Wales

Health and Medical Concerns

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Health Insurance

HWS students studying abroad have insurance through CISI. Details of your plan will be sent by CISI through your HWS email account 30-60 days before departure. This will include personal enrollment info that you must use to register online at www.mycisi.com.

Print your insurance ID card as soon as you register with CISI and keep it with you. Review the welcome pack you receive and download the app on your phone or tablet. The phone number for CISI Customer Service is +1 800-303-8120 in the US or +1 203-399-5130 while abroad.

CISI covers you while you are studying and if you travel independently abroad during the semester. It does not cover you in the US! Coverage includes medical evacuation and repatriation, security evacuation, and extraction in the case of political unrest or natural disaster. You will receive security updates through CISI if there is an “alert” or concern about which you should be aware.

Consult the CISI website to find general practitioners and other types of care providers who speak English. CISI emergency on call lines are serviced by “AXA Assistance”, open 24/7 and all staff speak English. If you seek care for a minor ailment, need a prescription, or are having a blood test, you pay the clinic or provider and put in a claim to be reimbursed. In cases where you will incur major expenses (hospital stay or serious illness), you or a parent/guardian can open a case through AXA Assistance and request direct payment to the facility so you don’t need to pay out of pocket or seek reimbursement. You will request claims instructions and forms online at claimhelp@culturalinsurance.com. To reach AXA Assistance 24/7 service call collect from outside the U.S. at +1 312-935-1703. If your need is less urgent, you may email medassist-usa@axa-assistance.us. 

In an emergency, go to the nearest hospital or clinic.  Every attempt will be made to contact your parents/emergency contacts if hospitalization or surgery is necessary.  In the most extreme cases, your insurance will cover evacuation to the US or a regional facility if adequate care isn’t available on site.  Your parent/guardian can contact AXA to request approval for a ‘bedsite’ visit to your hospital if you are admitted as an in-patient.

Your Team Assist ID # is 23 GLM N19005562-HWSC.

You are enrolled in CISI for the duration of your program. If you plan to arrive early or travel after your program ends, you may wish to consider additional coverage outside the official program dates. This optional extension is not covered by HWS and would be an out-of-pocket expense to you. Sign up to extend your coverage as needed at myCISI.

Note: Some medical services are not covered and there are exclusions when your policy won’t pay for treatment, such as if you need medical tests or hospitalization due to self-harm, intoxication, drug overdose, or engagement in high-risk activities such as professional sports, bungee jumping, and the like. Familiarize yourself with your policy. Emergency/crisis treatment is covered for pre-existing conditions such as diabetes or Crohn’s disease as are maintenance treatments up to $5000. If you have a condition that might require a higher level of care, work with your US provider to make arrangements. Details of the CISI policy can be found on their website.

As CISI excludes extra-hazardous activities such as bungee jumping, skydiving, and parasailing from their coverage, HWS prohibits you from participating in any such activities during the course of the program.

“Travel Security” Feature of Your Insurance

CISI covers against political/military instability and natural disaster through a risk management company called Crisis24. A special safety and security feature is available to all members that enables you to look up safety advisories for most countries where you might travel. Using the MyCisi username and password that you set up, go to the CISI Client Portal and log in. Above the sign-out link, you will find “Resources and Links.” From there, you can visit “Travel Warnings” and “Country Specific Information.” 

Enter the country and city where you are studying (or where you’d like to travel) and your home country and CISI will give you background info on medical care in your country of interest, referrals to participating providers, risk assessments, and security information. Destinations will be marked from “negligible” to “extreme” risk for a variety of factors. You can look up specific risks for each of these categories and read about recent incidents or problems and receive general security advice specific to the chosen country (as a whole) or specific cities. We suggest that you discuss with your family in advance about what level of risk is acceptable. Keep in mind the HWS Travel Policy and make sure you are not travelling to countries rated as “3”s, “4”s or to “do not travel” areas within lower-rated countries. Check out your intended destinations before you book your travel.

Managing Medications and Allergies Abroad

If you have medications you must take while you are abroad, bring enough for the entire semester. Carry the medication in its original prescription container, clearly labelled. Some countries ban certain psychotropic drugs, even when prescribed by a doctor. 

Call CISI Customer Service (claimhelp@mycisi.com or +1 800-303-8120) to ask whether your prescription can be brought into your destination country and its name there if you need to get a prescription there. Have your insurance card and insured ID number handy.

If you are allergic to certain foods or medications and must carefully avoid these, a great resource is https://equaleats.com/. Use this website to request a professionally designed, credit-card-sized card that explains your allergy in your host country’s language to show at restaurants and to ensure that any food prepared for you is safe to eat. You may also order cards that explain medication allergies. 

Additional resources to help you manage allergies or dietary restrictions abroad include:

If you have a medical condition or allergy, consider adding a Medical ID to your phone, including your emergency contacts, which can be accessed in case of emergency. We have linked to instructions on setting up a Medical ID and emergency contacts for common phone brands: iPhone, Android (general), Samsung, Motorolla, Google Pixel.