Otamatea High School

School Administration >> International Students >> Insurance Requirements

CODE: Otamatea High School has agreed to observe and be bound by the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students published by the Minister of Education. Copies of the Code are available on request from this institution or from the New Zealand Ministry of Education website at http://www.minedu.govt.nz/goto/international IMMIGRATION: Full details of visa and permit requirements, advice on rights to employment in New Zealand while studying, and reporting requirements are available through the New Zealand Immigration Service, and can be viewed on their website at http://www.immigration.govt.nz/. ELIGIBILITY FOR HEALTH SERVICES: Most international students are not entitled to publicly funded health services while in New Zealand. If you receive medical treatment during your visit, you may be liable for the full costs of that treatment. Full details on entitlements to publicly-funded health services are available through the Ministry of Health, and can be viewed on their website at http://www.moh.govt.nz.
ACCIDENT INSURANCE: The Accident Compensation Corporation provides accident insurance for all New Zealand citizens, residents and temporary visitors to New Zealand, but you may still be liable for all other medical and related costs. Further information can be viewed on the ACC website at http://www.acc.co.nz. MEDICAL AND TRAVEL INSURANCE: International students must have appropriate and current medical and travel insurance while studying in New Zealand. Here are some recommendations of what your Insurance policy should cover: Travel insurance policy components Where students have separate travel and medical insurance policies,the travel insurance policy should cover: • Loss of baggage and other personal effects • Accident and injury • Disruption to travel plans • Cost of medical care in any "stopover " countries.. Suggested minimum content for appropriate insurance policies Start of cover The policy should: • Commence the minute the student leaves home for the airport on their way to New Zealand • Apply while in transit • Apply while the student is in New Zealand • Cover the student for any trips to other countries during the period of study • Cover the student for any holidays back to their home country during the period of study. When enrolling students who are already in New Zealand ,signatories should require proof of insurance prior to confirmation of enrolment. High sums insured and medical benefits "Sums insured " is the money available in the event of a claim..It is imperative that the sums insured are very high so they will not be exceeded in any possible claim.Current policies range from $600,000 to "unlimited cover ".In order to "future proof " policies,sums insured of one million dollars plus are suggested. Medical benefits generally range from general practitioner visits and prescriptions through to major hospitalisation (both public and private),optical cover and emergency dental cover. It is preferable that no excess is applied to medical claims as this could deter students seeking treatment. Emergency evacuation /repatriation Repatriation represents the cost of getting the student home. The benefit works two ways: • If the student becomes seriously ill or injured and needs to be accompanied home (either alive or deceased)with medical professionals these costs are met by the insurance • If members of the student ’s immediate family living overseas become critically ill or die,the policy will fly the student home,and then back to New Zealand to complete their studies. Ideally the policy should have "unlimited cover " as very large sums can be incurred in these situations.. Accompanying relative cover If an overseas student in New Zealand becomes seriously ill or dies the policy should pay for parents to fly to New Zealand on the first available flight.The day-to-day accommodation and reasonable living costs in New Zealand for the parents should be met,as should the cost of their airfares home. Personal effects Insurance should cover students ’ personal effects,,including items like expensive musical instruments,lap top computers,and sporting equipment. Limits should be realistic but able to be increased to represent the actual value of particular items. Personal liability cover This benefit applies when a student causes accidental damage to property at an education provider or homestay (e.g. breaking expensive laboratory equipment,spilling paint on the carpet). While persons affected could claim on their insurance,their insurance company should be provided with details of the student ’s insurance to recover costs from the student ’s insurer. Desirable additional policy components Loss of fees due to emergencies This benefit should cover fees that are lost due to unforeseen events that are insured and unrecoverable from any other source. For example: • The student is ill,injured,or deceased in New Zealand and unable to complete a course • Travel delay occurs en route to New Zealand • A relative becomes critically ill,injured,or dies in the student ’s home country. Fee payment should be recoverable,or tuition reinstated. Mental illness Mental illness is generally excluded from "standard " travel and medical insurance cover..However,some in-bound student plans offer varying amounts of mental illness cover. Signatories may wish to investigate insurance that covers both the medical costs and repatriation back home for students suffering mental illness. Continuation option Travel insurance usually ends when the student has returned to their home country.However,it is prudent to ask if a continuation option is available if a student needs to return to his/her home country because of illness or injury during the policy period and is able to use the policy for on-going treatment until the policy has expired. Should you need help on any matters please contact the school: ssg@otamatea.school.nz