HEALTH INSURANCE AND EVACUATION COVERAGE
All students participating in a BU Study Abroad program in Switzerland will be automatically enrolled in the an insurance plan managed through International SOS, which provides medical and security evacuation coverage, as well as medical coverage to a limit of 1,000,000 USD with no deductible for the duration of the program. The cost is included in the program fee.
The ISOS insurance policy information will be emailed to you by Boston University 2-4 weeks prior to your program start date. We strongly advise you to read the membership guide, install and activate the ISOS APP on your phone, and download and print your medical insurance membership number before arrival.
Paying your medical expenses
All medical bills incurred during your stay must be paid. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure payment of their medical expenses.
If you need to see a medical practitioner you must contact ISOS first via the APP or calling + 1 (215) 942-8478. They will send a guarantee of payment to the provider. If the provider is “networked” with ISOS they should be able to bill provider directly without intervention by the patient providing you have asked ISOS to send them a guarantee of payment. You can use providers who are not networked and still request a guarantee of payment, but the invoice will be sent to you which you will have to forward to the insurance with a claims request.
The local networked providers are available in the ISOS APP.
Any prescription medication you have to get at the pharmacy will be payable by yourself and you can reclaim the cost from the insurance. Also, providers often use third parties to carry out work such as laboratory analysis or medical scans. These may be billed directly to yourself and you will have to submit a request for payment with ISOS. If you need help with processing your medical bills you can come to the Studentlife office.
Any medical bills or reminders that arrive after departure will be scanned and sent via secure email to you. It will be your responsibility to forward these to the insurance and request payment.
ISOS contact 24/7 department at + 1 (215) 942-8478 (collect calls from outside the U.S. accepted) or via ISOS APP. Students must be registered with BU Study Abroad to access these services and will be asked for their individual certificate number.
Staying longer
The university will provide insurance for the program duration. If you stay longer than the period of coverage you are responsible to extend your insurance at your own cost and ensure you have cover for the period. You cannot legally reside in Switzerland without full health insurance cover.
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