DAN Membership/Insurance

[Bigbella]

Pony up the cash. Just do it.

DAN saved my wallet and bacon, after a ruptured eardrum, back in 2008 (on the water surface, no less -- really?) and serial otolaryngological appointments; that, and a spectacularly painful dental barotrauma, in which a portion of a molar, eventually found its way to the bottom of the Monterey Canyon . . .

 

[pauldw]

a portion of a molar, eventually found its way to the bottom of the Monterey Canyon

You created an artificial reef! Thank you!

 

[jonhall]

Good choice on the Guardian, but be sure to read the handbook for your area - not sure if it's the same from state to state. I like the Guardian as it provides some non-diving medical ( I go on Medicare in a a month and a half) and has some allowances for a traveling partner (my wife.)

 

[DandyDon]

Looks like the $125 "Guardian" plan is the only one available in my state.

That's the only one accepted by your state insurance department. Y'all need to fix that.

The $35 membership is worth keeping if you ever quit diving for the Travelers Assist benefit, and you get a good magazine. But enjoy your dive trips, safely.

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

I'm going on a dive trip out of country in a couple weeks and I have to check whether my normal insurance covers diving accidents and/or those that happen out of the country.

I see DAN's $35/year membership includes an optional insurance plan. I assume that is an annual fee? Who has or recommends it?

Not sure if I am reading it correctly but it looks like the basic membership has some kind of travel assistance to get you back to the States and to the closest stateside appropriate medical facility to treat the accident.

So a follow up question is this... If my regular insurance covers diving but only in country, can I use the DAN basic membership to get me to a US hospital and go from there?

As I typed that question I guess if I had a severe accident and they couldn't get me home first, I would be out of luck in that scenario.

Appreciate hearing what people do for coverage.

Thanks in advance,
Rob

If you are going on a trip it makes sense to have travel medical insurance that covers you away from home, regardless of what you are doing.

An acquaintance had a heart attack on a cruise. He had no travel medical insurance. Oops.

Some travel medical insurance policies cover diving. Some exclude it as a dangerous activity.

 

[DandyDon]

Some travel medical insurance policies cover diving. Some exclude it as a dangerous activity.

Well, not necessarily dangerous, but potentially, yes.

If you are going on a trip it makes sense to have travel medical insurance that covers you away from home, regardless of what you are doing.

An acquaintance had a heart attack on a cruise. He had no travel medical insurance. Oops.

Agreed, if you have outstanding medical insurance that covers you anywhere in the world, then you still want the DAN Dive Insurance. If your regular medical insurance does not cover you outside of the US, then yes - also get Trip Insurance with good medical benefits as accidents and illnesses happen unexpetedly on land too. DAN also offers Travel Insurance which is different from their Dive Insurance or get it elsewhere, mostly for medical coverage. I've been lucky so far, but I've had some small claims, and they paid well when my granddaughter got stuck in China after losing her passport, but I've also seen others leave in ambulaces at times - all ages.

 

[Pedro Burrito]

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[ThatDogDontHunt]

Agreed, if you have outstanding medical insurance that covers you anywhere in the world, then you still want the DAN Dive Insurance. ...

Curious. If I had outstanding medical insurance, why would I also buy DAN Dive insurance?

 

[Bigbella]

Curious. If I had outstanding medical insurance, why would I also buy DAN Dive insurance?

Well, for one thing, DAN offers a very specific knowledge base for comparatively little cash; referrals to expert baromedical care (of which a great many physicians are not specialized); rapid medical evaluation; and even fully covered evacuation, should you be involved in an accident while, say, on a live-aboard, most anywhere in the world.

Do you really suppose that even your Cadilac care medical coverage would foot the bill for a helicopter medevac flight below 300 meters, to get you to a remote hyperbaric chamber, after you flopped and effervesced on deck -- without a matching arterial bleed from the wallet?

Mine certainly wouldn't . . .

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

Well, for one thing, DAN offers a very specific knowledge base for comparatively little cash; referrals to expert baromedical care (of which a great many physicians are not specialized); rapid medical evaluation; and even fully covered evacuation, should you be involved in an accident while, say, on a live-aboard, most anywhere in the world.

Do you really suppose that even your Cadilac care medical coverage would foot the bill for a helicopter medevac flight below 300 meters, to get you to a remote hyperbaric chamber, after you flopped and effervesced on deck -- without a matching arterial bleed from the wallet?

Mine certainly wouldn't . . .

To the best of my knowledge anyone can call DAN to get advice. No need to buy insurance. Maybe you should feel obligated to buy membership afterwards?

Their list of so called experts is lacking. And yes I have first hand knowledge of this.

There is nothing special about air evacuation or hyberbaric treatment. They are routine in the medical world and covered by "outstanding" medical insurance products. And lots of just normal products.

Instead of a DCS hit, consider the case of a common heart attack. A very critical and costly situation. Covered by normal medical insurance. Which one costs more? Diving is not that special.

P.S. I would be interested to know what medical coverage you have that does not cover the items you referred to? And why do you have it? Maybe it is extremely low cost or free?