is DAN insurance worth it?

[Tfast78]

Even Dave Ramsey thinks DAN is worth it. It's all about transferring the risk... I have my family covered because it would bankrupt me to pay for the things that my health insurance won't cover. So yes, keep it unless you have a million dollars at your disposal.

 

[MAGELLAN]

theduckguru,

No technical diving, but I belive the level of risk for recreational diving still warrants some healthy precaution. Perhaps what I was really searching for is if people felt that DAN was a good investment, if it really delivered, and by the responses it sounds like it can be quite a deal should things go South.

Thanks,

 

[TSandM]

We did a cruise in the South Pacific a couple of years ago. A couple who are friends were joining us on the trip, but their flight came in early, so they went over to Moorea to dive for a day or two before the ship left. When reboarding the boat, our friend fell and broke her arm badly. She was airlifted out of Moorea to Tahiti for x-rays (they have none on Moorea). DAN paid for that. When the films showed a bad fracture, but nothing that had to be operated on immediately, she tried at least to enjoy the cruise. She couldn't tolerate the pain after three days, and DAN arranged first class air travel from where we were to home -- they not only paid for it, they ARRANGED it. If I hadn't thought my DAN insurance worthwhile before that, I did afterwards.

DAN also did very well by me when I fell and broke my face at a local dive site. They no longer cover trauma on land at local sites, but they did at the time. They were slow to pay, but they did pay, and that was what was important to me.

I have DAN Premium insurance, and I will as long as I dive.

 

[theduckguru]

Personally, the DiveAssure Platinum policy fits my needs better than DAN. If I were diving in the US and had descent health insurance, I might opt for their Gold policy. I might also opt for no dive insurance if I had descent health insurance, was diving in the US, and evaluated certain dive related risks to be extremely low.

theduckguru,

No technical diving, but I belive the level of risk for recreational diving still warrants some healthy precaution. Perhaps what I was really searching for is if people felt that DAN was a good investment, if it really delivered, and by the responses it sounds like it can be quite a deal should things go South.

Thanks,

 

[AaronRiot]

Lets say you dive for 35yrs. $100 for the good plan totals $3500. Lets say you decide $3500 for a lifetime of isn't worth it and you have an "issue" 10yrs in ($1000). As another poster quoted ($180,000+) for a save your life situation and the $100 or less a year doesn't seem like much.

I'm glad I have car INS. (as much as I hate the F*****s).

I'm also glad I have dive INS. -----But DAN is reasonable, $100 a year to maybe save your life if God forbid you mess up.

I mess up lots, I bought DAN, and unlike my car INS I get a magazine with awesome stuff in it to read!

GO DAN! .

 

[LaMissJude]

US$60-US$80 per year is not that much, comparing with the price of evacuation, chamber etc if you need it...
As some other posters said, it's a gamble... can you afford it?
Saving 80 bucks a year for this gamble isn't worth it, in my opinion...
Keep your insurance!

 

[Rogersea]

For Divers based in the states, I definitely believe that DAN insurance is a great deal.

Cheers,
Roger

 

[robstrash]

OK, I am renewing and looking at 2 options: Preferred $75) and Master ($40). The main differences are:

Medical Dive Coverate: $250k per occurence vs $125k lifetime
Medical nondiving: $10k vs $0
Dive vacation cancellation $10k vs $0
Dive vacation interruption $5k vs $0

I'm thinking that Master might be OK for now but if I ever have an accident I'd then have to switch over to Preferred since it's per occurrence rather than lifetime. We are doing a 10 live-aboard later in the year but I also have trip insurance for that as well (needed the cancel for any reason for work issues). Trying to figure out if it's worth paying $70 ($35x2 for wife and I) for the Preferred plan.

 

[Wingy]

Its one of those things you hope you dont ever need. I was diving Rangiroa French Polynesia in January and one diver needed urgent medical assistance. First response was provided by the local clinic via telephone consultation with DAN medics in Papeete. Because the Diver did not have DAN insurance his wife needed to provide a $7000 upfront guarantee for the evac chopper to be guaranteed sitting waiting at Papeete if needed. So I guess the q is $80 a year (I have Premium DAN so a little more) or carry 7K in your pocket or have 7K on your credit card just in case. Luckily this all worked out well for the diver but its not something id like to risk.

 

[DandyDon]

OK, I am renewing and looking at 2 options: Preferred $75) and Master ($40). The main differences are:

Medical Dive Coverate: $250k per occurence vs $125k lifetime
Medical nondiving: $10k vs $0
Dive vacation cancellation $10k vs $0
Dive vacation interruption $5k vs $0

I'm thinking that Master might be OK for now but if I ever have an accident I'd then have to switch over to Preferred since it's per occurrence rather than lifetime. We are doing a 10 live-aboard later in the year but I also have trip insurance for that as well (needed the cancel for any reason for work issues). Trying to figure out if it's worth paying $70 ($35x2 for wife and I) for the Preferred plan.

That's just a personal call. The middle plan provides very good coverage, as much as you'd think you could need even in the worse case, but the top plan must pay out a lot more over all for the members for them to charge twice as much for it. Keep in mind that the $10K Medical non-diving coverage is for accidents only, not illnesses. If your trip insurance provides really good benefits & limits, that's something to consider as well, plus your personal and homeowners insurance may provide significant benefits.

Every year I think I will drop to the middle plan, but I don't. I generally also take TravelSafe trip insurance which would also cover diving accidents so I know I have a lot of overlap, but I over insure certain other risks too - better over than under. Just don't consider the cheapest plan as it's a real loser for only $10 less. DAN for Canada no longer offers is; in fact their top plan blows ours away.

Your membership additionally provides up to $100K in emergency evacuation and much more under TravelerAssist: Divers Alert Network - but you do need to arrange all that thru DAN, not just charter a plane, etc.

Its one of those things you hope you dont ever need. I was diving Rangiroa French Polynesia in January and one diver needed urgent medical assistance. First response was provided by the local clinic via telephone consultation with DAN medics in Papeete. Because the Diver did not have DAN insurance his wife needed to provide a $7000 upfront guarantee for the evac chopper to be guaranteed sitting waiting at Papeete if needed. So I guess the q is $80 a year (I have Premium DAN so a little more) or carry 7K in your pocket or have 7K on your credit card just in case. Luckily this all worked out well for the diver but its not something id like to risk.

Depending on where he was from, you have to wonder how anyone can dive without DAN?! It's not the same for residents of other countries I know, but for Americans - just essential. I've seen two different divers flown back to the US who would probably not have survived otherwise.