Since students are not normally residents or citizens of Spain, they are not eligible for national health insurance coverage there. Therefore, VWM participants are required to have medical insurance coverage from the US while studying in Spain. In order to encourage students to address any health concerns immediately, the program pays for local private insurance through a Spanish company called Asisa. This covers routine consultations, emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Wesleyan and Vassar also provide different international medical and travel insurance policies linked to students’ American medical insurance coverage (the Wesleyan service is International SOS, the Vassar service is GeoBlue). These policies also cover major medical needs in Spain, including emergency room visits, although as a rule they require you to pay up-front and be reimbursed later. Bear in mind that even major medical procedures in Spain cost a tiny fraction of what they would in the US, even without reimbursement. Pre-authorization rules for SOS and GeoBlue can be arcane and program staff are not authorized to make these calls for students. Therefore, it is crucial program participants inform themselves fully about the nuts-and-bolts of each university’s international insurance coverage here and through their respective study abroad offices. Program participants should carefully review all descriptions of their college’s international coverage, instructions for pre-authorization (students might well need to pay up-front and seek a reimbursement later, contingent on pre-authorization), and forms for reporting claims.
One key pre-departure step is to PRINT OUT and CARRY ON YOU AT ALL TIMES the Vassar and Wesleyan international insurance cards. This provides international contact information and your group or individual membership number. You should keep a photocopy of this stored in a safe place wherever you call home during the semester, whether during the Santiago or Granada orientation or in your Madrid homestay.
You should also be sure you have the relevant contact information, pre-authorization, and claims instructions readily available to you in both printed form while you are in Spain and digitally, stored and/or easily accessible to you in the event of a sudden emergency on more than one of your devices. Emergencies are rare but when they happen it might well be late at night and program staff might be in another part of the city. The program staff will answer any questions about Asisa and will help you find your away to the right health care in Spain (general or specialized, emergency or not). However, any questions you have about your college´s international medical coverage should be addressed directly to your respective study abroad offices, since (again) program staff are not authorized to make calls for you to your college´s international provider.
Well before departure, read carefully the detailed information on the Health and Safety page on your college’s international insurance service, our local medical insurance in Spain, student medications, and students with special health needs. The Vassar and Wesleyan study abroad offices will update and/or link the most current pre-authorization instructions and coverage at that link. For more information, contact Vassar’s Office of International Programs or Wesleyan’s Office of Study Abroad.
Vassar-Wesleyan Program in Madrid 