Erika Insurance
Every Cultural Care au pair arrives to the U.S. with basic insurance coverage through Erika Travel Insurance. The fee for the Basic Insurance is included in the host family’s program fee. For an additional cost, au pairs can purchase optional extended coverage. Erika is affiliated with the Aetna Network, therefore au pairs will get the best coverage when they go to a doctor or hospital in the Aetna Network. Below, we have outlined basic information about both types of coverage. If your host families or au pairs have specific questions, please refer them directly to our claims agents at Aetna Student Health, 1-800-783-7447 or e-mailmailto:erikasvc@chickering.com
Basic Insurance
All au pairs are covered under Erika Travel Insurance. Before departure, each au pair receives a policy booklet, a few claim forms and an ID card with their Cultural Care Au Pair reference number. The policy number on the au pair’s ID card will indicate what type of insurance the au pair carries. For current policy information, a full description of coverage and exclusions and claim forms, you can visit the Erika Insurance Website. Below are the primary features of the basic insurance as of April 2007. Prices and coverage subject to change.
- $95 deductible for non-Aetna providers and $65 deductible for Aetna providers
- $150 deductible for emergency room visits, in addition to the standard deductible (this deductible applies to au pairs who began their program or extension program after January 1, 2008)
- Medical expenses covered up to $50,000
- Home repatriation up to $7,500
- Please note there is no dental coverage with basic insurance
Extended Insurance
Extended Insurance is an optional insurance plan offered through Erika Travel Insurance for all au pair participants. Each au pair who purchases this plan is given 12 months of comprehensive coverage, from the date s/he arrives to the U.S. until her/his last legal date of work. Au pairs are able to purchase this insurance plan before they depart for the U.S. Below are the primary features of the extended insurance:
- $95 deductible for non-Aetna providers and $35 deductible for Aetna providers
- $50 deductible for emergency room visits, in addition to the standard deductible (This deductible applies to au pairs who began their program or extension program after January 1, 2008)
- Unlimited medical coverage
- Coverage for baggage or property loss
- Coverage for delays and program interruption
- Coverage for legal costs
- Dental expenses covered up to $200
We highly recommend to all au pairs remaining in the U.S. during the 30 day grace period that follows the completion of their program that they purchase the additional month insurance. An au pair who does not purchase the additional month insurance may not be insured for illness, accidents or losses incurred during the 30 day grace period. To purchase this insurance, an au pair should send in a check or a money order for $125 to the Cultural Care Au Pair Operations department, including a note with their name stating that the check is for the additional month. The additional month insurance can be purchased until up to two weeks prior to the end of the au pair’s program.
Extension Year Insurance
All extension au pairs have basic insurance coverage. For an additional cost, au pairs can purchase optional extended coverage. This coverage needs to be purchased before the extension year starts. The price when buying the extended insurance in the USA is:
- 12 month extension $475
- 9 month extension $370
- 6 month extension $250
To purchase this insurance, an au pair should call the Operations department at 1-800-448-5753 with debit or credit card information, or send in a check or a money order made payable to Cultural Care Au Pair to:
Cultural Care Au Pair
Attn: Operations
One Education Street
Cambridge, MA 02141
How to Find a Doctor in the Aetna Network
It is recommended that au pairs go to a doctor or hospital within the Aetna Network for treatment. While au pairs are not insured by Aetna, Erika has a partnership that allows au pairs to receive better coverage for medical services performed by an Aetna doctor or hospital.
To find a doctor or facility in the Aetna Network, au pairs can search athttp://www.aetna.com/docfind/erika
1. Click on “Enter Docfind” to access the Aetna Provider Directory Page.
2. Fill in “Geographic Information” either by clicking on zip code, city or county.
3. Choose “Provider Category”. The options are “Medical Providers”, “Behavioral Health”, “Hospitals/Institutes of Excellence” or “Facilities (such as lab, walk in clinic, x-ray)”. If you need to see a doctor, select “Medical Providers”.
4. The next step is to choose “Provider Type”. In most cases, you would select “Primary Care Physicians”.
5. The last step of your search is to select a “Plan”. Click on “Open Choice PPO”.
6. Click on “Start Search” for a list of doctors in your area.
How to File a Claim
Certain costs, such as prescriptions covered under the policy, must be paid for up front and will be reimbursed by Erika Insurance. If an au pair needs to file a claim for medical services or any other covered expenses, s/he should fill out a claim form and submit it, along with all receipts, to Aetna Student Health, P.O Box 15719, Boston, MA 02215-1201.
What to Do in the Event of a Serious Accident or Illness
Cultural Care Au Pair and the ERIKA Travel Insurance Company partner with two assistance companies for serious situations.
Inter Partner Assistance:
- Based in Munich, Germany (24 hour emergency assistance team for German, Austrian, Polish, French, Czech, Hungarian and Swiss au pairs)
- Toll free from the U.S. 800-847-3948
- Email: medizin@inter-partner.de
Europ Assistance:
- Based in Stockholm (24 hour emergency assistance team for all other nationalities)
- Toll free from the U.S. 800-871-9211
- Email: assistance@europ-assistance.se
The proper assistance company should be notified prior to surgery or hospitalization of an au pair or as soon as possible after a serious injury, illness, or accident occurs:
Responsibilities of the assistance company:
Evaluate a patient’s condition – Because we are not medical professionals, we rely on the assistance companies to determine the best treatment for the au pair. The assistance company has a doctor who will communicate with the American doctor(s) in order to determine if repatriation is necessary. They also determine if an au pair will need a medical escort and if so, they will arrange for the medical escort.
Responsibilities of Cultural Care Au Pair in case of emergency:
A representative from Cultural Care Au Pair must contact Europ Assistance or Inter Partner Assistance in the following cases:
- If an au pair is seriously ill and/or is hospitalized
- If an au pair is in need of surgery
- If an au pair has (or is suspected of having) an eating disorder or a psychological disorder
- If an au pair needs to interrupt the program for medical reasons or due to illness of a family member
If an au pair needs to return home due to a medical reason or due to illness of a family member, Cultural Care must receive medical approval from the assistance company before the au pair can travel home. In order to ensure that the au pair is capable of traveling, Cultural Care relies upon the medical recommendation of the assistance company. Cultural Care can never issue tickets for sick au pairs unless the assistance company is involved and approves the flight.
During business hours, please contact your Program Director. After business hours, you can call the toll free number and leave a message for the on-call staff. When calling Cultural Care with this type of emergency, please have the following information available:
- Au pair’s first and last name
- Au pair’s reference number
- Name and phone number of host family
- Name and phone number of doctor/hospital
- Natural family phone number
- Brief description of diagnosis (if known) or medical situation
Effective January 2008: New ER Deductibles
Effective January 1, 2008, Erika Insurance increased the deductible for out-patient emergency room visits. The new deductibles are $50 for Extended Insurance holders and $150 for Basic Insurance holders. These deductibles are in addition to the standard deductibles of $65 (basic policy) and $35 (extended policy) for in network visits or $95 for out of network visits. For example, an au pair with Basic Insurance who visits an Aetna hospital emergency room will pay a $215 deductible: $65 for the standard deductible plus the $150 emergency room deductible.
This emergency room deductible applies to all au pairs who arrived to the U.S. or started their extension program after January 1, 2008. All au pairs who arrived or started their extension program prior to January 1, 2008 are not subject to these additional deductibles.
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