Is DAN membership worthless?

[tursiops]

I feel all divers should have it.

I don't take people on my group trips unless they have it. Travel insurance is recommended, but optional; accident insurance is mandatory.

 

[jonhall]

I just signed up and paid $35 for a membership. After paying, I read through all the information and noticed they won't pay for any medial stuff if you don't call TravelAssist and get a pre-auth. If I'm floating on top of the water and someone helps me, how would they ever know I had DAN membership and how would they know who to call? Seems like a membership that isn't worth the $35. Am I missing something???

The DAN discussions can be confusing as people sometimes confuse the types of insurance offered and it varies state to state. This is how I see DAN and what it offers (for me here in Indiana) :

Membership: The main benefit is that, through TravelAssist, it pays a max benefit for EMERGENCY EVACUATION and/or REPATRIATION, as well as transportation to another facility for higher level of care. Can also include medical treatment/services but only during the evacuation/transportation. Also covers some travel costs for family members, such as sending children home of having a loved one flown in to see you. Other benefits include $$ advancements but not covered expenses.

Dive Accident Insurance: There are three levels. This is an insurance that gives you some medical benefits but only for a covered diving accident unless you get one of the top 2 plans - then you get coverage for some non-diving accidents. Read carefully - the coverage is for covered diving accidents - loss of gear doesn't apply to accidentally dropping and losing something on the ocean floor - it applies to something worn by the diver that is lost or unintentionally damaged during a covered diving accident. Covered diving accidents occur from the time you enter the water to the time you exit the water - not what happens on a boat before or after the dive. I get the top level (Guardian $125) as it covers my wife also for a few things. I also get a cheap travel plan (Allianz) with medical benefits as I had a lousy individual health plan insurance and am now on Medicare.

Travel Insurance: Typical travel insurance. As I wrote above I also get a cheap travel insurance plan, usually when I purchase my airline tickets. It doesn't have high limits but it does pay something.

DAN also has a Dive Equipment Insurance: It will cover things like flooded cameras but not items that you lose.

If I'm floating on top of the water and someone helps me, how would they ever know I had DAN membership and how would they know who to call?

Wondered this myself about solo divers: Most dive ops I've been with lately have a spot on their release form to put your DAN membership number or indicate that you have insurance. In my case, my dive buddy knows that I have it and I know that he has it.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I'm not sure how their dive accident insurance has been made this complicated? If you are a diver you should (1) be a DAN member and (2) purchase their dive accident insurance (annual premium). It is both affordable, immensely helpful if insured and a great peace of mind if not. End of story really. I've been carrying it for 15 years and thankfully have not needed it. It was still worth every penny.

 

[muzikbiz22]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the "50 miles from home" (at least I think) component of the MEMBERSHIP; "

1. DAN Membership includes automatic enrollment in DAN TravelAssist and up to $100,000 of evacuation assistance coverage. This benefit is effective for both diving and NON-DIVING injuries. Your evacuation coverage begins when you travel at least 50 miles/80 km from home and call DAN TravelAssist to arrange your evacuation." There are other benefits to MEMBERSHIP, as well. As far as the actual Dive Insurance, it's cheap insurance.

 

[TuckerIdaho]

Just to be safe I ordered dog tags with with my DAN Membership number along with emergency contact info and DAN Hotline number.
$5.95 for two tags and chain. Free shipping
Pet ID Tags, Personalized Dog Collars & Custom Cat Collars

Also you could use roadid.com and put a tag right on your computer. Specify DAN and their number as your secondary contact, or put that info in the emergency info on the site.

 

[apenland01]

I reached out to DAN via email to buy the insurance. You can't do it online. If I don't hear from them by lunch time, I'll give them a call directly. I appreciate all the advice...

 

[rjack321]

Ah.

This is France, 16th July 2018, day after the football world cup final match. I had to do some hyperbaric treatment (it was the day after the dive, and I did not need any ambulance to go there, so no extra-expenses). The bill was 1400 euro. Despite I had DAN insurance, the Italian government covered the bill (in case you are guessing: I am Italian; both Italy and France will cover you for any emergency, at least partially; I guess this is common all around Europe).

besides the coverage offered by European governments, well.... 1400 compared with 50k is quite a difference.

I have to remind to carefully check any insurance before going to the US; with respect to medical issues, it is really a different world...

or Mexico, or Grand Caymen, or a whole bunch of places outside the EU.
Many chambers don't or won't deal with foreign insurance institutions. The paperwork is unfamiliar, the approval process is country specific. Having insurance that they know can be the difference between getting treated and not having a bill vs charging it on your credit card and figuring out the bills later

 

[ginti]

or Mexico, or Grand Caymen, or a whole bunch of places outside the EU.
Many chambers don't or won't deal with foreign insurance institutions. The paperwork is unfamiliar, the approval process is country specific. Having insurance that they know can be the difference between getting treated and not having a bill vs charging it on your credit card and figuring out the bills later

I forgot to add that EU governments will pay for emergency inside the EU. So there is no choice when travelling. Also at home, governments:
1) cover only emergencies***, while the insurance covers many more problems
2) do not have any specialized office for diving accidents; for this reason, having a specialist supporting you (like DAN) is gonna be the fastest way to solve issues even at home

So it's a good idea to have an insurance

*** I am not even sure of what an emergency is, legally speaking. I think in my case the doctor was scared of something very bad (which I am pretty sure it was not), so my issue was categorized as an emergency. But other minor accidents may be categorized differently, resulting in huge expenses or no threatments at all. This is why, usually, a diving insurance is reccomended by every serious center or club

 

[Reelman1]

+2 on the dog tags... one around your neck, one zip tied to the harness... DAN #, blood type, allergies, ICE contact numbers ( put DAN as a an ICE number)... we've used them for years, since the DAN tag went away...

 

[dogbone]

Really no reason not to get it... It's annual coverage that breaks down to like the cost of an extra lunch a month...I have spent far more, on far less... Plus I'm pretty sure they are a non profit... So it's not like your money is going into some CEO sports car... It goes into helping fellow divers... That's a cause I can get behind.