International student angry about Saxion's communication regarding insurances, IO will look into 'wording'

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In the mail about insurances for international students Saxion writes that with the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) only emergency health coverage is covered. That is not true, says Tšulinda, based on his own experiences. With only an EHIC, for example, his planned physiotherapy and other health care was simply covered. In addition, he cites texts from the European Commission about the EHIC.

He even goes so far as to suspect foul play in the extensive email he sent to SaxNow. Saxion also sends plenty of information and an offer coming from insurer Aon to the new international students in their email about insurance. Therefore, he assumes that the university earns money by selling insurance. The insurance company also organizes webinars for Saxion, in which international students of Saxion can receive information.

At first, one plus one is two for Tšulinda. After a telephone conversation he is less convinced, also because there is no indication whatsoever for a financial interest of Saxion. The fact remains that Saxion's information about insurance is not good, he feels. "It could also be ignorance. And I have not taken out any extra insurance myself, but I think that some students are impressed by this and then perhaps take out an extra insurance unnecessarily. So they make unnecessary costs."

Basic
Marloes Buter, International Office manager, says that the experience of the International Office is often that international students do not know exactly what is insured with EHIC. "We want to emphasize that the EHIC may not cover all health care costs that a student expects and that you could see it as a basis.' So the information in the email is also correct, she says. The main intention from IO is that students will then find out for themselves what is and is not covered for them.

She points out that Saxion has a duty of care Saxion has towards international students. 'We think it is important that students come to the Netherlands well informed and insured.' In the past it has happened that the care for students was not covered, which made it difficult to obtain healthcare outside Saxion. She gives the example of a student who needed insulin.

However, the International Office will look at the wording of the mail and the term 'only Emergency Health Coverage'. Wageningen University, among others, uses a flow chart to make clear to students what is and is not covered by the EHIC. According to Buter, this is 'good advice'.

Reliable
There is no financial interest on the part of Saxion in taking out insurance with AON, she says. According to Buter, Saxion has chosen AON because they can offer "a complete (worldwide) insurance package for students, including not only extensive health care costs (incl. reimbursement of complaints/medication that the student already had at home), but also household effects, travel/luggage, liability, accidents and legal assistance". "In addition, it is a reliable party. In the past we also worked with a local party, but we decided to go back to that because it is such a specialized branch of insurance."

About Aon's webinars (they are next week, online), she writes that Saxion wants to offer EU and NON-EU students good information about insurance, but that they at the International Office are not insurance experts themselves. 'However, we do want to offer students reliable information. The fact that the information comes from a market party is made clear to the participants.'