It can be stressful for students to manage their healthcare needs, including the need to maintain their medication regimen while traveling. Unfortunately, foregoing medications when traveling for things like a study abroad program or returning home between breaks is a common reality.
Here, we uncover what a travel override is and how Wellfleet can help ensure students have the medications they need while they’re traveling.
What is a travel override?
A travel override, also known as a prescription override for travel, is a request to fill a prescription prior to one’s next eligible fill date, or to receive a supply greater than their plan’s limit, due to upcoming international travel.
Who is eligible for a travel override?
Members traveling outside the country, who have an active student health insurance plan during the months of travel, are eligible for a travel override.
However, members traveling within the U.S. are generally not eligible for a travel override. This is due to the ease with which medicines may be moved to an in-network pharmacy in the location they are going.
To ensure there is no interruption, it’s a good idea for students traveling domestically to contact a pharmacy near their travel destination to ensure they are in-network and that the prescription can be transferred.
It’s important to note that controlled substances may be eligible for travel overrides within the United States; however, state-specific limitations will apply.
Ensure medications are legal in the host country before traveling abroad
Students should also be aware of whether their medication is permitted in the country they are traveling to. If they have medications that are illegal in that country (even when acquired lawfully in the United States) the medications may be confiscated, and the student could be jailed or deported.1
So, before traveling overseas, students should always check with the embassy of the host country to find out if the medication is legal, how much they can carry, and what paperwork may be needed, like a prescription or physician’s note.
When should a travel override be requested?
It’s best to start the travel override request process five to ten days prior to the expected travel date. This is because an override may not be necessary as most prescriptions may be refilled after 75 percent has been used.
It’s always best for students to contact Wellfleet Rx to find out when their prescription is eligible for a refill and if the travel override is the best option.
While it’s nice to have additional medication for the unforeseen, students are typically only allowed the amount of medication needed for each day of travel. Further, the supply can only be provided during the period when their coverage is active.
When contacting Wellfleet, students will need some basic information to get started with the request, including:
- Travel dates and destination
- Medication name(s) and dosage
- The quantity and days’ supply needed
With this information, Wellfleet Rx can quickly validate and approve the request. In fact, 99.6 percent of travel override requests are completed within one business day, and 87 percent are approved the same day.2
For more information on how students can request a travel override, contact customer service at 877-640-7940.
While the cost of prescriptions can be challenging for some, find out how Wellfleet Rx plans can help students receive financial assistance to reduce the cost of their specialty medications.
Resources
1 CDC. (N.D.). Traveling abroad with medicine. Retrieved on November 7, 2022, from https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/travel-abroad-with-medicine.
2 Wellfleet (2022). Travel override outcomes 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2022. Unpublished company document.
