Cultural Insurance Services International

What Cultural Insurance Services International does

Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) is a privately held, Stamford, Connecticut-based specialty insurance administrator that has provided accident and sickness coverage, emergency assistance, and claims administration to international students, visiting scholars, cultural exchange participants, and educational travel groups since 1996. CISI operates as a subsidiary of AIFS (American Institute of Foreign Study), with international and sister offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, South Africa, and Australia, and has insured more than 1 million participants traveling to over 200 countries, with an annual base of roughly 150,000 insured lives. The company's product portfolio centers on Individual Plans for U.S. students studying abroad (Basic from $34/month, Upgraded Comprehensive from $56/month), Individual Plans for inbound international students and scholars on F-1, J-1, and M-1 visas (from $51-$89/month depending on plan and state), Group Insurance for educational travel programs priced on a flat per-participant basis, and the Academic Trip Protector add-on offering trip cancellation with optional Cancel For Any Reason coverage.

CISI's technology stack is a cloud-based insurance administration platform centered on the myCISI suite: a self-enrollment portal for individuals, a client portal for program administrators (enrollment uploads, invoice search, ID card generation, embassy/CDC/State Department links), participant self-service tools, and mobile apps (myCISI for participants and CISI Group App for sponsors) on iOS and Android. Underlying service delivery relies on a multi-carrier underwriting structure (Chubb, Arch Insurance, Crum & Forster, United States Fire Insurance Company) with 24/7 emergency assistance provided through AXA Assistance, Assist America, and OnCall International, U.S. provider access through the Aetna PPO network, telehealth behavioral health via AXA clinicians, prescription discounts via WellRx, and claims processing through MPhasis Eldorado with cost containment from Zelis Healthcare and Change Healthcare Solutions.

CISI generates revenue primarily through recurring monthly insurance premiums paid by individuals and institutional program sponsors, with ancillary revenue from one-time trip cancellation/interruption premiums. Its go-to-market is a hybrid B2B2C channel model: institutional partnerships with universities and study abroad providers account for the bulk of enrollment (group plans embedded into program requirements), supplemented by direct-to-consumer self-enrollment through mycisi.com and inside sales via a toll-free call center. The customer base is concentrated in U.S. higher education (named customers include William and Mary, University of Wisconsin, Colgate, Clemson, Colorado School of Mines, and University of Maryland) plus Rotary Youth Exchange and independent inbound visitors. The company reports 98% client service-satisfaction and 100% staff-service ratings among surveyed customers.

Name

Cultural Insurance Services International

Legal name

Cultural Insurance Services Internal, Inc.

Website

https://culturalinsurance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CISI is a U.S. specialty insurance administrator that provides health, evacuation, and travel insurance to international students, scholars, and educational exchange groups, serving 150,000+ participants annually across 200+ countries via universities and study abroad providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Student Travel Insurance

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Health Care and Social Assistance (62)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Accident & Health Insurance (6321)

akta.pro primary industry

Student & Study-Abroad Travel/Accident Insurance (FSAJAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Student Health & Travel Insurance (EDAIAMAA), Student Mental Health & Wellbeing Support (International) (EDAIAMAF), International / Expatriate Group Health Plans (FSAIAFAJ)

Keywords

• International student insurance
• Study abroad insurance
• Travel medical insurance
• Educational group insurance
• Cultural exchange insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Stamford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Insurance Premiums: Monthly subscription-based insurance premiums charged to individual students and scholars. Plans are priced on a monthly basis with participants paying up front for the full period of coverage needed (up to 12 months), or optionally renewing monthly with written request.
2. Group Insurance Premiums: Flat rate per participant charged to educational groups and study abroad providers. One affordable rate regardless of age. Customized plans tailored to group needs under one policy.
3. Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance: Plans underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company for educational travel, providing trip cost protection with Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) option. Premiums based on trip cost.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) provides accident and sickness insurance plans, group travel insurance, and trip cancellation coverage tailored for U.S. students studying abroad, international students and scholars coming to the U.S., educational travel groups, and Rotary Youth Exchange participants. Its offerings include monthly individual plans with medical coverage up to $500,000, customized group plans with flat-rate per-participant pricing, and 24/7 worldwide emergency assistance coordinated through partners such as AXA Assistance. CISI supplements these products with in-house crisis management, telehealth behavioral health services, and the myCISI online enrollment and account management platform.

Product overview

Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) offers a comprehensive portfolio of international travel and study abroad insurance products designed for the international education market. The core offering consists of Individual Plans for U.S. students studying abroad (Basic and Upgraded Comprehensive tiers), Individual Plans for international students and scholars coming to the U.S. (International Students & Scholars Plan and U.S. Visitors Plan), and Group Insurance for educational travel groups. Supporting these plans is a technology platform including myCISI Self-Enrollment Portal, myCISI Client Portal, myCISI Participant Tools, myCISI Mobile App, and CISI Group App. Add-on services include Remote Behavioral Health/Telehealth Services, Security Services, In-House Crisis Management Support, Team Assist emergency assistance, and Pharmacy Discount Card. The Academic Trip Protector Insurance Program (via Travel Insured International) and Rotary Youth Exchange Insurance round out the product suite. All individual products are available with state-specific variants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• myCISI: Online portal and mobile application for participants to manage insurance enrollment, access ID cards, view coverage details, and submit claims.
• Team Assist

Products and services

• Individual Plan - Basic (Study Abroad Outside U.S.) Entry-level study abroad health insurance for U.S. students traveling outside the U.S., offering up to $50,000 medical coverage per illness or injury, worldwide coverage with 24/7 emergency assistance, and pricing starting at $34/month.
• Individual Plan - Upgraded Comprehensive (Study Abroad Outside U.S.) Premium study abroad health insurance with $0 deductible, $500,000 medical coverage, trip delay and interruption protection, round-trip tickets for hospitalized students' parents, repatriation services, and security evacuation, starting at $56/month.
• International Students & Scholars Plan (Coming to U.S.) Health insurance for foreign citizens on F-1, J-1, or M-1 visas coming to the U.S., offering $250,000 medical coverage, dependent coverage options, and online provider network access, starting at $89/month.
• U.S. Visitors Plan (Coming to U.S.) Travel insurance for U.S. visitors covering emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, and return of mortal remains up to $50,000, starting at $51/month.
• Group Insurance for Educational Travel Customized group travel insurance designed for student groups, faculty-led trips, and exchange programs, offering flat-rate pricing per participant regardless of age, medical and liability coverage, and travel assistance for educational institutions and study abroad providers.
• Academic Trip Protector Insurance Program Trip cancellation and interruption insurance with Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) and Interrupt For Any Reason (IFAR) options, providing protection for prepaid trip costs for educational travel domestically and abroad.
• Rotary Youth Exchange Insurance Specialized insurance coverage for Rotary Youth Exchange participants, provided through a dedicated portal at bolduc.culturalinsurance.com.
• Remote Behavioral Health Services (Telehealth) 24/7 telephonic behavioral health support provided in coordination with AXA Assistance, offering crisis assessment, intervention, and stabilization by Master and Doctoral level clinicians for stress, depression, anxiety, and PTSD related to studying abroad.
• Security Services Emergency travel assistance including medical referrals, medical monitoring, prescription drug replacement, emergency cash assistance, document replacement, legal services, and a web-based system for tracking global threats with location-based risk intelligence.
• Team Assist Plan (24/7/365 Emergency Assistance) 24/7/365 worldwide Team Assist Plan providing emergency assistance services including doctors and translators on staff, medical evacuation, repatriation, and personal assistance services for CISI participants.
• myCISI Self-Enrollment Portal Automated direct enrollment platform allowing individuals and group members to enroll with credit card payment, instantly obtain personalized ID cards and consulate letters, review coverage details, and download claim forms.
• myCISI Client Portal Online tool for program administrators to view account information, upload enrollments, search invoices and coverage brochures, create personalized ID cards and certificates of insurance, and access embassies, consular information, CDC health data, and U.S. State Department travel warnings.
• myCISI Mobile App Mobile application for participants providing instant access to travel insurance documents, country-specific travel alerts, personal security information, worldwide medical provider search, emergency contact information, and claim filing guidance.
• CISI Group Mobile App Mobile application for group sponsors enabling fast participant search, email medical ID cards, invoice access, policy materials, and emergency contact information management.
• In-House Crisis Management Support Dedicated in-house Crisis Team ensuring student safety and well-being, acting as liaison in complex cases to resolve issues quickly and coordinating with assistance providers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of CISI clients rate service as excellent
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Insurance Carriers (A.M. Best A Rated)coreOthers · 1 January 1996CISI partners with financially stable insurance carriers all rated 'A or better' by A.M. Best including Chubb, Arch Insurance Company, ACE American Insurance Company, and Crum & Forster. These partnerships enable provision of wide-ranging coverage travelers depend upon at affordable prices.
• AXA Assistance USAcoreTechnology or IntegrationAXA Assistance USA provides 24/7 emergency assistance services including medical evacuation, repatriation, and crisis management through their Team Assist program. They have doctors and translators on staff providing worldwide multilingual aid. Contact: Toll Free (855) 327-1477 or collect (312) 935-1703.
• Assist AmericacoreTechnology or IntegrationAssist America provides 24/7 emergency assistance services for clients with policy numbers containing 'STI' or 'STB'. Services include medical evacuation, repatriation, and travel assistance. Contact: Toll Free (800) 872-1414 or collect (609) 986-1234, Reference ID# 01-AA-CIS-01133.
• AetnacoreTechnology or IntegrationAetna serves as the Preferred Provider Network (PPO) for U.S. in-network providers. International visitors can search for in-network medical providers in their area through Aetna's provider search tool.
• Travel Insured InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTravel Insured International provides Trip Cancellation and Interruption insurance through the Academic Trip Protector Insurance Program. Plans are underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company (Crum & Forster), rated A (Excellent) by A.M. Best. Contact: 855-611-0918.
• ACE Team AssistcoreTechnology or IntegrationACE Team Assist provides 24/7 emergency assistance for certain CISI plans. Contact: Toll Free (855) 327-1411 or collect (312) 935-1703, Email: [email protected].
• Crum & Forster Team AssistcoreTechnology or IntegrationCrum & Forster Team Assist provides 24/7 emergency assistance through OnCall International for certain CISI plans. Contact: Toll Free (877) 714-8179 or collect (603) 952-2660, Email: [email protected].
• ChubbcoreOthersChubb is an insurance underwriter for CISI policies (Policy Underwriter address: P.O. Box 1000, 436 Walnut Street, WA04B, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA). Chubb receives participant information including name, date of birth, gender, address, email address and personal health information for claim approvals and policy renewals.
• Arch Insurance CompanycoreOthersArch Insurance Company is an insurance underwriter for CISI policies (Address: Harborside 3, 210 Hudson Street, Suite 300, Jersey City, NJ 07311).
• CareMedminorOthersCareMed is a sister organization of CISI that provides individual travel insurance coverage for U.S. citizens looking for health insurance while traveling overseas independently (not through educational/cultural exchange programs). Recommended for independent travelers and those needing temporary coverage before employer insurance begins.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• World Nomads: World Nomads sells travel insurance aimed at gap-year students, study abroad travelers, and independent international tourists. It overlaps with CISI's outbound individual coverage and CFAR-style trip protection offerings.
• GeoBlue (by WorldTrips): GeoBlue offers international travel health insurance plans for students, faculty, and business travelers abroad. It directly competes with CISI in study abroad and inbound international student/scholar segments with comparable visa-compliant coverage.
• International Student Insurance (ISI): ISI is a specialized broker/agency selling international student and scholar health insurance plans from multiple carriers. It targets the same F-1/J-1 visa-compliant inbound and study abroad outbound segments as CISI.
• Tokio Marine HCC (Studytrip / MIS): Tokio Marine HCC's MIS International and Studytrip products provide accident and health coverage specifically for students and educational travelers abroad, competing directly with CISI's group plans for U.S. universities and programs.
• Seven Corners (Liaison Student / StudentSecure): Seven Corners' Liaison Student and StudentSecure plans are purpose-built international student health insurance products with visa-compliant coverage. They compete head-to-head with CISI's individual and group plans for universities and exchange programs.
• ISO (International SOS): International SOS provides medical and travel security assistance, evacuation, and international health insurance for students and expatriates globally. It overlaps with CISI's Team Assist emergency services and institutional study abroad coverage.

Broad incumbents

• Chubb: Chubb is a global insurance incumbent that also acts as an underwriter for CISI's own policies. It offers broader personal accident, travel, and student coverage lines and could expand to compete more directly with CISI's specialty products.
• AXA Assistance: AXA is a broad global insurance and assistance provider and currently a key technology/integration partner powering CISI's Team Assist and Remote Behavioral Health. It is adjacent but could compete at the assistance layer for student travel programs.

Others

• Assist America: Assist America is a 24/7 global emergency assistance provider and current CISI integration partner. While not a direct insurance competitor, it competes at the assistance services layer and powers crisis response for CISI's Arch-underwritten plans.
• CareMed: CareMed is a sister organization under the AIFS umbrella offering individual travel medical insurance for U.S. citizens traveling independently overseas. It is comparable by category and ownership but addresses a non-educational traveler rather than study abroad.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cultural-insurance-services-international-cisi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cultural Insurance Services International