It pays to check your insurance

[audission]

Incidentally how common is a case of the bends when diving within NDL and without a fast ascent etc?

The original story doesn't seem to add up.

 

[DandyDon]

Hmm, I'd be more concerned about the no unguided that the 30m max. Does this mean no coverage for shore diving (no DM)?

Yep! :11:

Better chack and see if Blue cross covers a ride in the chamber. Last time i looked they didn't.

If not - and I suspect many medical plans exclude such, or scuba in general, then DAN pays 100%.

I know Canadians who do not need DAN for local diving, but for crossing the St.Lawrence to dive US waters, or for trips outside of the country, carry DAN.

Anyone not willing to pay $100 a year form dive insurnace is cutting their dive budget too tight.

 

[Arizona]

Incidentally how common is a case of the bends when diving within NDL and without a fast ascent etc?

The original story doesn't seem to add up.
__________________________________

Agreed!

 

[ERIC.K]

Funny for me, with our medical insurance is the Humana reps insist that if you need the treatment, they will pay for it....actually got into a tiff with them, I cannot believe that they would pay for an evac, and a chamber ride, can't get them to lower my medicine co-pays, can't believe that they would pay for a chamber ride. how much is even a minor DCS hit? Even if your insurance pays say 80% you could be stuck with bills for 50,000 or more?

 

[DandyDon]

Incidentally how common is a case of the bends when diving within NDL and without a fast ascent etc?

The original story doesn't seem to add up.
__________________________________

Agreed!

Oh, very rare - that's why dive insurance is so cheap.

But would you want to risk bankruptcy, or perhaps being denied treatment and maybe even paralyzed by accepting the risk uninsured....?

 

[genxweb]

Not to start a fight abotu what insurance is better but for the amount of money we as divers spend a year on gear, air, travel and what not. We should all have some type of dive insurance. For myself I chose the top of the line DAN coverage which runs me under 100 dollars a year, which is chump change in this sport when you add up all your other costs. This provides me the peace of mind that god forbid something happens to me I will get the best help that is possiable without having to worry about who is paying for it.

 

[String]

Regular insurance policies are normally partial coverages only, like 80%. That is what mine is with Blue Cross. I presume that DAN covers 100% of a chamber visit, if that were ever needed.

Here they cover 100%.


*IF* you stay within the guidelines.

This woman had diving insurance cover - she WAS covered for diving. However she chose to break the limits of that policy.

 

[String]

Incidentally how common is a case of the bends when diving within NDL and without a fast ascent etc?

The original story doesn't seem to add up.

Its rare but it can happen.

So called "undeserved hits" arent unheard of. Everyones body is different. The only way to never get bent is to never dive. THATS what insurance is for.

Although im not convinced about her normal dive, slow ascent story due to the rapid onset and severity of DCS symptoms. Hints to me that possibly rapid ascent and/or some stops missed as the symptoms appeared within minutes of ending the dive.

But the fact is if she'd dive within the limits of insurance she'd be covered. She didnt and isnt no matter how it occured.

 

[Ocean One]

Most of the talk has been about what the insurance company will and will not cover..How about NOT diving beyond your certification level, training, and experience to begin with. Along with dive insurance your personal health insurance may refuse to cover you if you exceed your diving certification.

 

[robway034]

I just have one "scenario" question: what if, for what ever reason (say equipment failure or getting caught in a wierd current or....), you have an uncontrolled/accidental "descent" that leads to your DCS or accident? I can only imagine how much of nightmare it would be with the insurance pit-bulls (aka lawyers) over that type of mishap!

BTW: I fully agree with "dive within your certs" but the idea is that we are talking about ACCIDENTS ya know....sheet happens type stuff! After Katrina and the horror stories I've heard coming out about INS Companies....I am considering having an attorney review all of my insurance policies including DAN. Like it would do any good, huh?