Do I need DAN, please advise?

[Web Monkey]

I called my regular PPO insurance provider and asked about international coverage and deco chamber use. They said, I have coverage anywhere in the world, except Sudan and Iran (I don't know why those are the two places I don't have coverage, but I don't plan on visiting either). The deco chamber use is only when medically necessary (which includes diving accidents/emergencies). They said I'd be able to use any deco chamber as long as it's not in Iran or Sudan.

Your insurance company might pick up your costs or they might not, or they might find some disqualifying factor (they look very hard for those), or they might only pay a percentage.

Or they might pull out some escape clause and say you should have obtained pre-approval, or some other nonsense that would delay your treatment.

Or they might cover the treatment, but not the cost of evacuating you from the dive site (I haven't priced the cost of a chopper ride from Someplace Warm to the nearest chamber, but it's not cheap).

Another problem is that even though they might pay, the service provider has no idea who your insurance company is, and is more likely than not to want to be paid up front by you, and then let you argue with your insurance company.

For the minimal cost involved, I'd buy DAN.

Terry

 

[BrianV]

Web Monkey,
You can what-if all day. If I had a heart attack my insurance might not cover it either. Also, if I'm in the Bahamas in three weeks and need deco, they may reject me because I have DAN since they already say they're not accepting DAN.

There is no clause about me informing them ahead of time, all they said is that the doctor administering the service needs to put in the notes that it's medically necessary. I will put that on my laminated card as well.

Terry,
Do you own two medical policies (outside of DAN)? Do you have two in case one decides to turn you down on a transplant? No you don't? I specifically told my provider that I was deciding whether to buy a supplemental insurance policy for diving and that I'm trying to weigh whether I need it or whether my current package covers it, and all of the answers I got were that the coverage was the same, if not better than DAN (for instance I can use ANY deco chamber (except in Iran and Sudan)) as long as medically necessary. I bet you somewhere in the fine print for DAN it also says medically necessary. You can't just go down to a deco center for a joy ride and try and charge it back to DAN.

 

[BrianV]

PS - I really like the package DAN offers. I think it's great for the money and is an excellent service for divers. When I started this thread I had only called my provider once and just wanted some feedback. However, after the second call I feel that my current insurance is acceptable.

This thread is not to bash DAN or to attack current DAN members.

Like I said before, I have above normal insurance due to my job. I imagine that 90% of people with regular policies probably don't get deco and evacuation services through their policies. That said, check with your provider and get DAN. I will be checking with my g/f and signing her up ASAP.

Thanks again for the help!

 

[Web Monkey]

Do you own two medical policies (outside of DAN)? Do you have two in case one decides to turn you down on a transplant? No you don't? I specifically told my provider that I was deciding whether to buy a supplemental insurance policy for diving and that I'm trying to weigh whether I need it or whether my current package covers it, and all of the answers I got were that the coverage was the same, if not better than DAN (for instance I can use ANY deco chamber (except in Iran and Sudan)) as long as medically necessary. I bet you somewhere in the fine print for DAN it also says medically necessary. You can't just go down to a deco center for a joy ride and try and charge it back to DAN.

I've had extensive experience with health insurance companies (I was a developer on a medical billing system) and know that they will expend huge amounts of effort to avoid paying large (and small) bills if they possibly can. This goes double for anything anybody told you on the phone.

DAN has a known history of paying for treatment of SCUBA injuries. I consider it to be worth the few extra few dollars to get known coverage, instead of relying on general medical coverage and getting a "maybe".

Nobody is twisting your arm, however you did ask.

Terry

 

[diverdiver]

I assume that at some point you have most likely spent more than $100 on a night out for dinner and drinks with the g/f. It's amazing that you wouldn't be willing to spend that much to be a little over-insured.

 

[DandyDon]

Uh, I think this old news has been corrected...

You can what-if all day. If I had a heart attack my insurance might not cover it either. Also, if I'm in the Bahamas in three weeks and need deco, they may reject me because I have DAN since they already say they're not accepting DAN.

 

[bobv]

It's really quite simple...If you dive...You need DAN.

 

[pir8]

Ya know you're probably the exception and don't need dive insurance. Me $100/yr is cheeeeeep for piece of mind.

 

[herman]

The tiff between DAN and one chamber owner (of several chambers) is over, they are now accepting DAN. Something about unreasonable "reasonable and customary" charges.
Brian, may I suggest if your not getting DAN then get a credit card with at least $50k on it as a backup plan. While bent is not the time to be arguing with a insurance company.

 

[ItsBruce]

If your mind is made up, ignore this post.

I spent most of my career representing insurance companies. I'm one of the ones they went to when they wanted to know whether to cover a claim or not. The industry has been good to me. It paid for virtually everything I have. One of the things I have is DAN insurance -- which I never represented.

In the US, madical providers will treat you now and then bill your madical insurer. Outside the US, it does not work that way, except by virtue of deals DAN has in place with providers.