Insurance

Campus units need to report aircraft charters to Risk Services to ensure insurance coverage. If you are chartering an aircraft, please submit the Air Charter Reporting Form to Risk Services.

Rental Vehicles – Within the United States

Only rent vehicles using UC system-wide rental agreements. Reserve rentals through Connexxus. Negotiated rates for these rental vehicles include the cost of the insurance when traveling for UC business and only within the United States. 

Rental Vehicles – Outside the United States

Only rent vehicles using UC system-wide rental agreements. Reserve rentals through Connexxus. We strongly recommend purchasing both liability and physical damage insurance. Liability insurance is for damage to others property and injuries to others; physical damage is for damage to the rental vehicle.

Mexican Auto Insurance – REQUIRED for vehicle use in Mexico

Mexican law requires the purchase of Mexican Auto Insurance. Mexican Auto Insurance is in addition to any auto insurance already in place. The campus unit using the vehicle in Mexico must purchase Mexican Auto Insurance. 

How to Purchase Mexican Auto Insurance – allow at least 10 business days

• Complete the Request for Mexican Auto Insurance (Download) form. Send the form to propertycasualty@ucsc.edu using Virtru to protect the data.
• UCSC Risk Services sends the approved form to MacAfee & Edwards.
• UCSC Risk Services will prepares an Authorization to Drive in Mexico (Download) letter and forward it to the unit using Virtru.

• MacAfee & Edwards prepares the insurance policy and forwards the insurance policy and the invoice to the unit.
• The unit pays the invoice. Remit payment directly to MacAfee & Edwards; acceptable methods of payment include the Travel Card, a personal credit card (to be reimbursed) or by Direct Payment (follow the link and look under “Payments & Reimbursements” for the Direct Payment form). 
• Employees must carry the Mexican Auto Insurance Policy and the Authorization to Drive UC Vehicle in Mexico letter in the vehicle while traveling in Mexico. Also carry proof of registration for all vehicles, trailers and boats. Fleet Services can provide duplicate proof of registration if needed.

• To have insurance coverage for UC owned boats or boats on loan to UC, you must request coverage prior to the accident or loss. Use the Boat Insurance Request (Download) to request coverage.
• Historically, this program covers damage to boats/vessels, trailers (when used to transport boats or when stored for that purpose), and engines.
• Units do not pay a premium for insurance for smaller boats. Premium is charged for major vessels.

Charterers Legal Liability Insurance provides liability coverage when the university charters a non-owned boat. The campus must provide report charters to the insurance company to have coverage. 

If you are undertaking a boat charter, please submit the Boat Charter Questionnaire to Risk Services as soon as possible. There are insurance policy exclusions related to geographical areas and other factors that affect coverage that we need to be aware of in advance of the charter.

Risk Services requests advance notice of all boat charters. To have insurance coverage, the campus must submit timely report of the charters quarterly.

To report a boat charter, complete the Boat Charter Reporting Form (Download).

Campus units offering day or overnight programs should consider purchasing campers insurance. Campers insurance typically includes accident medical expense benefits for covered accidents. Additional coverage for eligible expenses resulting directly from a participant’s emergency illness may also be purchased. (UC employees are not ‘participants’ for Campers insurance.)

How to Purchase Campers Insurance

• Go to CampusConnexions for instructions about purchasing Campers Insurance. Contact information is on the CampusConnexions website if you need assistance.
• Payment for the insurance is made by check. Start by submitting a CruzBuy Purchase Requisition and include the policy number and code on the purchase requisition.

To have insurance, the drone must be registered; additionally, each drone flight must be registered. If the drone and the flight are not registered, then there is no insurance coverage. Use the UC Drones Web App for registration. Drones with values greater than $25,000 can be endorsed to the policy; otherwise, insurance coverage is limited to $25,000 for the drone. Contact uassafety@ucmerced.edu for assistance.

Art must be scheduled with Risk Services prior to a loss to be insured under this policy.

Coverage under the Fine Arts Insurance Policy is subject to reporting. Each unit is responsible for notifying Risk Services of any changes. Risk Services recommends that art be insured under this policy.

How to Get Fine Arts Insurance – Art Owned by the University

• Submit the Fine Art Insurance Request (Download) to propertycasualty@ucsc.edu.

How to Get Fine Arts Insurance – Art Loaned to the University

• The university will only provide insurance for art loaned to the university if there is an agreement in writing prior to any loss that requires university to insure the art. Risk Services developed the Art Exhibition and Loan Agreement (Download) for use with the Itemized Schedule of Art for Exhibition (Download). The unit receiving the artwork on loan is responsible for determining if the template agreement is sufficient. If a unit develops a unique agreement, or if a unit is working from the other party’s agreement, then Risk Services should the agreement.
• Submit a copy of the loan agreement to propertycasualty@ucsc.edu prior to the start of the loan. The unit receiving the art on loan is responsible for retaining the original agreement according to established retention requirements. 

If the University is Lending Art, Be Sure to Have a Written Agreement

• Any agreements for lending art from the university to another institution need to have the insurance terms reviewed by Risk Services prior to entering into the agreement. Forward the agreements to propertycasualty@ucsc.edu for review of the insurance terms only. For help with any other terms or conditions, please work with a campus contracting office.

Insurance is not automatic for all shipments of property.

Shipments within the contiguous United States – UC Property Insurance

UC owned property in transit within the contiguous United States is insured by the university’s property self-insurance for up to $5,000,000 subject to all insurance policy terms and conditions. All deductibles and exclusions apply, including the exclusion for “mysterious disappearance”.

If you are shipping property within the contiguous United States and it has a value over $5,000,000 and/or the property is not owned by UC, then contact propertycasualty@ucsc.edu.

Shipments outside the contiguous United States – Open Cargo Insurance

Insurance is not automatic for UC property being shipped outside the contiguous United States. Submit the Open Cargo Insurance Request (Download) to propertycasualty@ucsc.edu prior to shipping.

Shipments must meet certain criteria to be eligible for Open Cargo Insurance:

• UC owned scientific equipment only
• Value of $5,000,000 or less
• Shipped to/from the contiguous United States to Alaska, Hawaii, or any other location outside the contiguous United States
• Shipped both to/from locations outside the contiguous United States
• Be within certain geographical limits. There are geographical limits to the university’s open cargo insurance. Coverage is excluded for UC owned scientific equipment in transit to and from countries which are the subject of trade or economic embargoes imposed by the laws or regulations of the United States of America. If this exclusion applies to your shipment, then contact propertycasualty@ucsc.edu.

If the shipment meets all the above conditions, then you must register the shipment to have insurance coverage, subject to all policy terms and conditions. Submit the Open Cargo Insurance Request (Download) to propertycasualty@ucsc.edu prior to shipping.

If your shipments do not meet all the conditions listed above, then contact propertycasualty@ucsc.edu.

Insurance is not automatic for property not owned by the university.

• There must be a legally binding contractual obligation and insurable interest for the university’s insurance to extend to non-owned property. Risk Services must review the insurance language prior to entering into the agreement.
• Additionally, if the shipment is in transit outside of the contiguous United States, then request insurance by submitting the Open Cargo Insurance Request (Download) to propertycasualty@ucsc.edu prior to shipping.

Insurance is not provided for property shipped by any government postal service.

UC owned property that is carried in the checked or carry-on baggage with a UC business traveler on a commercial aircraft does not need to be reported.

The university has arranged for employees and students traveling on official university business to be covered for a wide variety of accidents and incidents while away from the campus or primary workplace at no cost to the traveler or their unit. Key benefits of the travel program include the UC Trip Planner for planning your trip, travel alerts and emergency medical services, emergency travel services, information services and security evaluation services. For more details about the program, see Travel Risk and Insurance. Be aware of UC Systemwide Travel Advisories.

UC Personal Travel Insurance is available for employees and students personal travel.

Emergency Travel Assistance 

Chubb-AXA Global Travel Assistance

• +1-855-327-1420 – Toll free in the US
• +1-630-694-9804 – Outside the US
• Email at: MedAssist-USA@AXA-Assistance.us (for inquiries that need less immediate attention)

Get more information about Travel Assistance, including services provided, possible limitations and challenges. If you want to make a claim, review the Instructions for filing Claims (Download).

Before Travel

1. Register Your Trip
   • Trip registration is required for University related trips out of state and to foreign countries.
   • Review UC Travel Registration to find out how to register your trip. Travel registration does not guarantee that your trip is eligible for travel insurance.
2. Activate or Update Your Account
   • After registering a trip, a welcome email from ​no-reply@welcome.worldaware.com will be sent to the traveler with a link to activate their account and provide emergency contact information. After the account is activated, travelers can access their account at https://traveler.worldcue.com to update their emergency contact information, review their trips, access location information, travel tips and more.
   • If you do not receive a welcome email after registering your trip, or if you have any problems activating your account, accessing or updating your information, then please contact us at propertycasualty@ucsc.edu
3. REQUIRED: For trips to Cuba, Greenland/Antarctica (Polar Regions) you must also fill out these additional affidavits/forms.
   • Travel – Cuba Form (Download)
   • Travel – Greenland/Antarctica (Polar Regions) Form (Download)
4. REQUIRED: Mexican Auto Insurance is required for vehicle use in Mexico. When using a vehicle in Mexico, the unit using the vehicle in Mexico must purchase a Mexican Auto Insurance Policy, as required by Mexican law. Find out how to purchase Mexican Auto Insurance.
5. Review guidance and advisories for the destination, complete any required plans and consult about high-risk areas.
   • All travelers should review CDC Guidance.
   • All international travelers should review the DOS Travel Advisories prior to making travel plans. For international travel that involves carrying out field work, travelers are required to fill out the EH&S Field Safety Plan and COVID-19 Research Travel Checklist. 
   • Consult the the UC Trip Planner while planning your trip.
   • If you are traveling to a high-risk destination, thoroughly review the security information provided by WorldCue. If you are uncertain about whether your destination is in a high-risk region, the UC Trip Planner provides an overall risk rating of countries. The UCSC Global Travel Security Manager, Michael Price, can provide more information about your international travel and arrange for a pre-travel risk assessment, contingency planning and pre-travel safety and security planning at migprice@ucsc.edu.  Additional planning, risk mitigation and security briefing assistance is also available through the UC Office of the President with Phillip Van Saun, UCOP Director of Risk, Security & Resilience, at Phillip.Vansaun@ucop.edu.
6. Review the Travel Risk and Insurance webpage. Topics include, but are not limited to the following: registration, eligibility, benefit summaries, FAQ’s for students and employees and Instructions for filing Claims (Download).

Resources

• Mexican Auto Insurance – REQUIRED for vehicle use in Mexico
• UCSC EH&S – Field Research
• State Department Travel Advisories
• UC Personal Travel Program – available for purchase by UC faculty, staff, students and retirees for their personal travel
• Students Returning to Santa Cruz can contact Slug Support if assistance is needed for quarantine and/or self-isolation requirements. Email deanofstudents@ucsc.edu. Contact the Student Health Center with any health-related questions/issues by calling the Nurse Advice Line 831-459-2591, or seek information on the Student Health Center website.

The University of California strongly recommends renters insurance for all students. UC Santa Cruz students who apply for university housing will be provided with information during the housing application process. Students who reside off campus can also apply. You can find details at CampusConnexions.

The University of California recommends that students consider purchasing Tuition Refund Insurance to help protect them financially in case they need to withdraw for covered medical reasons. You can find details at CampusConnexions.