Overseas Travel Insurance
Our university requires that all students, faculty and staff members who travel overseas for university-related activities such as study abroad, business trips, research activities, and participation in academic conferences, subscribe to overseas travel insurance in preparation for emergencies.
Standards for overseas travel insurance
As a guideline, you should take out overseas travel insurance that provides coverage for "medical and rescue expenses" of 30 million yen or more.
(For students, the "Gakkensai Supplemental Overseas Study Insurance (Supplemental Maritime Insurance)" below meets this requirement.)
| student | In principle, all members must join the "Futai Kaigaku" program. For details, please see the following website. |
| Faculty and Staff | We ask that each person take out insurance that provides compensation for "medical relief expenses" of 30 million yen or more. |
(Reference 1) IR&C Emergency Operation Service
In order to strengthen crisis management support during travel and stay, our university has joined the overseas rescue operation service "Japan IR&C Corporation Anshin Support" provided by Japan IR&C Corporation IR&C Corporation a company specializing in overseas crisis management that has a basic contract with Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and Technology, and the enrollment procedures for each traveler are carried out at the university based on the submission of a "Study Abroad Request" and an "Overseas Travel Notification" for students, and the submission of business trip procedure documents for faculty and staff at each department. (The university also covers the enrollment fee for IR&C Corporation Anshin Support.)
While overseas travel insurance covers medical expenses and other financial costs related to emergency response, IR&C Corporation Emergency Operation Service provides rescue operations in the event of an emergency.
By subscribing to Japan IR&C Corporation 's support service, you can receive support and advice from crisis management professionals, such as a 24-hour emergency contact and consultation service (contact details will be sent to each traveller before departure), safety confirmation and support in cooperation with hospitals, insurance companies, local embassies, and relevant government agencies in the event of an emergency, enabling you to respond quickly and accurately to emergencies and minimize risks overseas.
Please note that the IR&C Corporation Anshin Support Service is not overseas travel insurance, so you will need to purchase your own overseas travel insurance. (Please refer to the required coverage amount mentioned above when selecting the overseas travel insurance you wish to purchase.)
(Reference 2) Why is compensation for “medical relief expenses” required to be more than 30 million yen?
As shown below, medical expenses overseas are a lot higher than in Japan, and must be paid in cash. Therefore, our university recommends that you purchase insurance with a total coverage of at least 30 million yen for medical and rescue expenses when traveling abroad.
<Reference>
| I was struck by sudden stomach pain while in the US. I was diagnosed with appendicitis and was hospitalized (1-3 days) and had surgery. | Medical relief costs: 3 million yen |
| In Canada, he visited a doctor for pain and swelling in his leg. He was diagnosed with septic arthritis and hospitalized. His family rushed to his aid and he was transported to hospital with a nurse. | Medical relief costs: 8.8 million yen |
| He was admitted to hospital in Canada with sudden abdominal pain. He was diagnosed with intestinal obstruction and was transported to hospital by his family, accompanied by a doctor and nurse. | Medical relief costs: 11 million yen |
| The bus I was on in the US flipped over. I broke multiple ribs and my collarbone. Medical expenses and return airfare (economy). | Medical relief costs: 15 million yen |
| He complained of cold and breathing difficulties in the US, was diagnosed with pneumonia and arrhythmia, and was hospitalized for 21 days and underwent surgery. He returned to Japan on a private jet accompanied by a doctor and nurse. | Treatment cost: 25 million yen Transportation cost: 18 million yen |
(Reference 3) Why is credit card insurance insufficient?
Credit card supplemental insurance is an added feature of credit cards. Therefore, please be aware that the total compensation amount for "medical expenses and rescue expenses" is small, and the scope of other compensation is also narrow. Also, please be aware that there are restrictions on crisis management, such as supplemental insurance not being approved unless the travel fare is paid with the credit card in question, and in the event of an accident or illness, only the person in question can report the accident. The following problems have actually occurred when traveling with only credit card supplemental insurance and being affected by a disaster.
- Because we could not have someone else handle the accident reporting and payment procedures, it took a lot of time to secure the necessary medical and rescue costs.
- Treatment could not be started due to lack of guarantee of payment for treatment costs.
- Victims were required to pay large amounts of cash in advance and other expenses.
Even with a premium membership, the coverage is inferior to those of other overseas travel insurance plans. Please note that even with a premium membership, medical expenses and rescue expenses are only about 3 to 4 million yen each.
<Reference> Comparison of coverage provided by credit card insurance and overseas travel insurance
<Reference Case>
Below is a comparison of how much the person had to pay on his/her own and whether support was provided by IR&C in the following cases: a) with overseas travel insurance covering 30 million yen in medical and rescue expenses, b) with only insurance included in a credit card, and c) without overseas travel insurance. In this case, a person was hospitalized due to IR&C Corporation while traveling overseas and medical expenses cost 15 million yen.
If you do not have overseas travel insurance, not only will you have to pay high medical costs yourself, but you may not be able to receive treatment if you cannot pay in cash immediately.
(Reference) Ministry of Foreign Affairs Overseas Safety website
https://www.anzen.mofa.go.jp/c_info/hoken.html