Program Leader Handbook - International Education and ...

Appalachian Overseas Education Programs Program Leader Handbook
5. Health and Safety Information to Research Prior to Departure
5.1. HTH Worldwide Medical Plan
Make sure that you are familiar with the HTH insurance plan and process (how to access medical assistance or evacuation,
how to file claims, which conditions are excluded, etc.) by logging on the insurance website (see Important Contacts on pages
7-8). For your convenience, we have highlighted the following points:
Coverage is $1.32 per student per day and is mandatory for the official dates of the program.
Students who wish to extend the coverage for personal travel before and after the program dates may do so for an additional
premium of $2.63 per day. Please inform the students that they need to contact OIED to obtain a Before/
After Insurance form and that it is THEIR responsibility to mail that form and payment (no personal check accepted)
to the insurance no later than seven (7) business days prior to the program coverage beginning date.
The policy covers 100% of medical expenses up to $250,000 per injury or sickness. There is no deductible.
One key exclusion is that students are not covered for injury or illness due to alcohol use. Students need to be reminded
during your orientation session (See Pre-Departure Orientation section on page 38).
The policy offers evacuation when medically necessary (either to transport a student to a location where treatment
can be obtained or to return a student home for further treatment), and repatriation of remains in case of death. The
insurance plan also includes a security and political evacuation services rider.
Program leaders, staff, and agents representing the university will automatically be covered by the same policy
for $2.63 per day. Be sure to include this cost in your budget.
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OIED provides program leaders with insurance cards for all participants in the program to be distributed to the students,
at the airport, or as soon as possible after arrival abroad. Please note that HTH’s Policy does NOT cover any
medical care received in the U.S. as the result of a condition acquired during an AOEP.
5.2. Health Issues and Medical Requirements Specific to Program Site(s)
As already stated in the Content of Information Sessions section on pages 17, you may have already had to inform the students
of the possible need to acquire medical vaccinations months in advance if your program destination requires to do so. If you
did not, you should now gather and share medical information with the students in writing, and additionally at the predeparture
orientation meeting(s). It is important to communicate to the students not only what medical immunizations are required,
but also what other medical precautions and possibly other vaccinations are recommended. We strongly encourage
you to invite the campus Travel Services nurse 8-12 weeks prior to departure to come advise your student group at a RE-
QUIRED session either at your class venue or at the Student Health location. Students will be briefed on both the general and
specific details of travel health to your program’s destination and on the need to start early in the vaccination process. The
Travel Services nurse can bring country specific information to your class and “walk the group” through a health preparation
checklist. Arranging for a mandatory session will help you ensure that all students receive consistent information from a medical
professional and will also allow you to optimize the time and limited resources of Student Health on campus. As some
travel vaccinations cannot be obtained at Student Health, the local county health department may be a good resource, but
again, advance preparation is key. In the end, it is the responsibility of the program leader to ensure that all students have
acquired all required medications and vaccinations prior to the departure of the program.
5.3. Student Personal Health Issues
The later section Pre-Departure Student Orientation on page 38 will help you address in more detail and in collaboration with
Student Health program related health issues with students at your pre-departure orientation meeting. In this present section,
you will find other pertinent health considerations you need to be familiar with prior to organizing your pre-departure orientation(s)
with students.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
As stated in section 6.i. of the Participant Agreement form included in the AOEP application packet, students who would like
to receive accommodations and/or disability-related services abroad must register with Appalachian’s Office of Disability
Services and request that an official letter listing recommended accommodations and/or services be prepared for them, while
understanding that “the university is not obligated to attend to [their] medical or medication needs”.
Revision Date 5/8/13
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