For reference: Statutes and Regulations and Internal Rules.

UNSMIS is a self-insured and self-administered multi-employer fund financed by joint contributions from both affiliated UN organizations and its insured members–active staff and retirees alike. Membership is not compulsory; however, active members of staff are required to have a health insurance coverage similar to that provided by the United Nations, particularly with respect to the geographic area of coverage and benefits provided.

In this article, we will guide you through the enrolment process and further steps to take after enrolment. Furthermore, we will provide you with some useful links and important information regarding your health insurance coverage. 

Enrolment

To become insured by UNSMIS, you must apply within 31 days of your entry on duty, upon qualifying for membership pursuant to Rule IV of our Internal Rules, or during the annual enrolment campaign held every June. 

Any paying member of UNSMIS, other than holders of a temporary appointment or short-term contract of less than three months, may opt for health insurance coverage for eligible family members within 31 days after their own admission, as outlined in paragraph 2 in Rule IV of our Internal Rules. For details and to see if a member of your family is eligible for UNSMIS health insurance coverage, please see the articles 'Dependents and SPPs' and 'Secondary Dependents'.

For applicable premium rates, which depend on the number of members in the coverage, please see the article 'Premium Contributions'.

If you are employed by an organization that uses Umoja, enrolment is done through Umoja’s Employee Self-Service (ESS) platform. For a step-by-step guide on how to select the right health insurance plan and how to enrol members of your family, please see the relevant job aid (available here).

If you are employed by UNHCR, you are covered by UNSMIS by default, and no action is required on your end to ensure your own health insurance coverage. However, if you wish to add any eligible members of your family to your coverage, please contact UNHCR HR. 

If you are employed by any other UN organization, please fill out the affiliation form (available here) and send it to your HR focal point, taking into consideration the 31-day deadline.

After Enrolment – Actions to Take

Upon enrolment, to complete your records, please send a completed banking instruction form (available here) with a handwritten or certified digital signature to unsmisaffiliations@un.org so we can record your bank account for future payments. This account does not have to be the one recorded for payroll.

You may submit your claims online, either on the eClaims portal or in the UNSMIS mobile application. The application be downloaded from Google Play or Apple Store.

Shortly after the beginning of your coverage, you will be sent an email containing useful information regarding your UNSMIS coverage, including your log-in credentials to eClaims and the UNSMIS mobile application. If you do not receive this email, please contact us at unsmisaffiliations@un.org for us to send you your log-in credentials. 

Useful Information

For information pertaining to the benefits provided by UNSMIS and their limitations, please see Annex III of our Internal Rules and the articles under 'Benefits'.

UNSMIS usually serves as primary insurer. Reimbursement rates are defined by the Internal Rules and usually make up a set percentage of the amount submitted for reimbursement. In most cases, this rate is not 100%, and members must cover a given share of their medical expenses. This is known as the insured member’s out-of-pocket or co-share.

However, if you are in possession of another primary medical insurance plan or are covered by a national health insurance scheme of any country, UNSMIS may act as a complementary insurer. For further information, please see the article 'National Health Systems and Other Insurances'.

If you are not in possession of any health insurance coverage other than UNSMIS but wish to have complementary insurance, please see the article 'GPAFI / Complementary Insurance'.