Appendix H: Travel

International Travel

Given international travel by Duke faculty, staff and students, several policies and practices have been initiated to ensure that travelers have the resources and support to effectively and safely conduct teaching and research abroad.

International Travel Clinic for Employees

Per the Duke University “Vaccination/Travel Health Review”(HR Policy 11.02; eff. 5/20/2011), Faculty and Staff traveling abroad on Duke related business should receive appropriate pre-travel health care and any required vaccinations based on their destination planned activity. The applicable Duke cost center or program will pay for direct costs associated with obtaining the necessary vaccinations that are recommended for travel to non-U.S. destinations when the assignment is a requirement of, or directly related to, the faculty or staff member’s current position at Duke.

To gain access to experienced international travel health care providers and to manage the cost of required pre-travel health care for the institution, Employee Occupational Health and Wellness created an Outbound Travel Clinic which charges “at-cost” rates for vaccinations and tests. Faculty and staff can learn more and complete an intake form at https://hr.duke.edu/policies/international/vaccinations-travel- health-review.

Cigna Medical Benefits Abroad 

Effective July 1, 2013, Duke contracted CIGNA for its Medical Benefits Abroad (MBA) coverage. The CIGNA Global Health Benefits' Medical Benefits Abroad® (MBA) offers full-time, benefits eligible employees and their dependents accompanying them on travel abroad with supplemental health insurance for unexpected injuries and acute illnesses that may occur while traveling internationally on Duke business trips that are short-term in duration (i.e., less than a six-month assignment abroad). Those who are pregnant or have chronic health conditions, likely to require medical treatment overseas, are highly encouraged to switch into a plan the covers these chronic health conditions. Travel abroad for greater than six months indicates an expatriate assignment, a “qualifying event” that allows one to change their enrollment in benefits, and employees are strongly encouraged to move into a health insurance plan that covers healthcare costs outside the U.S.

Coverage under the CIGNA MBA plan is available with no enrollment, no deductible and no co-pays for full-time, benefits-eligible employees, their spouse or same-sex partner and dependent children up to age 26. Employees must have primary coverage through Duke or another insurance provider. Your MBA plan includes:

• Hospital admissions, surgeries, outpatient medical care, and ambulance service for emergency medical treatment 
• Prescription drugs and replacement medicine for lost prescriptions that are medically necessary 
• Medical evacuations in case you require immediate medical attention and adequate facilities are not locally available 
• Personal travel of up to seven days when taken in combination with your business trip 
• Medical care for you and your family members that are traveling with you 

Should something come up, call the number on the CIGNA MBA ID card to reach the customer service team. To learn more please visit: Medical Benefits Abroad | Human Resources (duke.edu)

If you need a certificate of insurance for visa purposes stating this coverage, please contact globaltravel@duke.edu.

International SOS

Duke University has contracted for travel assistance and evacuation services from International SOS. Note: this is the preferred provider when it comes to evacuation or assistance while you’re traveling abroad and covers students as well as faculty and staff of Duke University. There is additional coverage available for employees, offered as part of an insurance package through Human Resources (note: this is the Accident Insurance noted). However, ISOS offers more defined and tailored services for today’s international traveler and has partnered with CIGNA for seamless coverage if you become ill or injured while abroad. The SOS network of multilingual critical care and aero-medical specialists operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year from SOS Alarm Centers around the world.

While you are abroad, you should always attempt to activate University staff as instructed during any travel orientation, if you had one, when you, a staff or student become ill or injured. If you are not able to reach University staff, you should contact ISOS as they will begin to meet your needs immediately as well as notify our on-call staff in the United States. Please be aware that some of the services outlined below which SOS provides have additional charges. Should you activate a service that has an additional charge, you authorize Duke University to bill you for this charge once we have been informed of the actual amount by ISOS. Please know that such charges may not be billed until after you have returned from your time abroad.

Services:

• Emergency evacuation (fees may apply)
• Medically-supervised repatriation
• Companion ticket
• Additional travel & accommodation arrangements after medical evacuation (fees may apply)
• Repatriation of mortal remains
• Return home of minor children
• Medical monitoring
• Inpatient admission & ID of receiving physician
• Emergency & routine medical advice
• Medical & dental referrals
• Outpatient referrals
• Outpatient case management
• Claims assistance
• Outpatient medical expense guarantee & payment (Fees will apply.)
• Inpatient medical expense guarantee, cost review & payment (Fees will apply.)
• Dispatch of medication & medical supplies (Fees will apply.)
• Legal referrals
• Emergency message transmission
• Translations & interpreters (Fees may apply.)
• Lost document advice
• Ground transportation & accommodations for accompanying family members (Fees may apply.)
• Emergency personal cash advances (Fees will apply.)
• International SOS Clinics
• Security Services
• Security evacuation assistance
• Online travel security information
• Access to security crisis center

If you have any questions about ISOS, please contact the Office of Corporate Risk Management, email: corprisk@duke.edu; online at https://finance.duke.edu/insurance/travel/sos

Travel Documentation Support

In an effort to ensure Duke faculty, staff and their accompanying dependents enter their non-U.S. host country under the correct visa category, the Office of Global Administrative and Travel Support provides assistance with travel documentation such as passports, visas and residency/work permits. As soon as you become aware of your international trip or assignment, please contact globaltravel@duke.edu for assistance.

Resources for Teaching/Research Abroad

Through the University-wide Global Administrative Support Initiative, a myriad of policies, procedures and resources have been collected and created that support teaching and research abroad. From support in renewing your passport or securing the right entry visa and free WIFI in over 100 countries via Duke’s partnership with Eduroam, to tips on what to pack or how to alert someone of your food allergy in different settings: you can find this and more that will help you travel, teach, live and work abroad at https://global.duke.edu/admin/ or email globaltravel@duke.edu for pre-travel orientation materials specific to your destination.

Duke’s Global Travel Policy

All faculty traveling abroad with students should be aware of the Duke University Global Travel Policy which applies to all travel outside the United States that is done with University “support.” As defined in the policy, “Duke Support” means financial and logistical support, academic approval, granting of credit for activity or work completed based on the travel, mentorship or any kind of material role for Duke in the travel. The policy mandates that ALL travelers – including Faculty and Staff - register their travel and emergency contact details at https://travel.duke.edu/registry when traveling abroad for Duke. The Registry is how we locate travelers following a natural or manmade disaster that occurs internationally. The Restricted Regions List (https://travel.duke.edu/restricted-regions-list), the Travel Registry and the Global Travel Advisory Committee (GTAC) were all implemented as part of the Global Travel Policy. GTAC members represent all schools (deans propose members to the provost for appointment and they serve a two-year term, renewable upon mutual agreement) and major units that fund, organize or sponsor travel abroad (e.g., GEO and DukeEngage). If an undergraduate student wishes to travel to an area on Duke’s RRL they must first petition the provost for a waiver of the University restriction. It is the responsibility of the faculty member traveling with the student or overseeing their activity, to ensure that the student has adhered to the policy, receiving a waiver for travel and that they have registered their trip prior to leaving the U.S. Graduate and Professional students wishing to visit a destination on Duke’s RRL are allowed to do so, only after they have signed a ‘High Risk Travel Waiver/Release Form’ acknowledging they are aware that Duke has restricted the destination because it is deemed ‘high risk’ for travelers and they understand Duke and it’s providers may be limited or unable to aide them while they are in the destination should they have an emergency.

Faculty should be aware that Duke’s RRL supersedes the U.S. State Department Travel Warnings and Alerts whereas the State Department may advise against travel, Duke may not hold that same opinion and travel may be allowed. Also, U.S. Sanctions and Embargoes are embedded in the RRL and if a destination is marked to be cleared by Export Controls prior to travel, faculty should contact the Office of Export Controls (https://export.duke.edu/) here at Duke prior to making their travel plans.   For more information on the  or to request a review of a destination by the Global Travel Advisory Committee, please visit https://travel.duke.edu/or email globaltravel@duke.edu.

Travel Orientation

If you would like to request an orientation for your department, office or class regarding travel, introduction to the benefits that cover Duke travelers and information on your planned destination and what to do in the event of an emergency abroad, please email globaltravel@duke.edu.Through the University-wide Global Administrative Support Initiative, a myriad of policies, procedures and resources have been collected and created that support teaching and research abroad. From free WIFI in over 100 countries via Duke’s partnership with eduroam, to tips on what to pack or how to open a bank account in a non-U.S. country so that you can conduct research: you can find this and more that will help you travel, teach, live and work abroad at https://global.duke.edu/admin or email globaltravel@duke.edu

Accident Insurance (domestic and international)

It is the policy of the university to provide travel accident insurance for its faculty and staff employees to afford them financial protection while they are traveling on university business, whether domestically or internationally.

Eligibility

All officers of the university and its professional and administrative staff members are covered by this policy.

Coverage

Coverage is provided for eligible employees in an amount of up to $200,000 in the event of injuries that result in death, dismemberment, or loss of sight, and for up to $5,000 for related medical expenses, provided the injuries sustained

• occur while the employee is traveling on university business;
• are in consequence of and occur during the course of the trip, the destination of which requires the employee to travel outside the city in which they are regularly employed or in which they live;
• occur while riding, including boarding or alighting from, a vehicle designed for the transportation of passengers, while on business of the university and in the city of employment;
• occur while riding as a passenger in or acting as a pilot of an aircraft that is operated by an employee of the university who has logged not less than one hundred hours as pilot in command and has obtained written approval from a university officer to pilot said aircraft, while on university business and not engaged in transportation of passengers for hire.

For this purpose, university business is used to mean an assignment by or with the authorization of the university for the purpose of furthering the business of the university or a trip made by invitation of another institution or person because of the position held by the employee with the university.

Coverage is not provided

• while the employee is on vacation, leave of absence (except sabbatical), or commuting between their residence and their place of employ; or
• for any loss resulting from suicide, disease or medical/surgical treatment thereof, declared or undeclared war, racing, endurance tests, or participation in any speed or performance contest.

Effective Duration of Coverage

The policy is effective for the duration of any period of covered travel commencing when the employee leaves their residence or place of employment, whichever occurs last, and ending upon their return to their residence or place of employment, whichever occurs first. For this purpose, any loss that occurs within one hundred days after the date of accident from injuries sustained during a covered accident shall be deemed to have occurred during the effective duration of coverage.

Contributions

No contribution or application for coverage is required from any employee. Coverage is automatic and the university pays in full all premiums and administrative costs of the program.

This program will obviate the necessity for individuals to take out personal accident insurance for each trip, and expenses for flight insurance are not reimbursable.

Personal Property

The university provides insurance on the business property personally owned by faculty members and professional employees while within the premises of Duke University.

Excluded from coverage are rare books, manuscripts, bills, currency, deeds, notes and securities, jewelry, furs, clothing, and other personal effects covered by homeowner's policy and not related to employment.

This policy is on an all-risks basis subject to customary policy exclusions including wear and tear, mechanical breakdown, nuclear reaction, and others.

The maximum limit of liability per person is $15,000. Each claim will be adjusted on the actual cash value (replacement cost less depreciation) at the time of loss less $250 deductible per claim.

No contribution or application for coverage is required from any employee. Coverage is automatic and the university pays in full all premiums and administrative costs of the program.

A copy of the policy is available for review in the Office of Corporate Risk Management, American Tobacco Campus, Washington Building, Ste 1000.

Coverage for lost or stolen personal items may also be covered if it occurred while traveling on a trip that you purchased using a Duke University issued procurement card from Bank of America. Consult your Card Member agreement for details on the insurance that is provided by Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

In the May 2023 revision, Appendix U became Appendix H.