Dear Editor,

Diablo Valley College offers a mandatory insurance premium to international students, as medical care in the United States is very expensive. They are required to buy it within the first two weeks of the first semester. If they do not buy this, they are consequently dropped from all courses.

The insurance fee for the 2014 spring and summer semesters is $511 and the fee for fall semester is $385. Moreover, the cost of insurance has been on the rise, and the sum is not inconsequential for international students. However, the insurance protects them.

One of my friends, Seulkee, had a stomach problem and needed to see a doctor. At first, she was worried about medical bills and thought she could not get any help from DVC’s insurance. However, it covered about $100, so she only paid $50. She was shocked because she did not expect that the insurance would cover this much. In addition, according to the International Students Services Center, the insurance protects international students wherever they are. If Seulkee is met with an accident in Japan, she is still under the protection of the DVC insurance.

All international students must buy the medical insurance even if they think the cost is exorbitant.

~Jaeeun Seo