DAN - What do I get?

[rcasey]

I recently purchased a ($44) family DAN Membership. I have one basic question, which will produce alot of answers. What do I get for the $44? I read the website information and the membership packet, but it left me wondering wether or not I was covered.

If I (or my wife) have an out of air experience and shoot to the surface, get on the boat, feel some pain, pick up a cell phone and call DAN for a helicopter extraction to a decompression chamber. Will I get this service? Are the costs covered? Do I need to check with my insurance provider to see if their cover this type of thing?

If it doesn't cover this situation, what was the $44 for?

Thanks in advance,

Ryan

 

[raxafarian]

Your 44.00 went towards supporting DAN. You can call them for questions. Get referrals. And you get a magazine.

If you want to be covered for diving accidents, you need to add the insurance.

*Edit: the above is partially wrong...see my next post.

 

[Northeastwrecks]

Rax is right.

While you're at it, buy the best you can get. Its cheap for the coverage level.

Besides, the base policy only covers you to 130 fsw. You may never plan on exceeding that depth, but what if part of the reason you got hurt was some type of emergency/accident that took you to 150, i.e., your wife had to chase you after your bladder failed over a wall.

I'm not sure if the base policy would cover this, but for the extra money, its just not worth the chance.

 

[raxafarian]

The middle and high plan covers any depth. The standard plan does not.



whoops... your membership does cover emergency evacuation. Guess I should read the member's benefits myself.

 

[SDAnderson]

Your $44 paid for a membership in DAN. Thanks for your support, it's a wonderful organization that does a lot for divers worldwide.

You didn't buy any insurance, however. Oops. But you didn't waste your money - membership is required to get the insurance.

DAN insurance policy information

Good luck.

Steven

 

[rcasey]

Should I check with my current provider (BlueCross BlueShield) to see what they cover. I want to do the right thing but don't need double the coverage if in fact they care of incidents like I described before. I will call tomorrow, but wanted your insight.

 

[raxafarian]

emergency evacuation is covered by you DAN membership (if you are more than 50 miles from home), but any treatment, chamber rides, etc. are not... for that you need the insurance. Highly recommended.

 

[Northeastwrecks]

rcasey once bubbled...
Should I check with my current provider (BlueCross BlueShield) to see what they cover. I want to do the right thing but don't need double the coverage if in fact they care of incidents like I described before. I will call tomorrow, but wanted your insight.

Go ahead and check, certainly. However, I think that you will find that your carrier won't cover the type of evacuation and emergency services that DAN does.

For example, assume that you are injured somewhere far from home and a chamber. DAN will arrange for your transportation, evacuate you and pay for the chamber ride. This can be literally thousands of dollars, even if the chamber is nearby.

In addition, DAN will arrange for your partner to get home.

I was doing some research for a trip to Truck (Chuuk). It is my understanding that DAN will charter an Air Force aircraft out of Japan to evac you to Guam (nearest chamber) if it is necessary.

I can't imagine my regular carrier doing that.

 

[stiebs]

For your membership, you help support DAN and their research in the diving industry. And you get access to their phone help line.

You also get Travel Assist - evacuation and repatriation cover world wide, regardless of whether you are diving or not. (You are not covered for rock-climbing, bungee jumping, parachuting, or snow sports).

If you pay for the extra insurance, you are covered for diving related incidents. The standard level covers you for depths up to 130ft, or 40m, and covers you for DCI and AGE. The other plans cover you for the same, but at any depth, plus they also cover you for any in-water injuries (ie, not only DCS related).

The differences between the preferred and master levels of cover basically boil to the maximum dollar amount that they will fork out, and that the preferred will cover you for non-diving activities as well (exluding those activities mentioned above)

For what it is worth, I will be trekking in Nepal in March, and the agency I am going through requires emergency evacuation insurance, for which DAN covers me. The DAN insurance does no cover me for other normal travel insurance incidentals (cancellation dur to illness, etc). So I have had to take out a standard travel insurance policy as well. (Note that the vast percentage of travel insurance policies do not include emergency evacuation.

 

[redseal]

...as most commercial payors (especially PPOs and HMOs) limit their payouts out of area, and certainly outside of the USA limits.
The coverage that DAN insurance (and PADI sponsored insurance too) provides for a diver or family of divers is rather extensive, especially at the preferred level.

Hopefully none of us will ever need it, but consider the cost of simply transporting an injured diver to a recompression chamber, not to mention the treatment session(s)...DAN pays for all of that and the chambers know that. THAT is what's worth the price.