It often comes as a surprise to students that the University offers insurance coverage as part of their matriculation. In a sit-down with The LaSallian, the 1911 Insurance Agency expounds on the coverage, procedures, and targets that they manage for the DLSU’s insurance policies.
Health within reach
All enrolled students are covered with personal insurance under Malayan Insurance Company and Sun Life Grepa Financials to provide Lasallians with personal accident insurance. This covers the reimbursement of expenses incurred from accident-related injuries, regardless of when and where the accident occurred, including non-school-related activities. Students pay P155 under their termly miscellaneous fees to pay for the insurance.
To process a claim, the billing statement, medical certificates, incident reports, and a copy of the student’s ID must be submitted to 1911 within a year from when the incident happened. 1911 Administrative Assistant for Medical Reimbursements Jeanine Fontanilla explains that once the documents are completed and validated by their office, the case will be endorsed to the insurance company for evaluation. The reimbursement will be processed as soon as the claim is approved.
Malayan offers P30,000 for medical reimbursement on a per-term basis, while Sun Life Grepa offers P25,000 for one-time use each calendar year, giving students a total medical coverage of P55,000. Hospitalization due to illness or accident is covered with P500 per day of admission. Some P5,000 in fire relief is also offered in cases of residence loss. Accidental death and dismemberment insurance is worth P250,000, while up to P20,000 funeral expenses may be reimbursed. The insurance coverage for unprovoked assault and murder is P200,000.
The insurance policy also covers additional expenses incurred from accidents such as prescriptions, mobility aids, and vaccines. “Lahat—as long as kasama siya sa aksidente mo. Kunwari may nabangga (ng sasakyan). Kailangan niya ng wheelchair or saklay. Pwede ‘yun pero P55,000 ang limit for everything,” Fontanilla says.
(All expenses are covered as long as it is due to the accident. For instance, someone got hit by a vehicle. He will need a wheelchair or crutches. That’s covered, but P55,000 is the limit for everything.)
However, pursuant to Section 8.10.3 of the Student Handbook, exclusions from the insurance coverage include suicide, bacterial infection, certain murder and assault, war, strikes, nuclear radiation, professional athletics, mountaineering, scuba diving, aerial sports, racing, and mine cave-ins.
Other perks
Malayan also provides students with travel insurance on a case-to-case basis. The company’s Administrative Assistant for Travel Insurance Cheryl Olanolan notes that students who avail of the insurance must be at least 18 years old and have their respective college departments certify that they were traveling for academic purposes such as competitions or conferences to be eligible.
The value of the coverage is dependent on the duration of travel and the request made, which commonly covers luggage loss and damage. To ensure the safety of the policyholder, the package restricts travel to domestic and international destinations with known social, political, or religious unrest, or countries where travel is banned by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
A micro-insurance for University staff is also offered through the Zero Extreme Poverty Insurance (ZEPsure) founded by Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC through the collaboration of 1911 Insurance Agency, Philippines Business for Social Progress, Malayan, and Sun Life Grepa. The insurance package, which includes an annual premium worth P65, aims to assist University personnel with withstanding unexpected financial hardships in case of an accident in their family.
“Insurance po siya for the poorest of the poor. Actually, hindi po siya for the students talaga. More on sa [personnel] of DLSU schools like mga janitors [at] mga nagtatrabaho dito,” Gazo clarifies.
(It is insurance for the poorest of the poor. Actually, it is not really for the students. It is for the personnel of DLSU schools, like janitors and those who work here.)
To meet ZEPsure’s target of having a million members by 2030, Gazo shares that they are also reaching out to staff members from other La Salle schools nationwide. “No one left behind ang goal namin,” he emphasizes.
