Duke’s top priority is the health, safety, and security of the university community. To help Duke address unexpected situations that may impact students, faculty, and/or staff abroad, Duke has contracted with a travel assistance company called International SOS (ISOS). 

ISOS provides emergency assistance and other services for all students, faculty, and staff going abroad for Duke-affiliated or -sponsored (including Duke Immerse) programs. ISOS also covers accompanying dependents who are traveling with an eligible employee or student. These services range from 24/7 telephone advice, to medical referrals, to full-scale medical evacuation by air ambulance. For more information about the services provided by ISOS, please see the following webpage: 

https://travel.duke.edu/isos-cigna 

University travelers can access and print an ISOS membership card at the link provided above. 

Please be aware that some of the services provided by ISOS may incur additional charges. See the Duke University Corporate Risk Management website for more information: http://finance.duke.edu/insurance/travel/sos.php 

Should you activate a service that has an additional charge, you authorize Duke to bill you for this charge once we have been informed of the actual amount by ISOS.  Along these lines, please know that such charges may not be billed to you until after you have returned from your time abroad. 

Please note that ISOS does not provide domestic coverage within the United States; a student, faculty, or staff member must be traveling outside of the United States with a Duke program or on official Duke business in order to be eligible to receive services from ISOS. Additionally, travelers who are traveling outside of the United States but to their so-called “home country” – defined as the country currently sponsoring the traveler’s passport – may not be eligible for ISOS services. Any questions about this policy should be directed to Duke Corporate Risk Management at corprisk@duke.edu or 919-684-6226. 

Finally, it is important to understand that, although ISOS offers travelers participating on or administering Duke programs travel advice and medical referrals, International SOS is NOT health insurance. All students studying away on a Duke-run program are required to maintain personal health insurance coverage for the duration of their time abroad. See the “Insurance Requirements for Students” section above for more information about this health insurance requirement for students. Faculty and staff are also required to have health insurance coverage while abroad, and may be covered by the university’s CIGNA Medical Benefits Abroad plan; please see the “Health Insurance for Faculty and Staff” section above for more information.