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Travel Insurance and Risk

Overview

Trip registration is required for those traveling on official University business off-campus (>100 miles) or internationally. Accurate information on travel plans is needed in order to deliver the services and protections the travel insurance policy offers.

University travelers include employees, medical residents, students, fellows, and guests with travel paid by the University.

If you are a travel arranger or international program manager, contact our office to join our travel alert listserv. 

The following information will help you to plan your trip and connect you to resources to help ensure your safety while traveling.

Register a Trip


There are two ways that travel can be registered:

1)  If travel is booked through UC Travel or Connexxus (except SWABIZ), your travel itinerary will automatically be registered with Worldcue. Check your email for your “welcome email” and complete your travel profile. 
Note: For bookings of two or more people on the same confirmation number, the travel arranger will need to register the travelers via Away.

2)  For SWABIZ bookings -or- for reservations made outside Connexus, you must register your trip in UC’s travel registration system,UC Away. Check your email for your “welcome email” and complete your travel profile
 

Travel registration does not guarantee that your trip is eligible for travel insurance coverage.

* UC employees must be on approved university business during which they will be compensated by the university.
* UC students must be participating in a UC sponsored and supervised off-campus activity that meets the policy definition of a ‘covered activity.’

Travel to these countries, and interactions with organizations or individuals in them, are highly regulated. Prior to traveling, special permission from the U.S. government in the form of a license may be required for any of the following activities:
* Financial transactions
* Providing a service (of any kind)
* Conference attendance or presentations
* Conducting research
* Education or outreach
* Hand carrying laptops, equipment, material or information as part of your travel

You must coordinate with UCLA Export Control before travel to these sanctioned counties to ensure that the appropriate compliance steps are taken.

Special notice on medical services: payments for medical services in this country cannot be processed by UC’s travel assistance provider. Travelers must make any medical care payments out of pocket and submit a claim for reimbursement within three months after the service date.

Travel to Polar Regions(e.g. Greenland and Antarctica) will require that youprovide additional information(return completed form toUCLAtravelalerts@irm.ucla.edu) prior to your travels, including coordinating your evacuation from these areas with United Healthcare Global. Evacuation from these areas can necessitate additional planning and resources.

The Worldcue system notifies Insurance & Risk Management about travelers and their itineraries thus providing critical information in the event of an emergency.  It is therefore of utmost importance to complete your travel profile in iJET/Worldcue upon receipt of your "welcome email".

We encourage you to take the necessary steps to assure your safety.

To request a certificate of insurance to acquire a visa, demonstrate coverage for COVID-19, or any other reason, please send the following information to liab.manager@ucop.edu:

First and last name
Affiliation with UC (student, employee, etc.)
Date of birth
Dates of travel
Travel destination (country or countries to be visited)
Additional Information as requested by the travel destination’s embassy

Please allow 3-5 business days for your insurance certificate request to be processed. You will receive it as a PDF document attached to an email.

Planning a Trip

Global travel tips concerning security, health, culture, transportation, legal, financial and language are readily available by using your UCLA Single Sign-On password at: http://ermsp.ucop.edu/uctrip

As always, be sure to register your travel. This will ensure that the University and our travel partners can provide you with information and services important to your security, health and safety, both before and during your travels.

The Worldcue App provides travel intelligence and assistance while on-the-go.

To obtain the app:

- Search for “Worldcue Mobile” from the App store or Android Google Play and download the app.
- Sign In to the Worldcue App using your activated Traveler username and password.
- The Worldcue app

Important Worldcue Mobile App utilities:

- Hotline Button: Use this button to connect with University of California's 24X7 Hotline Center in the event of an incident.

- Check-in Button: When asked by UCLA, use this button to communicate your safety during a dynamic security event (i.e. terrorist attack, tornado, tsunami, shooting).

- Crisis Button: Use this button if you need immediate assistance during a dynamic security event and cannot speak on the phone.  Defer to the hotline button if you can.

You are required to submit a field safety plan before going into the field!

Mobile Devices and Data Roaming Charges

If you are traveling internationally and plan to use your mobile device for email, please contact the UCLA Mobile Program at mobile@it.ucla.edu to add international features before you leave the country. Data roaming charges without a plan are very high and are applied if international data roaming is turned on, whether or not you actually use your email or web browser.

Data Restrictions

If you are traveling with electronic devices, it is important to take steps to protect and secure information stored on those devices. Consider some of the following steps to protect your information:
* Leave your data or laptop at home or use a loaner laptop wiped clean before your trip
* Backup your data
* Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
* Password protect (secure) or encrypt (more secure) your hard drive
* Maintain physical control of your devices at all times, or secure them in a locked desk or hotel safe to prevent theft or unauthorized access
* Only connect trusted items to your devices (e.g. thumb drives or wireless devices)
* Contact your local IT administrator for assistance if needed.

Hand carrying computers, research materials, samples or equipment
When you travel abroad, everything you take with you is an export including hand carried equipment, research materials, and unpublished or proprietary information or data. UCLA Export Controls can determine whether an export license is required to travel with these items.

If you are traveling to an area with additional health risks, you are encouraged to visit a travel clinic in advance of your travel. It is recommended that you schedule a visit as soon as possible in case multiple rounds of vaccines are required.

Employees can make an appointment with UCLA’s Occupational Health showing proof of UCLA travel registration or may visit another travel clinic provided by your health insurance program. Please ensure your appointment is at least 2 or more weeks in advance of your departure.

If you are a Student qualified for Ashe Center visits, you may visit their travel clinic for health advice and vaccinations while traveling.

Travel Insurance and Filing a Claim

Employees and other non-student UC affiliates who are eligible for benefits
UC Employee Travel Insurance Benefits Summary
UC Employee Travel FAQ

Students
UC Student Travel Insurance Benefits Summary
UC Student Travel FAQ

Coverage Notes

* Coverage for domestic (US) travel is limited to medical evacuation and eligible medical expenses when you have an accident during or while traveling to/from a covered activity* (conditions apply). US health insurance is the primary source of insurance for such accidents.

NOTE - There is coverage for certain students who are injured while participating in certain on-campus activities. Contact your campus Risk Management office for more information.

*Coverage for international travel is more extensive and may include medically necessary care for accidents and illnesses, mental health counseling, medical and security evacuation, trip delay/cancellation/interruption (conditions apply), and personal property coverage*.

* Travel insurance only covers trips 365-days in length. If an assignment abroad will last a year or more, contact your US health insurance administrator to see if the policy has a global component. For example, Anthem Blue Cross PPO has the Global Core Program. All treatment received internationally will be considered ‘out of network’ and pre-approvals are required for most non-emergency treatments.

*Travel insurance coverage, including security evacuations, may be limited in countries with comprehensive OFAC sanctions due to restrictions on doing business in those countries. Even if you get a license to travel there, you will likely have to cover any medical or security costs out of pocket. definition of a ‘covered activity.’

Please follow the instructions in thisguide.

Getting Help While Traveling

If you need assistance while traveling use the policy number on your travel insurance card and contact:

AXA Assistance
1-630-694-9804 (From anywhere in the world)
1-855-327-1420 (From within the US)

medassist-usa@axa-assistance.us Include your full name, UC campus, UC affiliation (ex. UC student or UC employee), current location, details of the assistance needed, and how they should get in touch with you.
 

​You may also use the Worldcue App for access to travel intelligence and assistance while on-the-go.

Worldcue App

The Worldcue App provides travel intelligence and assistance while on-the-go.

To obtain the app:

- Search for “Worldcue Mobile” from the App store or Android Google Play and download the app.
- Sign In to the Worldcue App using your activated Traveler username and password.
- The Worldcue app

Important Worldcue Mobile App utilities:

- Hotline Button: Use this button to connect with University of California's 24X7 Hotline Center in the event of an incident.

- Check-in Button: When asked by UCLA, use this button to communicate your safety during a dynamic security event (i.e. terrorist attack, tornado, tsunami, shooting).

- Crisis Button: Use this button if you need immediate assistance during a dynamic security event and cannot speak on the phone.  Defer to the hotline button if you can.