Belize Hyperbaric Chamber

[DandyDon]

I hope I never have to go to one, or ever again have to send anyone in, but it's good to know that they have one in Belize - indeed, at the town I'll be at in June!

http://www.ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/hyperbar.html

And in case you linked, but just glanced - it's a very informative article. In particular, it explains the $1 a tank levy requested. I've seen similar programs, but thought they were Chamber Insurance. Some people took the programs thinking that, some of us rejected it thinking we were well covered by DAN, but - maybe we were both wrong?

CHAMBER ACCESS PROGRAM
The chamber access program is a system whereby the dive shops pay a membership fee to become part of the program. After they become members, the dive shops are asked to collect a nominal levy or fee (typically $1 USD for each tank dived) - and forward to the chamber at the end of every month. This money is used to pay for stand-by operating expenses, which include doctors, utilities, technical maintenance, upgrades, salaries etc.

Elsewhere is explains that the Chamber is utilized only about 10% of the days, but maintaned 100% of the time. These $1 levies subsidize medical payments.

{Emphsis mine}

This program gives direct access to chamber service at anytime for dive shops that are part of the program and are current with their payments. The contribution however, is not an insurance, the diver will still be asked to supply the chamber with all their insurance information. The company will bill the insurance carrier of the patient. If patient is lacking any health/accident insurance, the chamber shall apply a nominal cost recovery fee.

Bad news if you don't pay the $1 levy...!!

WAIVING THE CONTRIBUTION
If you refuse to make the $1 usd contribution per tank dived and you may require our services, you will be requested to make a cash deposit of $2500 usd even if you have insurance. You will then be charged a fee of $850.00 usd per hour treatment. The company will provide you with medical records and evidence so that you can file for a refund in case you're adequately insured.

CONTRIBUTOR, BUT UNINSURED PATIENT
If the diver requiring treatment contributed their $1 usd per tank dived but does not have any kind of insurance (ie. No valid policy, rather than a policy with crafty exclusions), then the chamber will apply a mere cost-recovery fee, which is a nominal payment.

From this, I think I understand:

1. An insured diver who does not pay the $1 levy will have to pay $2500 down, then file for reimbursements from the diver's insurance company.
   
2. The diver who pays the $1 levy, but does not have insurance, will still have to pay.
   
3. But if I have DAN insurance, and pay the $1 levy, then they take me without payment and file the paperwork - if I have my DAN info with me.

15 dives planed, $15 requested - no problem here! My DAN card is on my BC...

 

[Gaz]

Excellent post Don

The chamber here in Belize and any dive destination is worth supporting.
In the ulikely event of the worst diving accident (Any type of Embolism) you will need a chamber pronto and dont have the luxury of time to travel long distances to a chamber as in some DCS cases, for any diver the closer a chamber is to your diving location the safer you are should you need it so the next time your in a remote location and are asked for a contribution for a local chamber do so willingly as you never know when you might need a Chamber and in many cases its your contribution that keeps that chamber operational.

Dive Safe and thanks again Don for a Great post

Gaz Cooper

 

[DanielleWingler]

Another chamber opened in Belize back in May 2015: Belize Chamber Project LTD (http://belizechamber.com/)

A News article about it.

I realize this thread was started back in 2004, but it still shows up in a Google search and thought an update couldn't hurt. While I agree with supporting chambers and the dive community as a whole, it can make a big difference to research the chambers. Not all chambers run the financial side the same way or provide additional types of health treatments.