Health insurance

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. In addition:

• MIT Choice Plan members may use their “out-of-network” option to access non-urgent care in the U.S. and outside of the New England area. 
• HDHP members are covered throughout the PPO nationwide Blue Cross Blue Shield network.

Learn more about accessing health care while abroad.

If you have a medical emergency or need urgent medical care, you must provide notification within 48 hours to Blue Cross Blue Shield so they can authorize coverage. Call Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) at 1-800-882-1093. Your MIT employee health plan covers your care in full, less your normal copay or deductible and coinsurance.

If you require medical services while traveling overseas and need to pay out of pocket, you can print out the Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core International Claim Form (PDF) 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. Visit the Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core website for more information.

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.

If you are an employee who is traveling for more than three months and is covered under an MIT health plan, we recommend that you change your plan to the MIT PPO. Consult the Benefits Office about this option at 617-253-6151 or benefits@mit.edu.

If your health insurance coverage is outside of MIT, be sure to review your health benefits to determine if your insurance plan covers you while traveling abroad.

If needed, MIT’s Office of Insurance provides alternative options for international health/travel insurance for those falling outside of MIT coverage (e.g. recently graduated MIT students, affiliates, family members on leisure travel, etc.).

MIT provides Study Abroad Health Insurance for registered students participating in an education or research activity sponsored or approved by MIT. In order to open and manage a claim abroad, students must contact ISOS (011-215-942-8478) as soon as possible. Please review additional details about the plan and coverage on MIT’s Office of Insurance’s website.