If you’re about to take the great leap into the unknown and study overseas for a time, one arrangement that shouldn’t be overlooked is your insurance. Accidents do happen, and it’s always better to be prepared, so that if something does go wrong, you come through it a bit easier.

What cover do students normally need?

The most important items to be covered for are medical expenses, dental emergencies, return flights home and personal liability. Other items that are also important are cover for your equipment (because if your laptop isn’t covered it might be hard to study without one should it get stolen) and the cost to replace travel documents.

As an Australian student travelling overseas which countries provide reciprocal health care?

Some countries do have reciprocal health care with Australia, and these include:

o New Zealand
o The United Kingdom
o The Republic of Ireland
o Sweden
o The Netherlands
o Finland
o Italy
o Malta
o Norway

You will need to show them your passport and Medicare card to receive health care, so make sure your Medicare card goes with you and is valid for the whole time you are away.

For other countries, you will need to have travel insurance to cover medical costs, particularly if they are expensive, such as the USA, or below par, in which case you might need to be evacuated to another country to receive adequate care.

What are the main considerations when buying student travel insurance

While the most obvious consideration may be budget, be careful not to choose the cheapest policy over the more comprehensive one.

While the most obvious consideration may be budget, be careful not to choose the cheapest policy over the more comprehensive one.

First, make sure that you have unlimited medical cover. This is important because medical bills can be a lot more expensive than you think, and unlimited cover means you are not stuck with bills that run into the tens of thousands (it’s quite enough to have a student debt as it is, let alone medical bills on top!).

Second, make sure that the personal liability in the policy is adequate. Some policies cap this at $1million, while others will offer up to $5million. This may or may not include legal fees, so be sure on this point also. Some policies will list legal fees as a separate item, and if this is the case, make sure they will cover at least $50,000.

While it may not seem important at the time of signing up, it’s good to check on the policy’s cover for accidental death, repatriation of remains and permanent disability. One policy reviewed offered only $5000 for accidental death, which would hardly be enough for repatriation and funeral expenses. Another policy offered well over $75,000 for permanent disability and unlimited expenses for repatriation of remains. It’s not nice to think about, but nonetheless it’s an important point to consider.

Your time overseas will no doubt be filled with plenty of good times you will remember for the rest of your life. But it pays to be secure in the knowledge that if something does go awry you are not working for the next 20 years to pay it off.

By: Ian D. Jackson