Using the UM-Flint International Student/Scholar Health Insurance (IHI)

This section provides an overview of the UM-Flint International Student/Scholar Health Insurance (IHI) Plan for the current academic year. For complete information, refer to your Insurance Plan Documents.

U-M International Student/Scholar Health Insurance (IHI) ID Card

If you visit the doctor or the hospital, you may be asked to show your insurance card.

Blue Care Network (BCN) will mail your insurance card to you. Your virtual ID card will also be available on the BCN website or through their mobile app as soon as you register for your member account. Search BCBSM in the App Store or in Google Play to download the app.

Registering for your member account: all international students and scholars enrolled in the BCN plan receive an email from donotreply@relationinsurance.com with an insurance ID (enrollee ID). Follow the instructions in that email to create your BCN member account.

If you recently arrived at UM-Flint, your virtual insurance card may not be available on the BCN website until about two weeks after you complete your Orientation.

If the doctor or hospital has questions about your coverage, they can call the insurance company using the phone number on the temporary insurance certificate. If you are not yet in the insurance company’s records, call the U-M Flint CGE Office at (810) 762-0867 or email globalflint@umich.edu for assistance.

Doctor Visits and Hospital Stays

This section provides information needed when you, your spouse, or your child must visit the doctor or hospital, or need to see a specialist.

Doctor Visits

Your Primary Care Physician (PCP)

If You Live In Michigan

Blue Care Network (BCN) the company that administers the International Student/Scholar Plan, will automatically assign you a Primary Care Physician (PCP). Your PCP can help coordinate your health care, but you do not need a referral from your PCP in order to see a specialist. However, you may need authorization from BCN for certain services such as hospitalization, your PCP can contact BCN to obtain this authorization.

• Changing Your PCP: You can change your PCP at any time by logging into your BCN member account or by calling customer service at 1‑800‑287-4103. You can even call customer service from a doctor’s office if you want to change your PCP at that time.

If You Do Not Live In Michigan

If you are a student on Optional Practical Training (OPT), Academic Training (AT), or Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and do not currently live in Michigan, you will not be automatically assigned a PCP and do not need to choose a PCP. Instead, when you need preventive or routine care, or care in case of accident or illness, find a doctor by following the “Find a Doctor” > Outside of Michigan instructions on the BCN website.  

The BCN Network

To save money, always try to go to a doctor or hospital in the BCN network (you can use any other hospital or doctor worldwide outside the BCN Network, but the cost to you will be higher). To find other in-network doctors, hospitals and pharmacies, visit the BCN website and look under Find a Doctor. You can also call 1-800-287-4103.

Doctor/Hospital Bills

If the doctor or hospital is part of the BCN network, the doctor/hospital will usually bill the insurance company directly. If so, either you will not receive a bill at all or you will be billed for the portion of the services that the insurance company does not cover, such as the deductible.

Resources

Refer to your Member Guide to learn more about what your insurance plan covers and how to contact the insurance company.

What's Covered and What's Not

The UM-Flint International Student/Scholar Health Insurance (IHI) covers treatment when you are sick, injured or pregnant, as well as routine and preventive care. Your Insurance Plan Documents have more information about exactly what is and is not covered.

Vision: The plan includes routine eye exams in-network twice per policy year and one office visit for the fitting of prescription contact lenses per policy year.  Glasses and contact lenses are not covered.

Dental: The plan covers routine exams and cleanings twice a year, and also covers emergency pain relief, fillings, and the extraction of impacted wisdom teeth. For additional information and resources, please refer to the Dental Care section.

Your insurance plan also has additional “pediatric dental” and “pediatric vision” for you if you are under age 19 or for your children if you have children under age 19. For details, see your Member Guide.

Preventive care: This plan also covers what we call preventive care. Preventive care includes your annual physical, annual visit to the gynecologist, routine tests or screening, and immunizations. For more information on these benefits, see the “Preventive Services” section of your Member Guide.

Medical evacuation to your home country is covered, as well as repatriation. Medical evacuation occurs when you are too ill to complete your stay at the University of Michigan-Flint, and you must return to your home country. In this case, the medical costs of your return trip will be covered by the insurance company. Repatriation refers to the shipment of your body back to your home country in the event of your death.

The costs of pregnancy and childbirth are covered.

What To Do If You Get A Bill From The Hospital or Doctor

Step 1: If you get something that looks like a hospital bill (or a bill from a doctor) in the mail, make sure that it does not contain the words “insurance pending” or some other indication that the doctor or hospital has submitted the bill to the insurance company. If it does not, then move on to step 2.

Step 2: Call the doctor or hospital and ask them to bill your insurance company. You can give them the information on your insurance card/certificate. If the hospital refuses to send this bill or if it is not possible for them to do it, then move on to step 3.

Step3: Fill out the Blue Care Network Member Reimbursement Form. Fax or mail it following the directions on the form. The form asks to include an "itemized statement." This is either the bill that you received or the statement the doctor’s office or the hospital provided to you if you paid the bill yourself.

If you have already paid for your treatment, the insurance company or the health care provider will then reimburse you for those services covered under your claim. If you have not paid for your treatment, the insurance company will pay the doctor/hospital directly. Be sure to make a copy of what you send to the insurance company in case you have to follow up on the status of your claim.

For prescription drug claims, please refer to the Prescription Drugs section.

Travel Outside the U.S.

If you need medical attention when you are outside of the United States, this policy will cover the costs for those medical expenses, but you may have to pay for treatment when you receive it and submit a claim to the insurance company afterward. When filing a claim for medical treatment received outside the U.S., remember to keep all receipts of any bills paid and make copies of those receipts. You can follow the instructions at What To Do If You Get A Bill From The Hospital or Doctor in order to be reimbursed.

Prescription Drugs

Prescription drugs are covered at 90%. If you purchase the medication at any Blue Care Network (BCN) participating pharmacy, you will only be required to pay 10% at the time you buy your medication.  The Prescription Drugs section of your Member Guide explains your insurance plan's prescription drug coverage.

Simply show your current insurance card or certificate to the pharmacist and they will bill Blue Care Network directly, asking you only for 10 percent of the cost.

You can save money by buying medication from a pharmacy in the BCN network. You can find those pharmacies by clicking here and searching for “pharmacy.”

If you are not able to go to a pharmacy in the BCN network, or if you don’t have your insurance card with you when you buy your medication, you may have to pay first and request to be reimbursed by BCN. To do that, fill out a prescription drug claim form.  The instructions on the form explain what you need to include with the form.

Be sure to make a copy of what you send to the insurance company in case you have to follow up on the status of your claim.

Important Phone Numbers