DocVikingo: Dive insurance..AGAIN?

[Swamp Rat]

Doc, I did a search on Dive insurance and read so much that I'm crossed right now. :google:. I read where you talked about, Dan's 50 mile from permament residence clause. Is this just for the travel cost?
I do 99% of my diving local here in Rivers, 10-15 miles away. I plan on expanding on that this year with some local off shore trips. Beach 20 miles away and one out of state dive trip a year. How does the 50 mile clause affect me? Should I go with Dive safe instead of the Dan policy because of this?
I'm looking at the master plan from Dan vs Divesafe's plan.

 

[Rick Murchison]

In general, your major medical policy should cover anything close to home. Check on that, and you'll likely find DAN or any other diving supplimental wouldn't even be a player should you get hurt that close to home.
Rick

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi SwampRat,

It can be confusing. In brief, if you're going to be doing lots of diving within 50 miles of your home, then you should consider a PADI or DiveSafe policy due to DAN's 50 mile from permanent residence coverage clause. This clause, by the way, applies to all benefits, not just transport.

If you only wish to insure for trips beyond 50 miles from your permanent residence, and like the DAN policies, then I'd suggest looking into the Preferred plan as opposed to the Master. For a small dollar amount increase in the premium, the Preferred plan gives you some valuable additionals, such as trip cancellation & interruption benefits.

If you still have questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[DocVikingo]

Dear Rick,

Not that it's all that difficult to do, but you've confused me.

You indicate, "In general, your major medical policy should cover anything close to home." I don't follow this. At what distance from home (excluding for now foreign travel), do you believe that major medical policies start & stop?

Seems to me that if a primary policy doesn't cover dive-related injuries (e.g., DCI), then it won't cover them regardless of distance from home. If it does cover them, then they should be covered at the very least anywhere within the Continental US.

Also, you remark, "Check on that, and you'll likely find DAN or any other diving supplemental wouldn't even be a player should you get hurt that close to home." PADI & DiveSafe policies will be players in injuries sustained close to home to the extent that injuries & losses are not covered by/exceed the primary coverage. At the very least, they'll cover the deductibles common to most primary medical policies.

Am I missing something?

DocVikingo

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Don't know how specific major medical policies cover DCS, but for mine, distance from home might matter somewhat.

My PPO requires me to go to a network doctor for maximum coverage (90-10) unless I am further than a certain distance from home (100 miles, I think) in which case I can go to any doctor and get the max coverage. If I am closer than that 100 miles (or whatever it is) then an out-of-network doctor is only covered at 70-30.

So for local diving, if my major medical covers DCS (and I really should check on that), I would have to be treated by an in network doctor to be covered at 90-10. If I was on a trip further than the 100 miles (say to the Florida springs), then I could go to any doctor to get the 90-10 coverage rate.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Originally posted by DocVikingo
Dear Rick,

Not that it's all that difficult to do, but you've confused me.

You indicate, "In general, your major medical policy should cover anything close to home." I don't follow this. At what distance from home (excluding for now foreign travel), do you believe that major medical policies start & stop?

Seems to me that if a primary policy doesn't cover dive-related injuries (e.g., DCI), then it won't cover them regardless of distance from home. If it does cover them, then they should be covered at the very least anywhere within the Continental US.

Also, you remark, "Check on that, and you'll likely find DAN or any other diving supplemental wouldn't even be a player should you get hurt that close to home." PADI & DiveSafe policies will be players in injuries sustained close to home to the extent that injuries & losses are not covered by/exceed the primary coverage. At the very least, they'll cover the deductibles common to most primary medical policies.

Am I missing something?

DocVikingo

Nope... you're not missing a thing... I'm thinking about my own arrangements, and my medical would cover DCS in the States, and I buy a "mediplus" supplemental to cover all but a tiny deductable that ends up being a yearly "fee" of sorts. If your major medical plus DAN won't cover the things PADI covers then by all means buy that too. I buy DAN to cover my family overseas, and to get us back to the Land of the Free in an emergency.
It is obvious I could have chosen my wording better, but what I'm trying to get at is that one should check out what their major medical covers and then buy dive insurance to plug the holes - the same thing you're saying better. In my case DAN fills the bill.
Rick

 

[Swamp Rat]

This board is a wonderful place for information not commonly known. I went to the Dan page and tried to find out info for myself on the 50 mile clause and could not find anything clear. Thanks Guys for the info. I know my insurance does not cover DCI. So I suppose Dive safe will be the route I go.
I just wonder how many divers think they are covered by DAN diving close to home. As important as insurance is, thats scarey.

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Drew,

I don't believe that this is the core issue under discussion, to wit: Covered injuries as a function of distance from home.

As I read it, your covered services do not differ as a function of distance from home. If scuba-related injuries are covered, then they're covered regardless of distance from permanent residence.*;** In not, then you're out of luck no matter where you are diving when injured.

What differs is simply the policy provisions regarding percentage of payment between network v out-of-network providers as a function of distance from home.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

* Dive-injury coverage not yet determined in your case.
** Coverage of out-of-country dive-related injuries also not yet determined in your case.

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Rick,

In the policy that you have designed, it appears that deductibles are "tiny."

However, this is not the case with all divers. Many primary health policies, even generous ones, can involve deductibles for a single dive-related injury that easily exceed the premiums of many years of a top-of-the-line dive accident policy that offers medical benefits & much more.

Okay, I'm done. We're supposed to be making this as simpe as possible for SwampRat & others.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[Swamp Rat]

Yea, I knot sew brite. I get so