Have you ever used your insurance?

[Guba]

A question was asked as part of another thread that I think should be addressed. The question was, "Have you ever had occassion to use your (DAN) insurance?"
Certainly with as many divers, and as experienced as the divers here are, there are those who have had the need to make a call for assistance. I'm asking those who have used DAN and/or any OTHER insurance provider to relate their experiences and give us a critique of the effectiveness of the agencies.
In a perfect world (and no forum is that, for sure), we'd get stories from both camps, the satisfied and those who were not. Hopefully, we'll get enough information to form a basis for decision making. So what about it divers? Have you requested assistance?

 

[Cacia]

Rick? somebody is calling you...

 

[Guba]

This is remarkable...this was posted yesterday, and NO ONE has responded with an experience? That means one of several things: 1) We are the safest sports group in the world 2) We have accidents, but we don't have DAN or some other diving specific insurance or 3) We DO call for assistance once in a while but we don't want anyone else to know about it!
Well, I would hope that number one is the case. I like to think that most divers are well-trained and careful. However, I'd still like to know if the money I spend on diving insurance is worth it. Anyone with information?

 

[jwdiverdude]

A Guy from my old dive club did.
Ironic story:
in 99 this guy "thought" he got bent while we were on a club trip to belize. Dude doesn't have any insurance so it ended up costing him around 25k between lost wages, staying belize an extra week for his chamber rides, flying the wife do to be with him, etc.
in 2003 same guy "thought" he got bent again in Belize. His insurance, not sure if it was DAN or something else, covered everything.

I kept refering to "thought" becuase he wasn't bent he had a rare neurolgical condition that now has him sidelined from diving for ever but it wasn't dive related other then his diving in these 2 instances triggered his symptoms.

Sold me on insurance. Been a DAN member since 2003 right after that trip.
If I have it I'll never need. If I don't I will. Murphy and I are not good friends

 

[trigfunctions]

We have never had to use our dive insurance, thank God. We did use trip insurance one time, after our travel agent screwed up our plane tickets and left us stranded in Dominica with no way to catch our connecting flight, requiring us to stay an extra night and buy a very expensive Liat flight. Travelex compensated us for all extra costs. Very good service and highly recommended for long trips.

 

[LiteHedded]

I've only had it (DAN) for a year
but I've never had to use it

 

[scubapolly]

I've never had to use mine (but I live by the adage I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it).

One of the employees at my LDS has used his. Its been a while so my details might be a bit off, but he was diving somewhere remote in the south pacific (yeah I know that narrows it down) and did something to mess up his hand something fierce-just about ripped the finger off getting it pinched somehow. Anyway had to be med-evaced to civilization to have the finger reattached and DAN covered the expense. He was very happy with the coverage.

On the flip, a buddy of mine recently died on a dive trip to FLA, he had let his DAN expire (only by a couple of months). everyone was commenting on how much easier and cheaper the return of his body would have been if his policy was still valid.

 

[Walter]

Insurance is a bet. You are betting you'll need it. The insurance company is betting you won't and gives you excellent odds.

 

[Cudabait]

DAN is great!! Got it and will keep it!! Yes, I've used it with great service received.

2003...experienced near fatal unprovoked barracuda attack while assisting leading a night dive in the Bay Islands. Bilingual DAN medical personnel were on the phone within half hour of the attack. They were totally acessible for the next two days until I was cleared to return to the US. Wounds were severed arteries in the face, severed nose bone and a major orbital blowout which crushed all the facial bones under the right eye. (Reconstructive surgery) I was fortunate enough to have additional insurance. DAN did not question any aspect of the billing...They promptly paid everything they were supposed to pay, including arranging for return transportation for my wife and I on a different airline than the one we went on. (We lost that return airfare because American would not reinstate our mileage) Now.....I was billed for x-rays and O2 administration, neither of which were provided. I realize that DAN has had some issues (over billing) recently. It would not surprise me in the least if DAN has decided to take a closer look at possible inflated billings, just my opinion. I like DAN.

Regards,

 

[DallasNewbie]

I've never had to use the insurance per se, but I have taken advantage of DAN's medical advice and referals.