HEALTH CLEARANCE INFORMATION FOR EAP PARTICIPANTS

• ALL students are required to obtain a Health Clearance in order to study abroad on EAP. The hard copy instructions and forms will be given to you when you pick up your EAP Packet from CIE. It is your responsibility to complete this process by the deadline specified on your EAP Packet instructions.

• Since the health clearance can be a lengthy process, do NOT wait until the last minute to schedule your physician appointment(s) and do NOT wait until your clearance is complete to return your other EAP Packet forms to UOEAP. Read more about the Health Clearance on the EAP web site.

• All EAP students are automatically enrolled in the mandatory EAP health insurance plan (PDF). Carefully read about your coverage - including the dates of coverage and insurance extension options.

• UCI requires that all undergraduate students have continuous health insurance coverage. For the term(s) you are abroad on EAP, you are covered by the EAP insurance, NOT the UCI Undergraduate Health Insurance Plan (USHIP) or Graduate Health Insurance Plan (GSHIP).

• If you typically waive out of the USHIP insurance, do NOT apply for a USHIP waiver for the term(s) you are on EAP. If you are leaving on EAP mid-year and applied for a USHIP waiver at the beginning of the year, please tell the USHIP office which term(s) you will be abroad on EAP. Since, you do not have USHIP while you are on EAP, there is no need to waive out of it for those term(s). You will need to reapply for your USHIP waiver for the term you will return to UCI.

GAPS IN INSURANCE COVERAGE - CRITICAL INFORMATION

• You MUST determine if you will have any gaps in insurance coverage in between your USHIP and EAP insurance coverage dates. If you do have any gaps in coverage:
  • After your program and you do not have private health insurance to cover this gap, we STRONGLY encourage you to purchase the EAP GAP Insurance.  More information and necessary forms are in your EAP Forms and Packet Information and/or will be e-mailed to you from the Universitywide Office of EAP (UOEAP).
  • Before your program and you do not have private health insurance to cover this gap, we STRONGLY encourage you to purchase some kind of short-term insurance to cover you during this gap. Note that if you will be traveling abroad during this gap before your program, you can extend the EAP insurance for up to three months prior.

  Here are details that will help you determine if you have a gap in insurance coverage before or after your program:

EAP Insurance: The EAP Insurance begins 14 days before the program departure date (whether you are in the U.S. or abroad) and terminates 31 days after the end of the program or upon return to the United States, whichever occurs first. Coverage will extend to the United States only for brief visits during the study term of no longer than 45 days. Students who will be traveling abroad can extend this EAP insurance for up to three months before or after the program.

USHIP Insurance: The dates of coverage for the 2008-2009 academic year are posted on the USHIP web site and are as follows:

• Example of a GAP in Insurance Coverage: You are abroad on EAP for the academic year and have the EAP Insurance instead of USHIP. If you return to the US on July 1st, you will NOT be covered by the EAP Insurance, and NOT be covered by USHIP until the first day of fall on September 21. This is a GAP in insurance coverage. If you do not have private health insurance to cover this GAP, you must purchase the EAP GAP Insurance. More information and necessary forms are in your EAP Forms and Packet Information.

• NOTE to SUMMER-ONLY Participants: All registered undergraduate students who paid full-time student fees, attended UCI, and had USHIP in spring quarter do NOT have a GAP in coverage in the summer. As noted above, the spring USHIP insurance does not terminate until the first day of fall quarter. Even though you will have the EAP insurance while on EAP, USHIP will cover you when you return to the US during the summer until the first day of fall. You will need to submit the EAP GAP Insurance Waiver form, located in your EAP Forms and Packet Information.

• NOTE to ALL Students: The GAP Insurance only covers you AFTER returning from EAP - it does not cover you before the start of EAP. Therefore, there may be a GAP in coverage before your program begins. Example: You are enrolled at UCI in Fall and depart on EAP on February 1st. You WILL have a GAP in insurance coverage from January 2 until January 17 (14 days before the start date of the EAP program). Since students in this situation cannot purchase the EAP GAP Insurance, if you do not have private insurance, we STRONGLY encourage you to purchase some kind of short-term insurance to cover you during this gap.

Make sure you are not left without health insurance at any time!!