Pre-Departure Information

The type of insurance you enroll in during your MIX program depends on the country you will be studying in as well as the length of time you plan to study abroad.

For ALL Summer programs, participants are required to enroll in the UHM Study Abroad Center’s Mandatory Health Insurance Plan, which is approved by MIX (see below for enrollment instructions).

For Semester and Yearlong programs in the following countries, students will be required to enroll in the national health care system or insurance plan recommended by the partner university, in addition to purchasing an ISIC Card prior to departure, which provides basic travel insurance.

• Australia
• China
• Denmark
• France
• Hong Kong (applies to HKUST only)
• Japan
• Malaysia
• New Zealand
• Singapore
• Sweden
• Switzerland

MIX students are required to purchase at the minimum the ISIC Basic Card, which includes basic travel insurance coverage. You can find information about ISIC here. The card costs $26 and the entire process can be taken care of online. Once you have received your card in the mail, please email MIX (outbound@hawaii.edu) a scanned copy or picture of your ISIC card so we can confirm your purchase of it. You must send proof of your purchase before you depart for your MIX program.

For Semester and Yearlong programs in the rest of the countries that MIX has exchange partnerships with (listed below), students are required to enroll in the UHM Study Abroad Center’s Mandatory Health Insurance Plan, which is approved by MIX:

• Belgium
• Czech Republic
• Fiji
• French Polynesia
• Germany
• Hong Kong (excluding HKUST)
• Indonesia
• Korea
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Philippines
• Russia
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• United Kingdom

The insurance plan is administered by T.W. Lord & Associates. The cost of the health insurance is calculated at $1.00 per day for the duration of the program overseas, beginning from the departure date until the date of return. Coverage is in effect only while the applicant is outside the U.S. Any additional dates before the start date or after the end date need to be individually negotiated with T.W. Lord & Associates – MIX does not act as an intermediary between participants and the insurance company.

Instructions for enrolling in UHM Study Abroad Center’s Mandatory Health Insurance Plan:

To enroll in this insurance plan, fill out the UH SAC insurance plan, application and claim form for non SAC programs (pg. 2 only; pg. 3 is used only when you need to file a claim for a reimbursement). Please use the information provided in this spreadsheet to fill out the following sections on the form: Location Abroad, Dates Abroad, and Overseas Activity Sponsor. The spreadsheet also lists the cost of insurance for your particular program based on the program duration. Payment is by check only, payable to T.W. Lord & Associates. Once you have completed the form, submit it along with your check in an envelope to the MIX office. Please write your first and last name on the outside of the envelope before turning it in. Do not mail the form and payment directly to T.W. Lord & Associates. MIX will work with SAC to mail these items on your behalf.

The Insurance Plan covers the following:

1. Accidental Death and Dismemberment, up to $15,000.
2. Medical or Surgical Expenses after a deductible of $50 per accident or illness, 100% of the first $5,000, 80% of the next $5,000 and 100% thereafter, to a maximum of $500,000. There are exclusions.
3. Emergency Medical Evacuation (approved by a physician) up to the maximum of $100,000.
4. Repatriation of Remains for a maximum of $25,000.
5. Emergency Dental Expense Benefit for a maximum of $25,000.
6. Family Assistance Benefit: If an insured person requires hospitalization exceeding seven days, the insurance will cover the round-trip airfare and up to $100 per day for lodging expenses for a family member to provide assistance.
7. Reunification Benefit: If one of the insured person’s immediate family members dies while the student is abroad, the insurance will pay up to $1,000 toward the cost of airfare for the student to return for a visit home.
8. Post Program Coverage: Benefits will be paid up to $10,000 for expenses incurred in the United States for the accidents or illnesses which were first treated while participating in the UHM Study Abroad Program. These expenses must be incurred within 60 days after return to the U.S.
9. Pre-existing Condition Benefit up to a maximum of $2,500.
10. Worldwide Travel Assistance

For Claims and Reimbursement and Detailed Information Concerning the Policy contact:

TW Lord and Associates: 

• Tel: 770-427-2461
• Toll-free: 800-633-2360
• claims@twlord.com

Referral Assistance Worldwide from within U.S./Canada: 800-243-6124

Referral Assistance Worldwide from outside U.S./Canada: International collect 202-331-1596

Referral Assistance Worldwide

Included in the health insurance program is access to the 24-hour Worldwide Assistance network for emergency assistance anywhere in the world. In case of emergency, call the number listed above. The multilingual staff will answer your call in English and immediately provide reliable, professional, and thorough assistance.

The following services are included in the program:

1. Referral to the nearest, most appropriate medical facility, and/or provider
2. Medical monitoring by board-certified emergency physicians in the United States
3. Urgent message relay between family, friends, personal physician, school, and insured.
4. Guarantee of payment to provider and assistance in coordinating insurance benefits.
5. Arranging and coordinating emergency medical evacuations (with the approval of a physician) and repatriation of remains.
6. Emergency travel arrangements for disrupted travel as the consequence of a medical emergency.
7. Referral to legal assistance
8. Assistance in locating lost or stolen items including lost ticket application processing.

If you completed the FAFSA and use financial aid, please read the MIX Financial Aid Information

There may be paperwork required by your partner university prior to arrival, such as Housing Applications, Housing Deposits, Course Pre-Registration Forms, Arrival Information Forms, etc.

This is your responsibility. Be sure to complete any paperwork or online documents required by the Partner University on time!

MIX PLACEHOLDER COURSE – Prior to departure, you must register for the MIX Placeholder Course or an approved related course in the MyUH Portal. This enables you to continue to be a full time registered UHM tuition-paying student while you are abroad. MIX will email you the appropriate CRN to register for IS-099 or a related course.

SEMESTER – It is mandatory for you to register in MyUH for the MIX Placeholder course or an approved related course prior to departure. Please note that the MIX Placeholder Course (IS-099) is ‘variable credit’ and defaults to one credit. You must manually increase the credits in MyUH: 12 credits for Undergraduates, 8 credits for Graduates.

SUMMER – If you are paying UHM Tuition, it is mandatory for you to register for the MIX Placeholder course for the same number of credits as you will take abroad (typically 3-10 credits, depending on your MIX Summer Program). If you are paying Partner University Tuition, you do not need to register for the MIX Placeholder Course in MyUH.

REGISTRATION AT YOUR OVERSEAS UNIVERSITY – Registration for courses at your overseas university typically takes place when you arrive, during the international student orientation. Some partner universities will ask you to fill out pre-registration forms before you arrive.

When your overseas courses transfer in, they will appear in MyUH on your Transfer Report. At that time, the credits for the MIX Placeholder Course will be removed.

STEP 1: Indicate your availability for an in-person, region-specific pre-departure orientation

Groups will be formed based on your prospective host country or university. Please mark all dates/times that will work for you so we can find a date/time that works for all of the members in your group. Click here to access the Google Form.

STEP 2: Complete the MIX Pre-Departure Orientation Online Course

The course will cover general pre-departure content that is relevant to all participants. There will be plenty of opportunities to test your knowledge, reflect on the experience ahead, and to discuss with your peers. The online course may take a few hours to complete, so it is best to approach it in stages. If you haven’t enrolled in the course yet, you can do so by clicking here, entering your UHM email, and selecting “I am a new user”.