Frequently Asked Questions - Health and Safety

Yes. We automatically enroll all students in the Chubb Insurance plan, with travel assistance provided by AXA Assistance USA. The cost of this travel, accident and sickness insurance is paid by the University. Your student is covered for the duration of the program term abroad.

Non-immigrant international students are only excluded from enrollment in the Chubb Insurance plan if they are studying abroad in their home country. Non-immigrant international students’ health insurance coverage through UnitedHealthcare StudentResources will also continue while they’re abroad.

If your student plans to travel more than 14 days (combined) before and/or after the dates on his/her insurance certification letter, your student will need to arrange and purchase additional insurance at his/her own expense. (Note: This additional insurance coverage is not eligible for reimbursement from the University.)

Some options* include:
www.gatewayplans.com
www.hthtravelinsurance.com
www.travelguard.com

We recommend that all options are thoroughly researched and policies regarding coverage and exclusions carefully read, and strongly advise coverage that includes medical evacuation and repatriation.

*International Education provides website links solely for informational purposes. International Education is not necessarily endorsing any organizations, products or services, nor guaranteeing the validity or value of the information contained therein. Please consult the websites for the most up-to-date information.

Yes, you should continue home country health insurance coverage for your student. It might be difficult to re-enroll in that plan upon return from study abroad. Also, it is possible that a major illness/injury requiring continuing treatment after the study abroad program has ended could not only exceed the home country benefit through Chubb (the UR abroad insurance), but your student could potentially be left without any health coverage.

Plan early and be aware that many drugs available in the U.S. may not be available abroad. Read more about the legality and availability of prescription medication while abroad.

This plan is not comprehensive medical insurance and is not subject to ACA requirements. The plan offered by Richmond is designed to meet specific and different travel, accident and sickness insurance and service needs of our students when traveling outside of the US for study abroad programs. This should not be construed as or substituted for comprehensive health insurance coverage.

Discuss health and safety issues with your student, including matters related to insurance, emergency preparedness, and living in the host country. Your student will be provided with extensive information about these topics after acceptance to study abroad. Encourage your student to share this information with you.

Obtain a passport or renew yours if it will expire within the next year in case you should need to go overseas to visit your student in the event of emergency. Keep in mind that passport-processing time is currently six to eight weeks for new passports, so apply early.

Keep in touch with your student while abroad, but understand that he or she may not be able to communicate with you as often as when on campus. Encourage your student to stay “in the moment” while abroad so they do not miss out on important opportunities abroad in lieu of spending all their time communicating with family and friends back home.

Arrange in advance for how your student will contact you at the earliest possible moment in the event that a crisis should occur abroad in a location where your student is likely to be. This may be in your student’s host country, or in a nearby country or region, since many students do travel recreationally on short notice while studying abroad.

Richmond has a crisis management plan as well as insurance that can provide assistance in unusual circumstances––for example, evacuation to a safe location––should this become necessary. However, this has never been necessary in the 20+ years that Richmond has been providing international education.

If your student spends more than four weeks in a country with a high incidence of tuberculosis (TB), we strongly recommend s/he get tested for TB approximately 8-12 weeks after returning from abroad. All countries except the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and those in Western Europe are considered high risk. For more information, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/factsheets/general/tbtravelinfo.htm.

Testing may be done at the Student Health Center (during the regular academic year), a local Health Department or your physician’s office.

Your student should contact the Student Health Center at healthcenter@richmond.edu or 804-289-8064 to schedule an appointment for testing, to report that s/he has been tested, or for any questions.

The Agreement and Release form is an electronic signature document that establishes legal rights and responsibilities associated with Richmond-affiliated international experiences. All students who are 18 years old or older are required to read and electronically sign the Agreement and Release form prior to going abroad. A sample copy of this form can be obtained by clicking here.