International exchange students are a staple of the University of Otago’s community. However, it’s easy to forget to question some of the barriers they may face in getting here. One such barrier is health and travel insurance, which is a prerequisite for international students. While the University of Otago is aiming at making the insurance-related bureaucracy as seamless as possible, Critic Te Ārohi has heard reports of struggles within the system.
Patri, an exchange student from the Czech Republic, had an accident on a hike, which incurred an ACC claim of more than $300. She told Critic that while she submitted her claim to Studentsafe (a travel policy provided by insurance company Allianz Partners) over a month ago, she still hasn’t received a payment – despite emailing Allianz multiple times. According to the University of Otago’s Director International, Studentsafe Inbound University is a “comprehensive health and insurance policy”. This insurance must be “code-compliant”, basically meaning it’s up to scratch with a group Pastoral Care Code maintained by all eight New Zealand Universities. Jason added that this group approach “ensures that the best available premiums and policy benefits are in place for international students studying at a university in New Zealand.” Universities work through a broker to receive additional support and service when assisting with “claims, advocacy for students, expedited assistance with critical incident response and feedback to the insurer.”
Patri is in a similar boat to Clara*, who’s studying abroad from Norway. Clara had a claim of $450 for dental care (under the StudentSafe policy up to $500 of dental care is covered), and (at time of writing) she alleged that she had been waiting for over three weeks to receive it. Visiting from Macau, Mary*, reports that she had two claims that were delayed. First, she requested reimbursement for a blood test totalling just over $450, which was initially denied, despite her eligibility. With the help of International Student Support services this was disputed, and Mary was reimbursed after three weeks. She also had a broken laptop, which was only partially reimbursed. After further intervention by International Student Support, the claim was resolved after three weeks.
The Studentsafe page on the Insurancesafe website recommends that international students should keep all records and receipts of a loss or event while travelling. “Allianz Partners processes many thousands of claims each year,” the website reads. “[W]hen the correct information is supplied by you, assessment of the claim can be very prompt.”
Jason explained that while the University is aware of delays experienced by some students, “most” are due to more “complex cases requiring additional documentation or investigation”, or due to the student having already left New Zealand. When there are issues with Allianz, the University “advocates, through the insurance broker, on behalf of students”. So while the University can’t directly control what happens with insurance, think of them like a middle man between you and the sometimes-overwhelming system.
All Otago international students have the option to opt out of Studentsafe and provide evidence of an alternative Code-compliant policy. However, if students choose to do so, Jason explains that the University would be unable to provide “any support for claims or emergency assistance with private cover”, and students who have private cover are not able to access “bulk billing” at Student Health, unlike those students using Studentsafe. Bulk billing in this context basically means that international students have their Student Health visits billed directly to their insurance.
While these claims are certainly not trivial and a several hundred dollar expense is a blow for any tauira on a budget, Jason did note that under Immigration New Zealand visa conditions “international students are required to have sufficient funds to cover cost of living for the duration of their enrolment period.”
Finally Jason also added that “[t]he University prides itself on ensuring students feel safe and supported while studying here” and pointed to Pūtea Tautoko (the University’s student hardship fund) for students struggling financially. Our sympathies to anyone who has had to make an insurance claim – it’s never fun, let alone in a foreign country.
*Name changed
