Frequently Asked Questions - Insurance
- I am a student at Charles Sturt University and as part of my course requirements I am required to complete work experience with an external organisation. Am I covered under the University's insurance?
- I am a student enrolled at Charles Sturt University and would like to complete some voluntary work experience to broaden my knowledge. Am I covered under the University's insurance?
- I am an enrolled student of Charles Sturt University and I wish to undertake work experience overseas. Am I covered under the University's insurances?
- What are the benefits and sums insured under the Students Personal Accident insurance mentioned in the Work Experience Letter?
- I am an enrolled student of Charles Sturt University and, if I'm injured whilst attending classes on campus or undertaking work experience or in circumstances that permit a claim under the Students Personal Accident insurance, who pays for my medical and hospital expenses?
- What if non-PBS pharmaceuticals are prescribed for treatment of my injury?
- What insurances exist for emergency ambulance services?
- I am a student at Charles Sturt University and I will be completing work experience with an external organisation. Can I use my own motor vehicle to get to and from the place of this work experience?
- If my own motor vehicle is parked on a CSU campus, who pays if it is damaged by, say, a tree limb falling on it or by another vehicle?
- I am arranging for some volunteers to assist in a University activity. Will the University insurances cover these volunteers?
- The laptop computer I use, owned by the University and valued at $4,000 was stolen from home. It was not locked down with an approved device. Am I covered?
- I have arranged to borrow an item of equipment from an outside organisation. Is the item covered whilst in transit, and at the University?
I am a student at Charles Sturt University and as part of my course requirements I am required to complete work experience with an external organisation. Am I covered under the University's insurance?
Yes, you will be covered by the University's insurances so long as the relevant work experience is approved by your lecturer or other authorised faculty personnel. Please refer to the Certificates of Currency and Insurance Letters page for details of cover and for the downloadable CSU Students Work Experience Insurance letter. If you have any specific insurance queries, please contact the Insurance Officer.
I am a student enrolled at Charles Sturt University and would like to complete some voluntary work experience to broaden my knowledge. Am I covered under the University's insurance?
Voluntary work experience refers to instances whereby students arrange their own work experience, ie: work experience that is not a course requirement. Voluntary work experience must still be approved if it is to receive University insurance cover. Approval, in this instance, is arranged ONLY through the University's Careers Service. Students must first complete and submit the insurance application form for voluntary work experience. If voluntary work experience is approved prior to it being commenced, and so long as it is not a paid activity, it will be covered by the University's insurances in accordance with the CSU Students Work Experience Insurance letter which can be downloaded by clicking on the link.
Please note that there are very few circumstances where unpaid work is permitted by law. Students that perform work for a host employer will most likely be deemed to be an employee under the Fair Work Australia Act 2009 and subject to its protection which includes minimum employment standards and the mandatory payment for services. Thus, if a student wishes to undertake work experience on his/her own initiative which is not work experience approved by the University or if a student is either paid by the external organisation or extends his/her work experience to undertake a project on behalf of the external organisation which has not been approved as work experience by the University, the University's insurances do not extend to include such activities. In these circumstances, the external organisation assumes responsibility for the student and would be expected to provide appropriate general & products liability, professional indemnity and personal accident/workers compensation insurances under their own policies and as required by law.
I am an enrolled student of Charles Sturt University and I wish to undertake work experience overseas. Am I covered under the University's insurances?
Provided your lecturer or other authorised faculty personnel grants prior approval for such overseas work experience, it will be covered under the University's General & Products Liability and Professional Indemnity /Medical Malpractice/Veterinary Malpractice insurances. These apply anywhere in the world although coverage in USA/Canada is restricted and protection is subject to certain terms, exclusions, conditions and limitations. Please contact the Insurance Officer for more information on a particular location. Also, it should be noted that the Students Personal Accident insurance mentioned in the Work Experience Letter is limited to Australia, so students travelling overseas must take out their own travel/medical insurance.
What are the benefits and sums insured under the Students Personal Accident insurance mentioned in the Work Experience Letter?
A Synopsis of Benefits under Students Personal Accident Insurance Policy No PA00193 as insured by Lloyds of London through Professional Risk Underwriting Pty Ltd (ProRisk) is attached. If you wish to view the actual policy, please contact the Insurance Officer.
I am an enrolled student of Charles Sturt University and, if I'm injured whilst attending classes on campus or undertaking work experience or in circumstances that permit a claim under the Students Personal Accident insurance, who pays for my medical and hospital expenses?
As students are not employees of the University, they are not covered by the University's Worker's Compensation insurance and Health Insurance legislation precludes our Students Personal Accident insurers from providing cover for Medicare medical, hospital and dental expenses or PBS [Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme] pharmaceutical costs incurred by students. Thus, if you are injured whilst attending classes on campus or undertaking work experience or in circumstances that permit a claim under the Students Personal Accident insurance, the University's insurers are unable to pay Medicare medical and hospital expenses on your behalf. Such expenses will, therefore, need to be met under your own Medicare and/or private health insurance.
However, the Students Personal Accident policy [synopsis attached] covers non-Medicare medical expenses up to a maximum of $10,000 subject to an excess of $100. These typically include physiotherapist, chiropractor, osteopath, non-PBS pharmaceuticals and emergency ambulance [see below] services but specifically exclude any Medicare gap payment and are only in excess of any benefit payable recoverable from any Private Health Insurance Fund.
Furthermore, cover for non-Medicare medical expenses only applies if an injury occurs during sanctioned University activities including travel directly to/from the place of such activities. Sanctioned University activities are unlikely to include self harm, an injury sustained on bar night or while using campus grounds to play games not endorsed by a club. The insurers will also need to differentiate between an accidental injury and injury caused, for example, in a fight.
What if non-PBS pharmaceuticals are prescribed for treatment of my injury?
As intimated above, non-Medicare medical expenses coverage includes claims for non-PBS pharmaceuticals although, in order to ensure that the use of non-PBS pharmaceuticals is kept within reasonable bounds and that the insurers do not get caught up, for example, in a claim for non-PBS pharmaceuticals where a PBS drug would suffice or where the use of an untested non-PBS pharmaceutical was primarily experimental, they have asked that they be consulted in order that they can approve any claim before costs are actually incurred. For additional information, please contact the Insurance Officer.
What insurances exist for emergency ambulance services?
The Students Personal Accident policy provides $1,000 cover for Emergency Transport Ambulance following injury and, although cover for internal students is 24/7, it only applies whilst on approved work experience for distance education students.
Ambulance costs can also be incurred, for example, as a result of illness or causes other than accidental injury, none of which are covered by the Students Personal Accident policy. If a student is taken to hospital via ambulance and does not have a health care card, is not in a private medical fund or have ambulance cover, he/she will incur a charge and ambulance service costs can be quite substantial. It is, therefore, highly recommended that all students take out their own personal ambulance cover.
I am a student at Charles Sturt University and I will be completing work experience with an external organisation. Can I use my own motor vehicle to get to and from the place of this work experience?
Yes, provided that both the work experience and the use of your own motor vehicle are approved [see above]. You will need to complete a Travel Authority in order to receive the applicable kilometreage rate. You are, however, responsible for the repair of any damage to your own or any other person's vehicle or property - these are NOT covered by the University under any circumstances.
If my own motor vehicle is parked on a CSU campus, who pays if it is damaged by, say, a tree limb falling on it or by another vehicle?
You are permitted to park your private motor vehicle on CSU campuses entirely at your own risk. Thus, the University is NOT liable to pay for the cost of damage repair, however caused, whilst your vehicle is parked on a CSU campus. If you are insured, you will need to claim under your own insurance. If you are not insured, you will need to make your own repair arrangements.
I am arranging for some volunteers to assist in a University activity. Will the University insurances cover these volunteers?
If the volunteers are involved in an official University activity they will be covered under the University's General and Product Liability Insurance and Professional Indemnity Insurance. If a volunteer incurred an injury due to the negligence of the University, its staff or students, they would be entitled to take an action against the University under the University's Public Liability insurance. As a volunteer is not an employee of the University they are not covered under workers compensation insurance. The University insures volunteer workers whilst engaged in voluntary work including whilst travelling directly to/from the place of such voluntary work under the Business Travel policy number ABTVL002655NSW issued by ACE Insurance. The policy provides a range of benefits including death due to accident [$10,000 if no dependents, $80,000 if has dependents] and non-Medicare medical expenses [see above] up to $5,000. As Health Insurance legislation prohibits the University from taking out insurance to cover medical and hospital expenses, these would have to be claimed under Medicare or under the volunteer's private health insurance.
The laptop computer I use, owned by the University and valued at $4,000 was stolen from home. It was not locked down with an approved device. Am I covered?
Yes, providing permission was been given by the Head of Department for the equipment to be taken from the campus. However an internal excess of $2,000 will apply. The Department will have to pay the first $2,000. Please refer to Claims Procedure for Property. Continued loss of equipment by the Department may result in the Department's share of the excess being increased.
I have arranged to borrow an item of equipment from an outside organisation. Is the item covered whilst in transit, and also at the University?
Yes, provided the Insurance Officer is advised in advance and all reasonable precautions to prevent loss, destruction or damage are taken. [See above re internal excess and Claims Procedure for Property].