Is another problem with DAN brewing?

[LSDeep]

the problem is not so much if i am still insured or not, but that this chambers want take my insurance, means i have to front the money myself (what can be substancial) and later try to claim it back.

 

[H2Andy]

according to DAN, you won't be out of pocket:

A. DAN Members will be treated at all SSS recompression chambers
B. DAN Members with Dive Accident Insurance purchased through DAN are fully covered
C. In the event of a dive injury, call the DAN Emergency Hotline immediately
D. DAN will handle all the necessary matters and no DAN member will be out of pocket

 

[fairybasslet]

the problem is not so much if i am still insured or not, but that this chambers want take my insurance, means i have to front the money myself (what can be substancial) and later try to claim it back.

That was of concern to me too, but apparently, there are enough millionaires diving who thought my concern was " hysterical panic" LOL

 

[Henryville]

FYI, just got this from DAN:

Dear DAN Member,


PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM DIVERS ALERT NETWORK (DAN)



We deeply regret that many DAN members and others in the diving
community were the focus of a broadcast email campaign by the SSS
Network. The latest statement from SSS is designed to intimidate and
frighten DAN members, and much of the information is untrue, misleading
and contradicts previous statements from chambers within the SSS
Network. DAN and SSS are in dispute over the excessive treatment
charges, which DAN believes are not reasonable and customary in
comparison to other hyperbaric chambers and will damage the diving
industry long term if not addressed now. By refusing to accept DAN
insurance, SSS is attempting to place the burden of payment on the diver
in order to gain leverage to force DAN's insurer to accept higher
treatment charges.



We find it hard to believe that SSS facilities would be closing due to
insurance issues involving DAN's insurer. SSS has claimed that
insurance purchased through DAN represents only a small percentage of
their business. They have now stated that some of this is being driven
by a slowdown in diving travel, especially to dive locations that
experienced hurricane and tsunami damage. DAN has always supported
remote facilities through our Recompression Chamber Assistance Program
(RCAP). This program is part of the not-for-profit mission of DAN, and
provides equipment to help chambers remain fully operational so they can
remain open and viable and assist divers in need without having to
resort to overcharging injured divers.



The recent SSS press release implies that there is something suspicious
about Accident & General Insurance, Ltd. (AGI), a wholly-owned
subsidiary of DAN that underwrites a portion of the diver accident
insurance purchased through DAN. On the contrary, DAN has referenced
AGI in all of its publications and presentations about DAN. Revenue
generated by AGI supports DAN's mission activities including medical
services and research. No DAN employees receive compensation from AGI.




DAN has worked hard to bring this dispute to an equitable resolution. A
court date is set for early May 2006. A mediation session is scheduled
for late March. The tactics employed by SSS are unfortunate choices in
a dispute that we choose to handle in a more professional manner. While
SSS keeps changing its position (see DAN website for a chronological
records of their statements), DAN has always maintained a consistent
message and approach to the issue:



A. DAN Members will be treated at all SSS recompression chambers

B. DAN Members with Dive Accident Insurance purchased through DAN
are fully covered

C. In the event of a dive injury, call the DAN Emergency Hotline
immediately

D. DAN will handle all the necessary matters and no DAN member will
be out of pocket



DAN has been here to protect divers for over 25 years and during that
time we have been true to our mission to keep divers and our sport as
safe as possible. We will continue to do so. DAN is and will remain
'Your Dive Safety Association'.



Safe Diving,

Hattie Hargraves
Data Entry Specialist,
DAN Services, Inc.
800-446-2671 ext. 344
fax: 919-490-6630
hhargraves@dan.duke.edu
www.diversalertnetwork.org

 

[fairybasslet]

I got that too. My question is, why is it signed from a data entry specialist? Why not the president or someone a little higher in the organization?

 

[Henryville]

I think that is now the question of the hour. Very odd, but perhaps innocent and just poorly thought through.

 

[DandyDon]

In case you missed it - in the Sticky thread, this forum..

Mauricio Moreno has sold 6 of the 9 SSS chambers involved in the dispute. He still owns those in Nassau, Cancun & Cabo San Lucas, and they're still not playing ball, but they're on the market. DAN has arrived at a payment agreement with the owners of the 6 sold units, although the amount of reimbursement is substantially above DAN's reasonable & customary fees.

For those heading to Thailand, the Phuket & Koh Samui facilities are in the clear for the DAN insured among you. For the CZM bound, this means that now both the SSS and Hyperbarica Cozumel facilites are accepting DAN.

Regarding the 3 SSS chambers that have yet to make peace with DAN, the following DAN assurance remains in force---> http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/news/article.asp?newsid=734

In the meantime, Moreno is playing dirty; along with the gratuitous attacks on DAN for its for-profit subsidiaries and performance as a non-profit organization that appear on SSS's website and last email, he has deposed a silly number of DAN, NBS & AGI personnel and even named some in the suit. The suit is scheduled to go to trial in early May, but it's going to mediation in a couple of weeks and it seems hopeful that all will be ironed out during that proceeding.

Stay tuned.

DocVikingo

:cheering:​

 

[LSDeep]

well, you know - i just look at it this way: any dispute (rightfully or not) shouldn't be ridden out on the back of the client (that would be you / us as the insured)! you pay your friggin open bills (customary or not) for treatments of your clients and then you sue or not! i am not insured with dan america (there is according to sss chambers) no problem with any of the other dan subsidaries (not soo sure about the spelling here )). isnt dan in enough rough waters lately about scandals? anyway as i said, i am not with dan america and i still might consider a diff insurance after this runs out mid of this year.
it is great that we have ppl on this board, that can afford to just pick up another insurance "just in case" as a fast out - i cant! i get paid as a dive instr (whats kinda not soo great) and have to have a look at my bucks after all the associated fees and costs to be able to get some decent dive trips in for vacation without breaking the bank. and i dont think i am willing to bankroll dan and strange doings this days, the same way i am not willing to bankroll project aware based on the fact that financial statements are not available - what simply stinks slightly (but thats of the thread).
end of the day, if i part with about $100+ i expect a certain "security" and not a maybe, maybe not situation.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

This is not directly related, but in my experience, how DAN handled claims changed 2-3 years ago. It went from being pretty much a no questions asked "we will pay 100% of what your primary insurance does not cover on any dive related injury" to "it's up to you to prove that we are responsible for paying the claim at all and/or that the injury is without a doubt totally dive related and/or was not complicated by some type of previous medical condition". Consequently it took me 18 months and a trip to the state insurance commision to get reimbuirsed by DAN for what was a relatively speaking a small bill aws dive injury bills go. If we had not had the money available to pay the bill, it would have went to collection long before DAN sent us reimbursement for our costs.

The latest incarnation of DAN's claim processors seem to be of the same ilk as the people who deny claims at other companies and this hurts both patients and providers. I can understand why a provider would be hesitant to accept DAN insurace, when there is no likelyhood of timely payment, especially in cases where the patient is unlikely to be able to pay the bill in the event DAN does not.

I can also understand DAN's concern with paying rates that are over the "Usual and Customary" rates, but I think they need to be paying all of the bills up front until they work out a provider agreement. Additionally, what are often referred to as "Usual and Customary" rates by insurance companies are often insanely low rates compared to what everyone actually charges, so I am often confused about how these rates are derived.

Personally, based on my expereince with DAN, I have opted not to renew with DAN and will continue to insure elsewhere until I see fundamental changes in how they handle claims and a general improvement in customer service.

 

[cdiver2]

This is not directly related, but in my experience, how DAN handled claims changed 2-3 years ago. It went from being pretty much a no questions asked "we will pay 100% of what your primary insurance does not cover on any dive related injury"
QUOTE]

No questions asked Thats how my claim was paid, Jan 2006