Health & Security Insurance

GeoBlue International Health Insurance

Students studying at a Middlebury School Abroad are automatically enrolled in a study abroad health insurance plan through GeoBlue for the duration of the program. This coverage is mandatory and cannot be waived. Students who are required to enroll in insurance through their home institution, or who already have international coverage through another provider, will not be eligible for a refund or other recompense for the cost of coverage through the Middlebury Schools Abroad.

The insurance provider will issue insurance cards (you may print them from the GeoBlue website) and proof of insurance letters (required to process student visas for some countries).  This insurance plan provides up to $250,000 medical coverage (accident/sickness) with zero deductible. There is also medical evacuation and repatriation coverage.

Italian Pharmacy

GeoBlue provides emergency service with 24-hour, worldwide, telephone assistance. This service can aid students in a variety of emergency situations, such as providing help in obtaining physician and hospital referrals. Coverage will begin on the first day of your program abroad and will end on the last, with the option to purchase additional months of coverage by contacting the insurance provider directly.

In addition, GeoBlue offers services to students who aren’t able to physically get to the doctor.  TeleMD allows students to connect with physicians through an app 24/7.  That doctor can send prescriptions to a local pharmacy, and provide them with referral letters, if needed.  Through Global Wellness Assist, students can connect to counselors who can help them with stress, substance abuse, depression, surviving the loss of a loved one, homesickness, etc.  Students can have six sessions for each of these issues, with no limit on the number of issues they have.

Each student will be provided an explanation of benefits prior to departure.  This insurance plan will not cover you while you are in the U.S., so you may not use it while you are on vacation from the program in the U.S. or after the program finishes and you have returned to the U.S. Please check the coverage provided through this policy carefully. If you judge it to be insufficient you may wish to purchase supplementary insurance through a different provider.

You may elect to purchase an additional 30 days of coverage under Middlebury’s group plan with GeoBlue if you plan to travel early to your site or to remain after the program ends.  To enroll in an additional 30 days of coverage under Middlebury’s group plan, please follow the directions below:

  • Begin here
  • Read the statement written by GeoBlue Insurance. If you agree, click “Agree”
  • Click “new” (this will add 30 days to the policy Middlebury purchased for you under the group plan)
  • Required Information needed:
    Name
    DOB
    Gender
    From Date (if adding coverage to the end of the program, this should be the day after your current enrollment ends; if adding coverage before the group plan begins, this should be 30 days prior to your program’s start date)
    To Date (make this a 30-day increment, including your coverage start date and end date; GeoBlue charges for coverage in 30-day increments)
    Email address
    Mailing address
    Home Country
    Host Country

For assistance or questions regarding enrollment, please call GeoBlue (888) 243-2358.

If you are trying to extend coverage from a spring term program past June 30 of that year, you will have to wait until after Middlebury has contracted insurance for the following academic year, which we do in May (the rate will be slightly different, and GeoBlue will not let you extend coverage into a year for which we have not yet contracted).

Students wishing to enroll in additional coverage beyond one 30-day increment must enroll in an independent, individual insurance plan.  Students interested in enrolling independently through GeoBlue can visit the website here: https://www.geobluetravelinsurance.com/products/single-trip/voyager-5-overview.cfm

Middlebury students who enroll in Gallagher Student Health Insurance during the academic year at Middlebury may find themselves with a period of time during which they are not covered in any insurance.  If this is the case, either to cover a month or two prior to study abroad or a month or two after, students may contact Gallagher directly to purchase one or two months of insurance: http://www.middlebury.edu/offices/administration/vpfin/finance-office/bsnsvcs/student_insurance

Global Rescue

Middlebury College has an agreement with Global Rescue for medical and security advisory and evacuation services for Middlebury and MIIS students on college-sponsored activities abroad, students from other colleges and universities studying at our Schools Abroad, as well as faculty and staff traveling on college business.

In the event of a program evacuation, Middlebury College has contracted for evacuation services to extract students as safely and efficiently as we can.  All students are expected to participate in the group evacuation.  Our in-country staff and resources will not be available to any student who elects to remain behind.  Any accommodations made for students after an evacuation (financial, educational, etc.) will only be available to students who participate in the evacuation.

Global Rescue is available to assist travelers affected by medical and security emergencies while studying, working, or traveling abroad.  They are available to consult and ensure appropriate medical treatment or safety measures are being taken.  In addition, Global Rescue will arrange for the provision of health information services through their operations team and Johns Hopkins Medicine to include medical advice, case monitoring, hospital and clinic referrals, and evacuation services.  This consultation service comes at no cost to the traveler; any costs associated with treatment, transportation, or evacuation will be the traveler’s responsibility.

Travelers in need of either of these services can contact Global Rescue at +1.617.459.4200 and identify themselves as a Middlebury/MIIS traveler.

Our partnership with Global Rescue also provides travelers with access to an intelligence platform (GRID) that ensures that you are well informed and prepared before and during your travels.  This arrangement allows you access to Destination Reports which outline medical and security risks in your host country and other countries you may visit.  Through GRID, you are also able to view alert notifications for events that are happening around the world. In addition, while abroad, you will automatically receive health, safety, and security reports based on your destination, along with expert analysis and advice.

Prior to departure, students will receive user log-in information and instructions directly from Global Rescue in order to access this resource.  This email is not junk; please save it.  If you have access to a smartphone/mobile device while abroad, we strongly recommend that you also download the Global Rescue GRID app which is available at the Apple Store (iOS 5 and above), Google Play (Android 4.4 and above), and BlackBerry App World (10.2 and above).  Through this app, you will be able to reach out directly to Global Rescue in an emergency situation via its in-app emergency call button as well as run Destination Reports, view event alerts, and “check-In” if there is a crisis (or even a questionable situation) in your host country, and you want to notify key staff members of your whereabouts.  This “check-in” feature should not be used if you are in a real emergency situation, and need immediate assistance, unless you’re asked to do this by your resident staff.  In cases of emergency, please contact your resident staff or contacts that they will give you during orientation, and if that fails, then Global Rescue.