Hi,
I would like to share my experience during my last trip to Cebu. I will try to make it short, and as conciese as possible. Before that, I want to split this post in two parts: Part 1 is the experience in Cebu getting the treatment done. Part 2 is the claim with Diveassure.
Part 1:
I'm there for a CCR training (45m trimix), is the 4th day and at the end of the dive I'm not feeling great but I keep doing my thing. I skip the details but basically after arriving to a restaurant for dinner I feel vertigo and I cannot stand by myself (after further assesment, is probably caused by dehydration and fatigue).
The restaurant helped calling a hospital for an ambulance. They confirmed, but after a while they said they cannot send the ambulance. I ended up going to the hospital by taxi.
The first hospital did not have a chamber (expected, as was the nearest hospital to the restaurant), but they did not wanted to provide me O2 although I told them I probably had DCS. They send me to another hospital, where there was supposed to be a chamber. The first hospital could not arrange an ambulance, but was the waiter from the restaurant (that come with us) that had a friend running the ambulance business that arranged it for me (can you belive that?). When I got into the ambulance they asked about the O2 and I told them the situation. They gave me O2 during the ride.
We arrived to the second hospital, where the first hospital was supposed to call and alert them about my arrival. Apparently, they had no notice of my arrival and 'their chamber was not for medical use'. Why there is a chamber in a hospital, if not for medical use ? This is like 10pm already.
They direct us to a third hospital (Cebu Doctor's University Hospital), we get there and first they don't want to take me in because the chamber does not operate until 9am ... I told them I need to be at least assesed by a doctor, took a while back and forth, finally they took me in and spent the night there. Treated for 2 sessions and done. The hyperbaric doctor told me : 'this is the only hyperbaric chamber with an hyperbaric doctor in the whole Cebu Island' (just sharing, not sure if is true or not). And 'DAN insurance is not accepted in this hospital because of some previous dispute'. I had 'Diveassure', and basically I paid all up front.
Part 2:
I called Diveassure from the restaurant just after the vertigo episode happened. They picked up the phone, but they were not very helpfull, basically they told me go to the hospital and get all the receipts. I had a few more calls during the following days and was a similar experience. They did not tell me go to this hospital or guide me in any way. Just sharing, as some people may want a bit more of caring in this kind of situation.
Back home, the claim process. The start is simple, they send you a form and ask the receipts. That's OK, but from that moment, It has been 3 times I have been asked to provide the receipts and travel itinerary and the amount claimed. Seems they have some subsidiary companies handling the claims and they keep on delaying the reimbursment. My incident was back in December 2022, 28th. The claim was submitted mid January and I'm still waiting the money. Today was the last time I got an emal requesting the same stuff again.
Luckily, this was not a massive medical expense, but I can imagine the trouble for a bigger amount in some other country.
Just sharing,
jordi
I would like to share my experience during my last trip to Cebu. I will try to make it short, and as conciese as possible. Before that, I want to split this post in two parts: Part 1 is the experience in Cebu getting the treatment done. Part 2 is the claim with Diveassure.
Part 1:
I'm there for a CCR training (45m trimix), is the 4th day and at the end of the dive I'm not feeling great but I keep doing my thing. I skip the details but basically after arriving to a restaurant for dinner I feel vertigo and I cannot stand by myself (after further assesment, is probably caused by dehydration and fatigue).
The restaurant helped calling a hospital for an ambulance. They confirmed, but after a while they said they cannot send the ambulance. I ended up going to the hospital by taxi.
The first hospital did not have a chamber (expected, as was the nearest hospital to the restaurant), but they did not wanted to provide me O2 although I told them I probably had DCS. They send me to another hospital, where there was supposed to be a chamber. The first hospital could not arrange an ambulance, but was the waiter from the restaurant (that come with us) that had a friend running the ambulance business that arranged it for me (can you belive that?). When I got into the ambulance they asked about the O2 and I told them the situation. They gave me O2 during the ride.
We arrived to the second hospital, where the first hospital was supposed to call and alert them about my arrival. Apparently, they had no notice of my arrival and 'their chamber was not for medical use'. Why there is a chamber in a hospital, if not for medical use ? This is like 10pm already.
They direct us to a third hospital (Cebu Doctor's University Hospital), we get there and first they don't want to take me in because the chamber does not operate until 9am ... I told them I need to be at least assesed by a doctor, took a while back and forth, finally they took me in and spent the night there. Treated for 2 sessions and done. The hyperbaric doctor told me : 'this is the only hyperbaric chamber with an hyperbaric doctor in the whole Cebu Island' (just sharing, not sure if is true or not). And 'DAN insurance is not accepted in this hospital because of some previous dispute'. I had 'Diveassure', and basically I paid all up front.
Part 2:
I called Diveassure from the restaurant just after the vertigo episode happened. They picked up the phone, but they were not very helpfull, basically they told me go to the hospital and get all the receipts. I had a few more calls during the following days and was a similar experience. They did not tell me go to this hospital or guide me in any way. Just sharing, as some people may want a bit more of caring in this kind of situation.
Back home, the claim process. The start is simple, they send you a form and ask the receipts. That's OK, but from that moment, It has been 3 times I have been asked to provide the receipts and travel itinerary and the amount claimed. Seems they have some subsidiary companies handling the claims and they keep on delaying the reimbursment. My incident was back in December 2022, 28th. The claim was submitted mid January and I'm still waiting the money. Today was the last time I got an emal requesting the same stuff again.
Luckily, this was not a massive medical expense, but I can imagine the trouble for a bigger amount in some other country.
Just sharing,
jordi
