the Member's condition and ability to travel, will determine the method and appropriate time of evacuation. After evacuation to the nearest MEDEX-approved facility and the subsequent stabilization of the Member, MEDEX shall determine if it is medically advisable and necessary for the Member to be transported at MEDEX's expense to a health care facility. This return is only if long-term rehabilitation in a health care facility is necessary, and does not involve a return for the sake of convenience.
Assistance Services Include:
Medical Assistance
- Worldwide medical and dental referrals
- Close monitoring of treatment
- Facilitation of hospital payment guarantees and admission/discharge planning
- Dissemination of insurance information to medical providers
- Assistance in replacing prescription medications, corrective lenses, and medical devices
- Coordination of medical records transfer
- Emergency vaccine and blood transfers: If legally permissible, MEDEX will coordinate the transfer of vaccines or blood upon the prescribing physician's authorization.
Medical Evacuation and Repatriation Services
- Emergency medical evacuation: In the event a Member is involved in an accident or suffers a sudden, unforeseen illness requiring Emergency Medical Services, and adequate medical facilities are not available, MEDEX will coordinate and pay for a medically supervised evacuation to the nearest facility determined by MEDEX to be capable of providing appropriate care.
- Transportation after evacuation: Following emergency evacuation and stabilization, MEDEX will coordinate and pay for one-way economy airfare to the point of origin. If, however, following stabilization, MEDEX determines that continuous treatment should occur at a medical facility in the Member's Principal Country of Residence, MEDEX will coordinate and pay for the return.
- Repatriation of mortal remains. If a Member dies, this plan will arrange and pay for the Covered Services incurred to return the insured's body to their place of residence in their home country.
Travel Assistance
- Pre-travel information
- Coordination of emergency travel arrangements
- Return of dependent children: MEDEX will coordinate and pay for one-way economy airfare to the Principal Country of Residence for dependent children left unattended as a result of a Member's accident or illness. If required, MEDEX will coordinate and pay for the services and transportation expenses for a qualified escort.
- Transportation to Join a Hospitalized Member: If a Member traveling alone is hospitalized for more than three (3) days, MEDEX will coordinate and pay for economy round-trip airfare to the evacuation destination for a single person designated by the Member. MEDEX will also pay for the visitor's hotel and meals for the period of time the Member is hospitalized. The maximum total benefit payable for the airfare, hotel, and meals is $1,500.
Personal Assistance
- Emergency transfer of funds
- Assistance with the replacement of lost or stolen passports and other travel documents
- Emergency translation services and referrals to interpreters
- Referrals to attorneys/bail bond assistance
- Emergency message transmittals
- Coordination of vehicle return
- Coordination of emergency pet housing and/or pet return
- Referrals to specialized security providers
- Continuous updates to family, home physician, and/or employer as requested
- Coordination of hotel accommodations for convalescence
Program Definitions
The following definitions shall apply:
- Member is that person named on the Identification card for whom the appropriate enrollment fees have been paid. Dependents of a Member shall be limited to spouse and children under age 19 and living with the Member or up to age 23 if a full-time student, and dependents shall not be entitled to services unless the applicable enrollment fees have been paid. MEDEX must be notified of newborns within 30 days.
- Regional Medical Advisors are licensed physicians retained by MEDEX Assistance Corporation.
- Emergency Medical Services are urgent medical services and care rendered by a health care provider for the treatment of sudden, accidental injuries sustained by a Member or due to a sudden, unforeseen illness requiring immediate medical attention.
- An Emergency is a situation when, in the professional opinion of the health care provider and MEDEX, a clear and significant risk of death or imminent serious injury or harm to a Member exists and for which evacuation is usually required in 24-48 hours.
- Evacuation Decision: Medical considerations including the opinion of the treating physician, the Regional Medical Advisor and/or MEDEX Medical Director, and the Member's condition and ability to travel will determine the method and appropriate time of evacuation. All evacuations, transportations after initial evacuation, and repatriations of mortal remains are coordinated by and subject to the prior approval of MEDEX and its Regional Medical Advisor and are paid directly by MEDEX.
- Principal Country of Residence: The country in which the Member has his/her permanent home, and as shown on the Member's passport.
- Covered Services includes expenses for embalming or cremation and a minimally necessary casket or container for transport. If the Member was unattended by a family member, Covered Services includes economy round-trip airfare for a family member to accompany the Member's remains to the place of residence. Funeral expenses are not a Covered Service.
MEDEX Assistance Corporation
P.O. Box 19056 Baltimore, MD 21284
410-453-6300 " 800-537-2029
Coordination Center (call collect):
Baltimore, Maryland USA
410-453-6330
How RIT students can acquire coverage
For RIT students in Study Abroad programs:
Enrollment in this plan is done through your study abroad program coordinator. Your program coordinator needs to complete the Enrollment Form and submit it to Risk Management.
For RIT students planning other RIT related foreign travel:
Enrollment inquiries can be made through your sponsoring RIT department administrator, or contact the Risk Management Office at (585) 475-4903.
