Kwon So-hee (Mathematics Education, 3) broke her leg while she was playing soccer during the 2007 Ewha Soccer Tournament. Kwon could likewise get her medical fees paid by the school.
These two students were both covered by the School Accident Insurance planned at Ewha. The plan, which is similar to those at other schools, is run jointly by the Office of Student Affairs and Hyundai Insurance. It covers both hospital charges and medical fees for all accidents that happen during events held on the campus. Both undergraduate and graduate students can receive benefits.
Students who can receive the insurance money are divided into two categories. One includes members of the Students Government Association (SGA) and official school clubs. The other includes all students who are not in the previous category. SGA members and club members can apply for insurance payments at the Student Welfare Center (SWS), while other students apply through their college administration offices.
Injured students must meet two conditions: the accident must have happened while using a school facility and the accident must have happened on campus. Claiming compensation is then simple. Application forms are available at both the SWC and each college’s administration office. With the application form, students also have to submit an accident report, a note of confirmation for the accident, a doctor’s bill, and a doctor’s note certifying the diagnosis and treatment. Students should apply for compensation within 180 days of the accident.
The amount of compensation depends on the doctor’s bill. Students can also receive overlapping insurance money if they have other insurance. A student can receive a maximum of 1,000,000 won if she is responsible for the accident, according to Lee Yoon-kyu, a staff member in the SWC.
Last year, 20 students received compensation. The low number may be due to lack of promotion by the university. When compared to other universities, Ewha students have less access to the information. Yonsei University provides explicit information about how to apply for insurance compensation on its official Website, while Ewha only mentions the existence of an insurance policy.
“I didn’t know about the School Accident Insurance until the accident happened during the soccer tournament. But the Student Council of the College of Health Sciences, who organized the tournament, suggested I apply for it,” said Kwon.
Lee says that the SWC is attempting to inform students about the insurance through I@EWHA, an information brochure distributed to freshmen at the beginning of the semester.
“As lots of accidents happen inside the school, I hope more students will learn about the School Accident Insurance policy and receive help,” said Kim Seo-kyung (Social Sciences, 1).
Jung Hey-jie
aveckasia@ewhain.net