Health & Safety Overview
All international travelers at Vanderbilt should make the following three health- and safety-related preparations before leaving Vanderbilt:
- Ensure you have coverage from Vanderbilt’s international health insurance;
- Arrange for a travel health consultation with a medical provider;
- Register your travel with Vanderbilt’s travel assistance partner. Faculty, staff, and students making flight arrangements through the university’s travel agency are automatically enrolled.
It is also highly recommended that you register with the embassy of your host country. US citizens will register with the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
Students, including graduate and professional students, who are traveling abroad independently are required to register their travel, a process which includes purchasing Vanderbilt-approved international health insurance and registering travel with the university’s travel assistance partner. (Students studying abroad through the Global Education Office are automatically registered.)
International Health Insurance
The Office of Global Safety, in partnership with the Global Education Office and the Office of Risk and Insurance Management, has selected a robust, comprehensive, and low-cost international health insurance plan for Vanderbilt community members. This plan is available to any Vanderbilt traveler, including faculty and staff, who go outside of the United States for education-related purposes on Vanderbilt University business, and is required for all students (see policy).
Vanderbilt’s international health insurance plan is more comprehensive than most plans and includes coverage for mandatory evacuation, preexisting conditions, and mental health and substance abuse treatment. Unlike many international insurance plans, it also covers injuries that involve substance use. Very few US health insurance plans offer coverage overseas at this level. For coverage details, refer to the Description of Coverage, while the Member Guide provides an overview of services and how to access them.
This international health plan does not, however, cover any services within the United States, so travelers must maintain their stateside insurance. Faculty and staff may purchase coverage for their dependents accompanying them on Vanderbilt University travel.
Students who study abroad on Global Education Office programs, including Maymester Abroad courses, will be enrolled in Vanderbilt’s insurance for the duration of their abroad programs (i.e., between the posted start and end dates of the program). All other travelers will enroll themselves.
Instructions for Self-Enrollment
In order to ensure that all students are adequately covered overseas, and to further ensure that Vanderbilt can effectively aid students in the event of critical need, all students are required to carry Vanderbilt’s international health insurance. (Students who study abroad through the Global Education Office will be automatically enrolled and do not need to take any action.) Faculty and staff are welcome to enroll, and GeoBlue is a reimbursable expense.
How to Purchase
You will purchase your insurance as part of Vanderbilt’s group plan. Go to the GeoBlue enrollment web page, then enter the Group Access Code KXP-37915 in the box provided and submit.
You will be guided through the process of signing up for coverage. The minimum enrollment time is two weeks.
Once eligible participants receive their Medical Insurance ID card from GeoBlue, they should visit geobluestudents.com and, using the certificate number on the front of the card, sign in to the site for comprehensive information and services relating to this plan. Participants can track claims, search for a doctor, view plan information, download claim forms and read health and security information.
Detailed information on eligibility requirements, period of coverage, and details of coverage can be found in the Description of Coverage.
GeoBlue Pre-Departure Program
Before travel, consider participating in GeoBlue's Pre-Departure Program which provides important pre-trip health guidance and answers to questions based on each traveler's specific health needs. Their pre-departure program offers:
Consultations with clinicians before you depart to help you understand what to expect in your new host country
Assistance with planning healthcare needs in your new host country
Guidance to quality healthcare professionals to avoid any disruption of care
What to Do If You Need Help
The GeoBlue Member Guide has information on how to find a provider, submit claims, request payment and more. If you need help, you can contact Vanderbilt Incident Response for Travel: In an emergency, dial +1 615-322-2745 and tell the Public Safety dispatcher that you are calling for VIRT. In a non-emergency situation, email virt@vanderbilt.edu.
Travel Health Consultation
All Vanderbilt travelers should seek out a travel health consultation. Students as well as faculty and staff have low-cost options available on campus; see below. Students and faculty are also free to use their own clinicians.
Travel consultation appointments should be made at least 4-6 weeks in advance of the departure date, in order to allow any vaccinations time to take effect. Some vaccines may require a series of shots, so it is important to allow enough time for series completion.
We also recommend reading the Centers for Disease Control’s information and guidelines for the country you plan to study or visit. Search for a destination at the CDC website.
Students
The Vanderbilt Student Health Center provides students with Travel Consultation appointments to ensure that students understand health risks of their travel destination, as well as providing a physical and helping students to construct a care plan for managing health away from home. This appointment is a particularly good opportunity to discuss medication plans, including questions such as whether needed medications are available overseas, whether they can be carried with you, what their equivalents in other countries might be, and so on.
Students should plan to book their appointment at Student Health as soon as possible. Due to the high rate of study abroad at Vanderbilt, there is a rush on appointments toward the middle and latter part of each semester.
Staff and Faculty
Vanderbilt Occupational Health Clinic provides pre-travel consultations for faculty and staff. These visits help travelers prepare a customized health care plan, providing destination-specific vaccinations and prescription medications, a medical travel kit, and health and safety advice. Vanderbilt Occupational Health Clinic services are offered without cost to Vanderbilt faculty and staff traveling on Vanderbilt business. For those not traveling on Vanderbilt business, equivalent services are available through the Vanderbilt Travel Clinic.