Travel Assistance
Introduction
Travel assistance programs provide services before and during travel and for certain emergency transportation services when arranged in advance by the program. Benefits are generally paid when traveling more than 100 miles from home. Travel assistance is different than trip insurance which pays certain costs incurred because a trip was cancelled.
Two types of benefits are provided:
- Assistance before and during travel.
- Benefits for certain emergency transportation are generally covered when traveling on business or for pleasure more than 100 miles from home.
MEDEX Travel Assistance
All full-time Academic and Staff employees have MEDEX Travel Assistance as part of their Basic Life Insurance paid for by IU. MEDEX covers the employee, spouse, and dependent children.
hr.iu.edu/benefits/basic.html#travel
Cigna Secure Travel through PAI
Employees enrolled in Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) also have Cigna Secure Travel. The Cigna program only covers spouses and dependents if family coverage level is elected.
hr.iu.edu/benefits/pai.html#travel
Both MEDEX and Cigna
Both MEDEX and Cigna programs provide similar benefits.
- Pre-trip planning services include immunization requirements, currency exchange rates, and visa requirements.
- Examples of covered services during travel include medical or legal referrals, translation assistance, and help locating or replacing lost or stolen luggage, prescriptions, and travel documents. The program provides assistance in these matters; the member is responsible for paying the cost of replacement items.
- Limited, short-term advance of cash in emergencies may be provided.
- Benefits include arranging and paying for emergency medical transportation, and in the case of a fatality, return of remains.
- Benefits for children left unattended in a medical emergency, or a travel companion that is directly affected by a participant's illness or injury, may be provided.
- Benefits are only covered when arranged in advance by the program; claims are not reimbursed after services are received.
- When evacuation is required due to political unrest or natural disasters, travel assistance typically arranges for evacuation but the cost of evacuation is paid by the member.
Specific benefit information is available on the University Human Resources web pages, by email , or by calling University Human Resource Services at 812-855-2172.
The Standard has informed Indiana University that Long Term Disability (LTD) premiums will increase effective March 1, 2012. This increase is a result of claims exceeding premiums paid over the past couple of years.
The LTD plan provides an opportunity for full-time employees to protect their income in the event of a disabling illness or accident, including a unique option to also protect retirement benefits. The cost for this disability insurance varies with the enrollee's age, salary, and selected option:
- Option A: 180-day waiting period
- Option B: 90-day waiting period
- Option C: 180-day waiting period with Retirement Contribution Benefit
- Option D: 90-day waiting period with Retirement Contribution Benefit
The average premium is currently less than $22 per month. The premium increase will result in an average of about $27 per month. Based on claim experience, Options A and B will increase 10 percent and the increase in Options C and D will be 23.5 percent.
Plan and premium rate details, along with a premium calculator, can be found at hr.iu.edu/benefits/ltd.html.
The Benefits Change Connection, hr.iu.edu/bcc/programs/ltd.html, can be used to drop or add coverage or to increase benefits, for example, select an option with the shorter waiting period or add the retirement contribution protection. Adding or increasing benefits requires a medical history statement. These changes can be made throughout the year.
