Obtaining Prescriptions
Obtaining a large amount of medicine before you go to another country can be one of the most difficult things to prepare. If you plan to stay in another country for less than 3 months, you won't have to worry. Depending on your prescriptions, most insurance companies will allow you to pick up a maximum supply of 90 days from your pharmacy. In this guide, I've created three plans in which you can follow to ensure that you obtain all your medicine. All though they are three different plans, I suggest that you do all of them.
Ensuring Success
Plan A - Vacation Override
1. Contact your insurance carrier and see if they allow a vacation override for your prescriptions. If so, request from your carrier the number in which your doctor can fax a vacation override.
2. Write a vacation override letter for your doctor. The letter must include the following:
a. Study Abroad Information
- University Name
- Duration
- Starting Date
- Ending Date
b. Personal Information
- Patient's Circumstances (e.g. Asthma)
- Reason for use of prescriptions
c. Prescription Information
- Prescription Names
- Quantity of Prescriptions
d. Doctor's contact information
See Vacation Override Sample.
3. Write a letter to your doctor with directions on how to complete your vacation override. Be sure to have your doctor include their signature and their clinic's header and footer. See Doctor Letter Sample.
4. Schedule an appointment with your doctor. Give the two letters to your doctor and let them know that you would like to request a vacation override for your prescriptions. If your doctor approves of the vacation override, give them the Vacation Override Letter and the Doctor Letter, and have them notify you when they fax the vacation override to your insurance carrier.
5. Contact your pharmacy and inform them that your doctor will be requesting a vacation override.
6. After your doctor notifies you that they faxed your insurance carrier, allow at least 24 hours to pass, and then contact your insurance carrier to confirm whether the vacation override was approved or not. The time it takes to approve or disapprove your vacation override varies with each insurance carrier.
2. Write a vacation override letter for your doctor. The letter must include the following:
a. Study Abroad Information
- University Name
- Duration
- Starting Date
- Ending Date
b. Personal Information
- Patient's Circumstances (e.g. Asthma)
- Reason for use of prescriptions
c. Prescription Information
- Prescription Names
- Quantity of Prescriptions
d. Doctor's contact information
See Vacation Override Sample.
3. Write a letter to your doctor with directions on how to complete your vacation override. Be sure to have your doctor include their signature and their clinic's header and footer. See Doctor Letter Sample.
4. Schedule an appointment with your doctor. Give the two letters to your doctor and let them know that you would like to request a vacation override for your prescriptions. If your doctor approves of the vacation override, give them the Vacation Override Letter and the Doctor Letter, and have them notify you when they fax the vacation override to your insurance carrier.
5. Contact your pharmacy and inform them that your doctor will be requesting a vacation override.
6. After your doctor notifies you that they faxed your insurance carrier, allow at least 24 hours to pass, and then contact your insurance carrier to confirm whether the vacation override was approved or not. The time it takes to approve or disapprove your vacation override varies with each insurance carrier.
Vacation Override Approved
If your vacation override was approved, contact your pharmacy to confirm when your prescriptions will be ready to pick up. When it's ready, pick 'em up!
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Vacation Override Disapproved
If your vacation override was disapproved, contact your pharmacy and request a 90 day vacation override for your prescriptions. You can only do one vacation override for every month, and up to two vacation overrides for every 180 days.
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Plan B - Medical Insurance Claim Forms
1. Print out the claims form for your insurance carrier.
2. Print out the international claim forms for your insurance carrier.
3. Translate both claim forms into the language of the country you plan to study abroad, and print a copy of the translations on a separate paper. The doctors, pharmacist, and nurses who give you examinations, administer your medicines, and sell you your prescriptions must fill out the claims forms. A translation of the document will be useful in cases where they don't speak or read English.
4. Make at least 10 copies of each claim form and translation.
5. Bring a copy of each claims form and translation whenever you go to the doctor or the pharmacy to purchase your prescriptions. After the transaction, have the doctor, nurse, or pharmacist fill out both claims forms.
6. Mail the claims forms to the addresses indicated on them. You must submit claims within 1 year of date of purchase or as required by your insurance plan.
2. Print out the international claim forms for your insurance carrier.
3. Translate both claim forms into the language of the country you plan to study abroad, and print a copy of the translations on a separate paper. The doctors, pharmacist, and nurses who give you examinations, administer your medicines, and sell you your prescriptions must fill out the claims forms. A translation of the document will be useful in cases where they don't speak or read English.
4. Make at least 10 copies of each claim form and translation.
5. Bring a copy of each claims form and translation whenever you go to the doctor or the pharmacy to purchase your prescriptions. After the transaction, have the doctor, nurse, or pharmacist fill out both claims forms.
6. Mail the claims forms to the addresses indicated on them. You must submit claims within 1 year of date of purchase or as required by your insurance plan.
Plan C - Find a Doctor
1. Contact your insurance carrier to see if they have any affiliated doctors, clinics, or hospitals in the country you plan to study abroad.
2. Schedule an appointment with a doctor.
2. Schedule an appointment with a doctor.
Overcoming a Problem
Problem: I didn't get enough prescriptions to from my vacation override.
- Initiate Plan B and Plan C.
- Initiate Plan B and Plan C.
Problem: I couldn't find a doctor and I didn't receive enough prescriptions from my vacation override.
- Initiate Plan B.
- Initiate Plan B.