Buy Dan Travel Insurance At Your Own Risk. Did You Know This?

[Altamira]

Lerpy,
There is a difference between DAN's dive accident insurance and the travel insurance program. They cover different things. I think you and all others should read the policies and fully understand what is covered and what is not, and then make your own decisions as to what you want to insure and what you are willing to pay. If the DAN travel insurance policy meets your needs and planned diving profiles, use them.

I do not know how I can make myself more clear about my issue with DAN's travel insurance general exclusion for covering losses incurred as a result of diving without a DM. If you, or anybody else, chooses to pay for a policy that will not cover you for non-reimbursed travel expenses as a result of an injury sustained diving without a DM, then have at it. We are only talking about one scenario here: the requirement to have a DM when diving. If you fall down and bust your ass when not diving, or have any of the covered other problems, I feel DAN's coverage is reasonable and competitively priced.

I don't think I can add any more to this discussion. You can use the information or not.

 

[TMHeimer]

Altamira, your concern seems to be if you have an issue or injury then you should get a refund on your trip, I think what the majority of people are more worried about is that the injuring and costs associated with it are covered. If I get hurt here in at home and have to end my ski vacation early my healthcare does not cover the loss of my three week ski trip if I get hurt on the first day. Personally if I was hurt diving and missed out on the rest of my trip I think I would just be happy I was ok and the loss of money that I spent on the trip is less of a concern. But maybe I am misunderstanding a difference between travel insurance and medical coverage for when I am in the US. I was recently in Florida diving and got an ear infection diving, had to quit diving after a week of the three weeks I was there, I did not expect my insurance to cover me not being able to dive and refund me that, but it covered the medical cost which is what is important to me.

I agree here. Perhaps we are also looking at it from a Canadian viewpoint in that we are very much concerned with (emergency of course) medical coverage when in the U.S. (or elsewhere out of Canada). I mentioned being a bit shocked this quirk with DAN has just come up now after so many other threads. But I think DAN may be taking some unwarranted heat. I, too, if using DAN, would be concerned only with the dive insurance. Travel insurance is something I have never taken, and don't even know what coverage I have on my credit cards (think there is some, like loss of baggage by plane, etc.).
Does DAN also have a medical coverage plan for having a heart attack in the hotel watching TV?

 

[Altamira]

Tom,
That scenario is covered by travel insurance, not dive accident insurance per my understanding, with varying medical coverage amounts depending on which policy option is chosen. Personally, I had not used travel insurance when on a trip (even long ones) until this past year when a friend of ours had to terminate a world cruise in Australia due to a medical emergency (non-diving) and required a 2-3 week hospital stay in Cairns. Obviously getting well was the main concern, but not having to take an additional financial hit for non-refundable expenses plus air evac home was a big deal.

 

[kelemvor]

DAN isn't the insurance company. They market the policy - undoubtedly receiving a commission - for Generali US Branch, the insurance company underwriting the plan.

That's as laughable as the aggressor fleet claiming they do not have any dive boats. DAN needs to be accountable for the things they put their name on and sell directly.

 

[lerpy]

I see now that I was unclear to the travel insurance, I was working on travel insurance as the insurance I have to cover medical expenses when I am in another country, not insurance that gets you money back if your trip is interrupted or cancelled. I have never actually gotten that, I just worry about the medical stuff. Good to know though if I ever get travel insurance.

 

[TMHeimer]

Altamira, I hear what you're saying about your friend's Australia experience. It's one of those risk vs. cost things. In my case, I've travelled to an almost uncountable number of places over a lifetime (am 62) and never taken travel insurance or even plane flight cancellation/change of flight insurance. I figure if the disaster happens now it would be a drop in the bucket compared to what those decades of premiums would have been. Of course, I've been very lucky for sure.

 

[KeithG]

I see now that I was unclear to the travel insurance, I was working on travel insurance as the insurance I have to cover medical expenses when I am in another country, not insurance that gets you money back if your trip is interrupted or cancelled. I have never actually gotten that, I just worry about the medical stuff. Good to know though if I ever get travel insurance.

Most people are VERY unclear on these concepts since there is so much FUD spewed by the marketing folks (and yes, DAN is an offender).
Conceptually, there are 3 different types of insurance:
- trip cancellation (for if you can't/don't go)
- trip interruption (for after you have left home)
- travel medical coverage (for if you get hurt while away)
Lots of confusion arises when 2 or more of these are combined into a single insurance product. This bundling is very common and not necessarily a bad thing. It may actually be very difficult to find products that do not combine at least 2 of these. But it is still useful to consider the benefits separately.

As an example I use a Blue Cross product that combines all three types of insurance into a single annual policy for myself and my wife. It is a premium product and it far exceeds any coverage provided by any DAN offering - it also costs much more...there is no free lunch.

There is no such thing as a "standard" insurance policy. Every insurance company comes up with a slightly different product with different exclusions and different levels of benefits. Lower costs means they have reduced coverage. If you travel with a divebuddy (like I do) does YOUR trip cancellation cover both of you? Or just yourself? i.e. you break your leg just before a trip and have to cancel and are covered - is she? She is still healthy and fully able to travel. Her "separate" policy may not kick in...

There also is no such thing as a universally "best" product. You need to determine your needs and then find the best product available to you. This endeavor is further complicated by the insurance industry being regulated at a State (& Province) level. The Blue Cross product I use is not available in every Province in Canada.

P.S. Unlike TMHeimer we have used our trip interruption insurance multiple times. We are way ahead of the game (can you say $700 water taxi ride to catch-up to a liveaboard...) We are also very concerned about being declined at our next renewal...

 

[lerpy]

Most people are VERY unclear on these concepts since there is so much FUD spewed by the marketing folks (and yes, DAN is an offender).
Conceptually, there are 3 different types of insurance:
- trip cancellation (for if you can't/don't go)
- trip interruption (for after you have left home)
- travel medical coverage (for if you get hurt while away)
Lots of confusion arises when 2 or more of these are combined into a single insurance product. This bundling is very common and not necessarily a bad thing. It may actually be very difficult to find products that do not combine at least 2 of these. But it is still useful to consider the benefits separately.

As an example I use a Blue Cross product that combines all three types of insurance into a single annual policy for myself and my wife. It is a premium product and it far exceeds any coverage provided by any DAN offering - it also costs much more...there is no free lunch.

There is no such thing as a "standard" insurance policy. Every insurance company comes up with a slightly different product with different exclusions and different levels of benefits. Lower costs means they have reduced coverage. If you travel with a divebuddy (like I do) does YOUR trip cancellation cover both of you? Or just yourself? i.e. you break your leg just before a trip and have to cancel and are covered - is she? She is still healthy and fully able to travel. Her "separate" policy may not kick in...

There also is no such thing as a universally "best" product. You need to determine your needs and then find the best product available to you. This endeavor is further complicated by the insurance industry being regulated at a State (& Province) level. The Blue Cross product I use is not available in every Province in Canada.

P.S. Unlike TMHeimer we have used our trip interruption insurance multiple times. We are way ahead of the game (can you say $700 water taxi ride to catch-up to a liveaboard...) We are also very concerned about being declined at our next renewal...

Thanks for the clarification, appreciated. I guess I have never looked at the travel stuff. I have travel medical coverage through my work, and I carry DAN for any diving related incidents, and beyond that have not worried about anything else. Maybe I should look closer at my medical/travel policy I have through work. Might have something in there.

 

[KeithG]

Thanks for the clarification, appreciated. I guess I have never looked at the travel stuff. I have travel medical coverage through my work, and I carry DAN for any diving related incidents, and beyond that have not worried about anything else. Maybe I should look closer at my medical/travel policy I have through work. Might have something in there.

Definitely look into your work provided stuff. And do NOT be surprised if it is junk / useless (they often have an exclusion for scuba, hang gliding, 4 wheel driving, running with the Bulls, La Quebrada Cliff Diving, ... ). Your employer is trying to reduce costs. They will not be splurging on premium products. You get what you pay for.

During my insurance research I found a Blue Cross "Group" product (i.e. something a company would purchase for employees) that was total crap - it was very low cost and hence very low coverage (with a total scuba exclusion). The same Blue Cross company also provided other "Individual" products that suited my needs - at a much higher cost. I bought their individual product as it matched my perceived needs.

In the insurance world there is a big difference between group and individual products.Group coverage means they are insuring a group of people (hopefully/maybe like you?) and hence they can average some stuff out. Individual means they are insuring YOU. For Group insurance they do not ask about my weight or blood pressure, they guess it based on averages for your age (your company knows your birth date! Ever had to weigh in?). For Individual products they send a nurse to my house to measure height, weight, blood pressure AND take a few blood samples. VERY personal.

 

[Dizzi Lizzi]

In So California on the dive boats I've been on there is a dive master on the boat but not in the water unless you hire one to go with you-and pay for their seat (discounted rate i think). :whacky: I wonder how that would work. If you travel here it might be a good question to ask.