Dear Host Parents, MEDICAL INFORMATION
Welcome to the AFS Family! There may come a time when you need to take your hosted student to visit the doctor, hospital or fill a prescription. In order to make this process as smooth as possible, this letter serves as a simplified version of the required process as described fully in your Host Family Handbook. Two things to keep in mind are:
a) You do not pay for doctor visits or prescriptions: it is covered by the AFS Medical Plan as administered by Global Benefits, Inc. b) You may take your student to the primary doctor of your choice.
This process is easy when compared to the process you find when you take yourself to the doctor (i.e. paying a co-pay, giving your social security number, insurance company policy number, and letting the doctor and insurance company figure out the payment process).
When you take your student to the doctor or hospital, give the doctor your student’s full information and the insurance provider’s information. No co-pay or deductible is required.
· The student information is their full name (as given to AFS), medical ID number (also called their F number), and medical group name (#401 AFS). Think of the F number as an “AFS social security number,” since this number is used by our insurance company to track all student claims. The F number is located on your student’s medical ID card, which was given to your student at his/her arrival orientation. It can also be found on AFS On-line (accessible by local AFS volunteers), or you can request the number by calling your local AFS regional office.
· The insurance administrator’s information is their full name (Global Benefits, Inc.), address, and phone number). This information can be found on the back of your student’s AFS ID card.
When filling a prescription for your student, you’ll initially be asked to pay for the medicine, and then will need to request reimbursement by Global Benefits. The reason for this process is that your pharmacist cannot bill Global Benefits directly.
Save the original prescription receipt (not just your credit card receipt), providing a small description of what the medicine is for.
Fill out the provided Medical Claim Form; found in the Host Family Handbook (your local volunteer can download this form on AFS Online also).
Mail both items to Global Benefits, Inc.
Of course, certain medical procedures are not covered by Global Benefits, such as treatment for pre-existing medical conditions (i.e. previous sports injuries), routine dental procedures, vision care (neither contacts nor glasses are covered) and routine medical exams. Should your student need to visit a doctor, where the visit is not covered by Global Benefits, his/her natural parents will need to pay the bill, and then seek reimbursement from their own medical insurance in their home country. It is helpful to find out the cost of the visit in advance, so that the natural parents can send your student money to cover the visit and then your student can pay at the time of the appointment or soon after.
If you have questions, you can either call Global Benefits directly, or you can call your Regional Support Coordinator/Manager, located in your regional AFS office. If you find that a doctor’s office will not agree to bill Global Benefits, and asks you to pay for an office visit, request that the doctor’s office call Global Benefits directly to affirm your student’s coverage. If you receive a medical bill at your home, do not pay the bill, but instead call the doctor’s office and request that they re-send the bill to Global Benefits, and provide Global Benefit’s contact information. Due to HIPPA laws, Global Benefits cannot pay any bills not addressed to them, making this step very important.
Please feel free to call your regional office with questions or concerns.
Best regards,
Lindsay, Sara, Catherine and Barbara
Central States Support
2356 University Ave. W.
Suite 424
St. Paul, MN 55114
1.800.876.2377
Information needed when going to doctor or the hospital:
Student Information:
§ Subscriber’s name: Student’s full name (As given to AFS)
§ Medical Group Name: AFS Intercultural Programs (#401 AFS)
§ Medical Policy Number: F number on student medical card (ex. F 20306159)
Insurance Information:
§ Provider’s name: Global Benefits Inc.
§ Provider’s address: 1030 15th Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 20005
§ Provider’s phone number: 1-800.633.1860
§ 100% of usual and customary coverage, effective when student arrives
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find my student’s Id number (F number): On your student’s application, on his/her Medical ID Card, AFS On-line (accessible by your local volunteer), or call the Central States Regional Office to request a staff member look it up.
? Are sports physicals relating to school covered: No, it is the student’s responsibility to pay for such a visit if the student chooses to play a sport.
? What doctor can I take my student to: You may go to the primary doctor of your choice.
What is NOT covered by Global Benefits
§ Any Pre-Existing Medical Conditions
§ Routine Vision Care
§ Dental Care (unless an injury to teeth or an accident occurs)
§ Physicals / Examinations
§ Vaccinations / Inoculations
§ Psychological Counseling (unless approved in advance by your Regional Office)
Again, please feel free to contact Global Benefits directly at 1-800.633.1860, between normal business hours of 9:00am – 4:30pm Monday through Friday, or the Support Coordinator in your Regional AFS Office at 1-800.876.2377 with any questions.
Thank you for all you do for AFS!
If your student needs to see a doctor, please bring the student's ID card to the appointment. The ID card has the student's ID number and the insurance billing information for Global Benefits. Please be sure the doctor knows to submit the bill to Global Benefits and does not send the bill to AFS. Sending the bill to AFS will delay payment.
Please note that pre-existing conditions, vision, dental, and routine physicals are not covered. For more information, please see the AFS Participant Medical Plan in the Resources section.
AFS does not need to be notified of doctor's visits for minor illnesses.