Coz Chamber fees...the truth!

[MikeFerrara]

Also, it is the general practice of all primary health insurance & dive accident policies of which I am aware to reimburse you for your expenses once all bills have been settled & who owes what for what among various avenues of coverage [e.g., health care insurers, dive accident policies, travel insurance policies with medical benefits (some of which do cover emergency hyperbaric treatment), etc.] has been sorted out.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you but though I haven't had experience with a recompression chamber it's been many years since I had to pay, or even seen a bill for) a doctor or hospital bill. I flash an insurance card and walk. Once in a while I'm asked to pay a co-pay amount on the spot but not always. I'm talking within the country where I live of course.

 

[itziar]

Also FWIW, hospitals here have a policy of never turning away anyone who needs lifesaving treatment regardless of their demonstrating an ability to pay, but that's a US thing and not necessarily true in the rest of the world. Get that insurance.

I would argue that it is not necessarily true even in the US! I have been to emergency room in the US and had to demonstrate ability to pay before I was treated, even if my condition was life threatening (and urgent, according to the doctor who assisted me: I had a bad allergic hit). I still spent several minutes in front of a recepcionist showing insurance cards (German travel insurance, the country where I lived at the time) AND a credit card with sufficient limit, and signing papers I could not make any sense of (I was very weak) before I had any qualified attention. I had to pay and then be reimbursed. My husband, in a similar situation, years afterwards, had exactly the same experience as me. Maybe we were not assisted immediately because we were visitors and not residents... I don't know. My interpretation was that this was the policy of the private sector.

I guess private clinics around the world are not all that different.

Bottom line: I subscribe DocVickingo's advice, wherever I go.

-- Itziar

 

[ggunn]

I would argue that it is not necessarily true even in the US! I have been to emergency room in the US and had to demonstrate ability to pay before I was treated, even if my condition was life threatening (and urgent, according to the doctor who assisted me: I had a bad allergic hit). I still spent several minutes in front of a recepcionist showing insurance cards (German travel insurance, the country where I lived at the time) AND a credit card with sufficient limit, and signing papers I could not make any sense of (I was very weak) before I had any qualified attention.
-- Itziar

I do not doubt what you say is true, but a couple of points...

The fact that they went to a lot of trouble to get payment info does not necessarily mean that they would have thrown you out on the street to die had you not be able to provide it.

The longer they make you wait in an emergency room before treatment, the less you should be worried about your survival. I went into an ER late one night with acute pneumonia, and I was on a gurney on oxygen and an IV drip before they even asked for ID, much less insurance info. That was scary.

 

[5615mike]

Very stange that you bring this up. I was involved in an accident about 10 days ago. A women crossed the center line and hit me head on. Wow.......glad I had that new Tahoe to protect me. She is still in the hospital and can not even talk to her insurance company and I am doing realitively well. Sore back, neck and tingling in my arm but certainly nothing like her. She was in a Mercury Sable. Anyway, my wife took me to the ER to get checked out and they only took my name and address. Never asked for an insurance card or insurance company. Thought that was rather strange. They later called and asked for updated info but treated me without it.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

When I had to go into the chamber the following were photocpied and/or validated:
1. Driver's license/passport;
2. Health Insurance card;
3. DAN Card;
4. Credit card;
5. C-Card.

GET DAN!

 

[ggunn]

GET DAN!

I just renewed all my DAN stuff in prep for our May visit to Coz.

 

[crispos]

I want to point out that, if you only dive in Canada, then you don't need DAN. I won't go so far as to say it is a waste of money. But alot of people confuse DAN with death benefits. The death benefits are very low. Mostly it is emergency consultation, evacuation and treatment, which you will get free in this country anyways. And DAN will consult to you even if you are not a member.

I helped a bent friend in Ontario a couple of years ago. When I called DAN, they gave me the number for the Toronto Hyperbaric, which duh, that is part of my emergency procedures. I had to call DAN to have them tell me what I already knew. And DAN didn't know they were closing the Toronto Hyperbaric the next month, I had to tell them that. Having said that, I have had good discussions with DAN researchers on various issues.

So basically, if you travel abroad, GET DAN.

 

[DocVikingo]

1. (Q) "I don't understand how anyone could assume or believe that there is any implication that with your donation that should you need a ride it is free. Where is the "Free" ride belief coming from?"

(A) Apparently because of the way the "dollar insurance" is presented by dive ops who may be intentionally misrepresenting it or may actually misunderstand what you get for your dollar. I spoke with the owner of at least one major dive op on Coz who was quite confused about it.

Also, I've seen it presented on some Coz dive op websites where it in essence says to me, "You get free chamber treatment."

People like to believe in free lunches despite the old truism about them.

2. (Q) "What do you mean when you say that "DAN insurance might not pay what I want?" I am symtomatic and they MIGHT not take DAN as payment at chamber in COZ? Do I understand you correctly? In what instance might DAN not pay for treatment?"

(A) I cannot find in my post where I said, "DAN insurance might not pay what I want?" so this a bit hard to answer.

DAN won't pay for covered services until your primary health care provider/insurer (if you have one) first handles its obligations. A secondary insurer like DAN won't pay your whole tab if it can get off by paying only the deductibles remaining from your primary coverage.

And, even when the financial ball is in DAN's court, it may not pay for services it deems "not medically necessary." This is why DAN insists on being contacted immediately--so that it can monitor & control treatment for which it may be asked to pay.

3. (Q) "Why in the world would any diver not buy DAN or similar treatment insurance? Very few health insurance carriers are going to make payments on chamber rides especially when it's going to be out of network and probably out of the country."

(A) Beats me why someone would pass on top quality dive accident insurance when its costs less than $100/year.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[5615mike]

1. (Q) "I don't understand how anyone could assume or believe that there is any implication that with your donation that should you need a ride it is free. Where is the "Free" ride belief coming from?"

(A) Apparently because of the way the "dollar insurance" is presented by dive ops who may be intentionally misrepresenting it or may actually misunderstand what you get for your dollar. I spoke with the owner of at least one major dive op on Coz who was quite confused about it.

Also, I've seen it presented on some Coz dive op websites where it in essence says to me, "You get free chamber treatment."

People like to believe in free lunches despite the old saying about them

2. (Q) "What do you mean when you say that "DAN insurance might not pay what I want?" I am symtomatic and they MIGHT not take DAN as payment at chamber in COZ? Do I understand you correctly? In what instance might DAN not pay for treatment?"

(A) I cannot find in my post where I said, "DAN insurance might not pay what I want?" so this a bit hard to answer.

DAN won't pay for covered services until your primary health care provider/insurer (if you have one) first handles its obligations. A secondary insurer like DAN won't pay your whole tab if it can get off by paying only the deductibles remaining from your primary coverage.

And, even when the financial ball is in DAN's court, it may not pay for services it deems "not medically necessary." This is why DAN insists on being contacted immediately--so that it can monitor & control treatment for which it may be asked to pay.

3. (Q) "Why in the world would any diver not buy DAN or similar treatment insurance? Very few health insurance carriers are going to make payments on chamber rides especially when it's going to be out of network and probably out of the country."

(A) Beats me why someone would pass on top quality dive accident insurance when its costs less than $100/year.
Best regards.
DocVikingo

"Are You Diving Naked? Why your dive insurance may not cover what YOU want"), they can deny service.

Sorry, you did not say DAN, just dive insurance. Cool!

I learned something. Did not know that DAN was XS coverage. Guess I should read my policy more closely. Thanks Doc! :jump013:

 

[DocVikingo]

Yes, I meant within the context of "hyperbaric services rendered in a foreign country."

Best regards.

DocVikingo