mit travel clinic

MIT Global Support Resources

Health care & insurance.

MIT provides a range of services and resources to help you stay healthy while you’re abroad, from opportunities to update your vaccinations before you depart to in-country health care coverage for emergencies and more.

Travel Health Clinic

Health insurance

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Office of the Vice Provost for International Activities 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 [email protected]

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International Travel and Insurance

International SOS

MIT employees are covered by International SOS (ISOS) for emergency assistance while traveling abroad, even for non-work-related trips. Students are covered by ISOS only while participating in MIT-sponsored trips, but may purchase coverage from ISOS for personal travel. Prior to departure, students and MIT employees traveling abroad should register with ISOS.

For additional information about ISOS or to obtain a membership card, visit the MIT Insurance Office website or call the office at 617-324-5031. For other questions about MIT travel policies and coverage, visit the MIT Travel Office website . Whitehead and Draper employees should contact their human resources departments regarding travel coverage.

ISOS is a medical assistance company, not an insurance company. MIT’s ISOS Program does not cover medical expenses. For information about health insurance coverage in the case of a medical emergency while traveling, look at your health plan. Whatever your coverage, do not hesitate to seek medical care if you become ill while traveling.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core

If you are traveling abroad and are covered by one of the MIT insurance plans, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core is there for you. With this program, you can identify doctors and hospitals across the globe that are contracted with Blue Cross to provide care for patients. If you have your Blue Cross card with you, the doctor or hospital will be able to bill Blue Cross directly for services. A list of participating doctors and hospitals is available on the  Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core website .

Please note that the MIT insurance plans offer emergency care only while traveling overseas.

Coverage Questions?

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Travel Expense Policies

Be sure to communicate with your department’s Administrative or Financial Officer before you incur any travel-related costs. You are not allowed to approve your own travel.

If your travel is related to a sponsored project, confirm that you can charge your travel to the project’s cost object. In addition, check to see if prior sponsor approval is required for travel.

MIT allows costs such as transportation, lodging, and meals that relate directly to your travel. Be sure you understand MIT’s travel policies on unallowable and non-reimbursable expenses before you incur any costs.

You may use the MIT Travel Card for local travel and dining expenses.

When paying your expenses for MIT-related travel, you have three options—cash, personal credit card, or an MIT Travel Card . If you use an MIT Travel Card, you avoid paying out-of-pocket expenses with your own funds. You will need to file a travel expense report in Concur for all charges on the MIT Travel Card within 60 days of the end of your trip. Review this FAQ on changes to the Travel Card Expense Reporting Policy which were implemented on January 3, 2017.

Note: You may not purchase personal items with the MIT Travel Card under any circumstances. If while traveling, you inadvertently charge personal expenses to your card, you will need to reimburse MIT for these expenses when you file your travel expense report in one of the following ways:

• Payroll deduction. You can reimburse MIT through a one-time payroll deduction, by filling out this Payroll Deduction Form authorizing MIT HR/Payroll to deduct the amount owed MIT from your pay. Email the completed form to [email protected] .
• Credit card payment. VPF Travel and Card Services can take your credit card information by phone or in person. Contact trav [email protected] by email or call 617-253-8366 to arrange a credit card payment. As a reminder, never send credit card numbers to VPF in an email.
• A personal check or money order. Make the check payable to MIT and send to VPF Tra vel and Card Services at NE49-4037 or drop off at the VPF Reception and Service Desk in NE49 -3000 (600 Technology Square), Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm. Please do not send travel reimbursement checks to VPF Accounts Receivable.

A per diem is the right choice when you and your DLC decide that your trip will be so lengthy that keeping track of individual expenses will be unusually difficult or burdensome.

To travel domestically on a per diem basis, you must first get approval from your department head, laboratory director, or project supervisor. Once you have departmental approval, you must then submit your request to VPF Travel and Card Services for final approval. Review Process Per Diem Expenses before requesting permission for a domestic per diem. Follow these links to download the Excel per diem request form ( Mac or Windows ).

For international travel , your DLC can authorize per diem without prior approval from VPF Travel and Card Services.

The Details

Related links.

• Traveling for MIT on a Federally Funded Award
• Concur Travel Booking & Expense Reporting
• Research Administration Services (RAS)
• Per Diem Request Form (Domestic) (Mac)
• Per Diem Request Form (Domestic) (Win)
• MIT Travel Card Application
• 2019 Preferred Rates for Cambridge & Boston Hotels

Did You Know?

Who to contact.

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Latest News

Vpf adds twelve new caterers to the roster of preferred caterers.

The Strategic Sourcing and Contracts team announces twelve new catering companies as Preferred suppliers. expanding the total list of Preferred caterers to twenty-two. The MIT community can find good value with a wide range of options that cater to unique preferences and dietary requirements.

A new payment processing platform is available to MIT merchants

The VPF Merchant Services team is pleased to add Stripe, an online payment and credit card processing platform, as an option for MIT merchants.

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Out of Area and International Travel Coverage

Find out about your health care coverage when you are traveling within the United States or abroad.

Note: The MIT Traditional and Choice health care plans have been discontinued. Updated information on out of area coverage under the current MIT plans will be posted here when available.

Enhanced Travel Benefits

Starting January 1, 2023, the MIT health plans will cover transportation (automobile, airplane, train, or bus) and lodging expenses up to an annual benefit maximum of $5,000 for covered services. This coverage is provided when access to covered services is not available within 100 miles of the member's residence at the time the service(s) is needed, and the member must travel to an in-network provider for the covered services.

Out of Area Coverage and Emergencies

Members of all three employee health plans—the MIT Traditional Health Plan, the MIT Choice Plan, and the MIT High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)—are covered for medical emergencies anywhere in the world.  MIT Choice Plan members may also use their “out-of-network” option to access non-urgent care outside of the New England area. HDHP members are covered throughout the PPO nationwide Blue Cross Blue Shield network.

Each MIT employee health plan covers your care in full—less your normal copay or deductible and coinsurance—if you have a medical emergency or need urgent medical care anywhere in the world. But for Blue Cross Blue Shield to authorize coverage, you must provide notification within 48 hours. Call Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) at 1-888-376-0218.

Follow-up visits are covered on the MIT Choice and High Deductible Health Plans. Out of network deductible and co-insurance will apply. Once authorized, the MIT Traditional Health Plan covers one follow-up visit, if needed.

Non-urgent care

• MIT Traditional Plan  members have no coverage for non-urgent care outside of the Plan’s service area (the state of Massachusetts).
• MIT Choice Plan  members may use their "out-of-network" benefit to receive care without a referral anywhere in the United States, subject to deductible and 25 percent coinsurance. In other words, you will pay for these services in full until you have satisfied your plan’s annual deductible ($500 per member or $1,000 per family). After that, you’ll pay 25 percent of the Blue Cross “allowed amount” for each visit. Once you’ve met your annual deductible, and as long as you use Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) providers, the 25 percent coinsurance will be your only out-of-pocket cost for each visit. However, if you receive care from a provider who does not participate with his or her local BCBS network, that provider may also choose to bill you for the difference between his or her usual fee and the Blue Cross allowed amount—a practice referred to as “balance billing.” This balance-billed amount is in addition to the 25 percent coinsurance and does not count toward Blue Cross’s calculation of your annual out-of-pocket costs.
• MIT High Deductible Health Plan  members are covered throughout the PPO nationwide Blue Cross Blue Shield network. No referrals are necessary. You will pay for services in full until you meet your annual deductible. After that, you’ll pay 10 percent coinsurance for services not provided at MIT Health.

Finding Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) providers

• In this country:  Members of all three plans can find a BCBS-participating healthcare provider in the United States by going to the  Blue Cross Blue Shield Doctor and Hospital Finder . Or just call 1-888-376-0218.
• Outside of the country:  To find a BCBS-participating provider outside of the U.S., go to  Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core , and log in by entering the first three letters of the identification code on your insurance card.

International travel

Are you traveling overseas? If you are enrolled in the MIT Traditional, MIT Choice, Blue Care Elect PPO, Medex, or Managed Blue for Seniors plans, the information below will help you understand your health care coverage while traveling and what to do in an emergency.

Health care coverage while traveling internationally

Be sure to print out the Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core brochure ( below ) to take along with you. In the event you require medical services while traveling overseas and need to pay out-of-pocket for these services, you can print out the Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core International Claim Form ( below ) and submit it for reimbursement directly to BCBS Global Core, along with your original, itemized bill(s) and paid receipts(s). Please be sure to keep copies of what you submit to BCBS Global Core for your records. You should receive your reimbursement, less any co-payment(s), co-insurance, or deductible amounts that you are responsible to pay, within 30 calendar days.

Please note that the MIT Traditional plan offers emergency care only  while traveling overseas.

Medex Plan (in conjunction with Medicare)

If you are traveling outside the United States, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands and you need emergency medical care (or urgent care), you can get help to find a health care provider. Call 1-800-810-BLUE (or call collect at 1-804-673-1177). There are no providers that have a payment agreement with Blue Cross and Blue Shield, but the BCBS Global Core Service Center can help you to access a health care provider. Emergency medical evacuation is not covered on the Medex Plan.

In the event you require medical services while traveling overseas and need to pay out-of-pocket for these services, you can print out the Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core International Claim Form ( below ) and submit it for reimbursement directly to BCBS Global Core, along with your original, itemized bill(s) and paid receipts(s). Please be sure to keep copies of what you submit for your records. You should receive your reimbursement, less any co-payment(s), co-insurance, or deductible amounts that you are responsible to pay, within 30 calendar days.

Managed Blue for Seniors Supplemental Plan (in conjunction with Medicare)

The Plan provides worldwide emergency coverage. This means that the Plan covers emergency medical services whether you are in or out of the Managed Blue for Seniors service area. These emergency medical services may include inpatient or outpatient services by providers qualified to furnish emergency medical care and that are needed to evaluate or stabilize your emergency medical condition. Emergency medical evacuation is not covered on the Managed Blue for Seniors Plan.

It is important to notify your Primary Care Provider (PCP) of any emergency medical condition. This is so that your PCP (or the Plan) can be involved in the coordination of your health care and so that follow-up care can be arranged, if needed. You, the facility or someone on your behalf must call your PCP within 48 hours of receiving emergency medical care, including emergency room visits or emergency admissions.

If you receive urgent care for a medical condition while you are out of the service area, you must call your PCP or the Plan’s customer service office at the toll-free telephone number shown on your Managed Blue for Seniors identification card within 48 hours of receiving the care. The Plan will provide coverage for one Medicare-approved visit (if you need it) without a referral from your PCP while you are still outside the service area.

Tufts Medicare Preferred or Tufts Medicare Complement Plans

If you are enrolled in the Tufts Medicare Preferred or Tufts Medicare Complement plans, these plans offer emergency care only while traveling overseas. In the event you require emergency medical services while traveling overseas and need to pay out-of-pocket for these services, you can print out the Tufts Medicare Preferred or Tufts Medicare Complement Member Reimbursement Form ( below ) and submit it for reimbursement directly to Tufts Health Plan, along with your original, itemized bills(s) and paid receipt(s). For more information regarding overseas coverage, call the member services number on the back of your ID card.

Emergency medical and security evacuation

MIT has contracted with the travel assistance company  International SOS  to provide emergency medical and security evacuation services to faculty, staff and students who are traveling abroad on MIT business. International SOS has 24-hour alarm centers, international clinics and remote-site medical facilities covering five continents.

Learn more at  MIT's International SOS Program Portal .

More help with international travel

MIT's Global Support Resources (GSR) site offers a range of resources to help travelers prepare for their trip and stay healthy while abroad .

Related Documents & Forms

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4 BEST short walks around Moscow (PHOTOS)

1. Nikolskaya Street - Red Square - The Manege Central Exhibition Hall

Walking time: 20-40 minutes

From Lubyanka metro station (Exit 9), walk along Nikolskaya Street until you reach Red Square and from there, via Kremlevskiy Proyezd, continue on to Manezhnaya Street.

Nikolskaya Street.

1. Inside Alexander Gardens (Aleksandrovsky Sad), marvel at the most visited fountain complex in Moscow (the fountains do not operate during winter) and visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Fountains near Manege.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

2. If you pass the Manege and carry on walking, you will reach the statue of St. Prince Vladimir (Knyaz Vladimir), who baptized Russia in 988 . And across the road, you will see the spectacular Pashkov House, one of the best known Classical buildings in Moscow.

Prince Vladimir monument.

2. Krymskaya and Pushkinskaya embankments

Walking time: 60-90 minutes

From the enormous statue of Peter the Great (98 meters tall), walk along Krymskaya Embankment to the New Tretyakov Gallery.

Krymskaya Embankment.

1. Then walk under Krymsky Bridge and continue on Pushkinskaya Embankment, which is part of the Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure (aka Gorky Park).

The view from the Krymskaya Embankment.

2. You can carry on walking along Neskuchny Garden until you reach Sparrow Hills (Vorobyovy Gory) and one of the seven ‘Stalin high-rises’ - the Moscow State University (MGU) building.

3. Kuznetsky Most Street - Tverskaya Street - Stoleshnikov Lane

From Kuznetsky Most metro station, turn right and walk until the first junction to get to Kuznetsky Most Street.

1. Walk along Kuznetsky Most Street towards Tverskaya Street , on Tverskaya Street continue until you reach the statue of Yury Dolgoruky and turn into Stoleshnikov Lane.

2. The best time to come for a stroll here is in the early evening, when street musicians perform.

Kamergersky Lane.

Performance at the Stolechnikov Lane.

4. Klimentovsky Lane - Bolshoy Tolmachevsky Lane - Lavrushinsky Lane

Walking time: 20-30 minutes

From Novokuznetskaya metro station take the exit for Pyatnitskaya Street and walk down it away from the center, turning into Klimentovsky Lane.

Klimentovsky Lane.

1. Walk along Klimentovsky Lane and Bolshoy Tolmachevsky Lane until you reach Lavrushinsky Lane, where you will find the famous Tretyakov Gallery .

The State Tretyakov Gallery.

2. If you continue along Lavrushinsky Lane to the end and cross Luzhkov Bridge, you will reach Bolotnaya Embankment where you can continue your walk.

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