Nurse Shark Attack!

[nimoh]

Buying dive & trip insurance both from DAN may mean that the coverages supplement each other. I get my trip insurance elsewhere, which means that they might split some expenses - but more maximum coverage.

If he has Preferred level, the non-diving accident coverage will cover him, even if wading is not considered skin diving. Otherwise, hard to know for sure.

The DAN dive insurance handbook says the top two plans cover "All covered in-water skin- and scuba diving injuries" while the bottom plan which is a lousy one only $10/year cheaper but many take without looking closely only covers DCI.

since it appears that you pulled that quote out of the handbook, I will point out how meaningless the statement is. You could also say "all covered injuries are covered".

 

[Christi]

Public Hospital = Social Security Hospital = Your LAST resort for care if you CAN't afford anything else. (And I don't know that they will take someone without MX Social Security?)

Private Hospital /Clinic = Where you go if you care about the care.

In Mexico, people buy private insurance so they don't have to go to SS hospital.

Not completely true. There are a couple of public hospitals AND there is the Social Security/IMSS Hospital - but they are not one in the same.

Most hospitals on the island are private and referred to as clinics, so do't let the semantics confuse you due to language/cultural translations and meanings.

Clinica San Miguel = private hospital
CMC = Costamed Clinic or Cozumel Medical Center - private hospital
Islamed Clinic = private hospital
International CLinic = private clinic/hospital

While all very small - just like in a small town - they all have hospital facilities, some more expansive than others. These are the "main" hospitals/clinics and where 90% of the people go - tourist or island resident.

Also FYI - ALL of the Dr.'s that work in the public and IMSS hospitals are the same Dr.'s that work in the private hospitals. Thye volunteer time at the public facilities often as part of repayment of their medical school financing.

I had major 7 hour surgery at CMC last year and have nothing but praise for the medical staff and facilities - small yes, but not inadequate.

I have also been inpatient at San Miguel and International Clinic - again very small but excellent care.

I will be having another major surgery in the next week or two - but most likely in Mexico City due to special equipment and procedures available there that are not available here - otherwise, I would not hesitate to have surgery here.

Those who think that medical care in Mexico is inferior simply because it's Mexico need to do some research. Medical care in Mexico is among the top 5 or 6 in the world in cast an quality.

 

[DandyDon]

Dan coverage depends on where it is purchased. I checked into it last week. We have DAN Insurance but it will not cover anything non diving. I had read stories of them doing so in DAN magazine so I PHONED them to confirm what they would nor would not cover for my upcoming trip to North America. I couldn't get Non dive coverate from them. Had to purchase trip insurance elsewhere.

Most important thing is to be sure what you are covered for before you leave and need it!

I noticed that the plans for Canadians are now different from the plans for Americans. Canada dropped the junky Basic plan and added a larger top plan. You can't buy either, tho.

since it appears that you pulled that quote out of the handbook, I will point out how meaningless the statement is. You could also say "all covered injuries are covered".

[-]I got it off of the comparison chart: www.diversalertnetwork.org/insurance/compare.asp[/-] No, you're right; I got it off of the handbook. :silly:

But yeah, you're right - plus they don't define skin diving.

 

[cvchief]

Not completely true. There are a couple of public hospitals AND there is the Social Security/IMSS Hospital - but they are not one in the same.

Most hospitals on the island are private and referred to as clinics, so do't let the semantics confuse you due to language/cultural translations and meanings.

Clinica San Miguel = private hospital
CMC = Costamed Clinic - private hospital
Islamed Clinic = private hospital
International CLinic = private clinic/hospital

While all very small - just like in a small town - they all have hospital facilities, some more expansive than others.

Also FYI - ALL of the Dr.'s that work in the public and IMSS hospitals are the same Dr.'s that work in the private hospitals. Thye volunteer time at the public facilities often as part of repayment of their medical school financing.

I had major 7 hour surgery at CMC last year and have nothing but praise for the medical staff and facilities - small yes, but not inadequate.

I have also been inpatient at San Miguel and International Clinic - again very small but excellent care.

I will be having another major surgery in the next week or two - but most likely in Mexico City due to special equipment and procedures available there that are not available here - otherwise, I would not hesitate to have surgery here.

Those who think that medical care in Mexico is inferior simply because it's Mexico need to do some research. Medical care in Mexico is among the top 5 or 6 in the world in cast an quality.

Where are the other public hospitals on the Island?

 

[Christi]

Where are the other public hospitals on the Island?

There is one on Calle 1 back between 55 and 60 - in that vicinity

There is the General Hospital on 11th between 15 and 20

And the IMSS Hospital is on 11th at the corner of 30th (it's dark green). Our IMSS facility is very small, but in other parts of Mexico - even in Playa and Cancun the IMSS hospitals are very big and much nicer. Patients are often transferred there for more serious cases due to better facilities.

Pedro's father was recently very ill and was transferred to Cancun IMSS and received excellent care, actually saved his life and is making a full recovery.

 

[Skittl1321]

then you don't have to worry about lying or insurance fraud

I was being facetious. I wouldn't expect DAN to cover me if I was attacked by a shark while hanging out at a beach club (but if I was snorkeling, by their definition, it sounds like it's a dive). Of course, it's pretty unlikely I'll be attacked by a shark at all... this was a truly rare event.

 

[Mossman]

Incorrect. Correct answer depends on which plan. All three DAN dive insurance plans cover Snorkeling/Skin Diving but only two of those cover Other Dive Injury Medical Expense than Decompression Illness Expense. The top Preferred Plan additionally inclused $10,000 for Medical Non-Dive Accident Coverage Occurring outside home country.

Not incorrect. I said "Dive accident coverage should not" and it doesn't. The preferred plan includes non-dive accident coverage in addition to dive accident coverage, but the other plans do not.

---------- Post added April 21st, 2014 at 07:50 AM ----------

Read a great article, in DAN magazine if I recall right, not too long ago about some SCUBA Divers who had Dive Alert Network (DAN) Insurance. Out west practicing for a bicycle race in the mountains. Mechanical issue with the rented bikes and crashed resulting in injury. DAN paid for the medevac helicopter and subsequent treatment. Another article in DAN Magazine was about treatment for a spider bite while on land before going out on the boat. Bottom line, you were on a dive trip and were injured on the off gassing day before the flight while in the water. Worth filing a claim and see what they say. They are the experts, we are not, on what they will and will not pay.

The answer is spelled out in detail in the definition section. A dive begins when a diver enters the water and ends as soon as the diver leaves the water. A spider bite on land would not be considered a Diving Accident. When J broke her ankle after just walking out of the water in Bonaire, it was not considered by DAN to be a Diving Accident because she had officially terminated her dive as soon as she exited the water, notwithstanding that she still had a heavy tank on her back when the injury occurred.

---------- Post added April 21st, 2014 at 08:00 AM ----------

If he has DAN Preferred plan through PADI Americas it covers non-diving related accidents while on a dive vacation - even a slip and fall. This plan is only available through PADI Americas I believe.

Get the preferred plan through PADI America and you're covered - then you don't have to worry about lying or insurance fraud

That is true. However, the preferred plan is limited to $10,000 of coverage for non-dive accidents. That may suffice for nurse shark bites while wading, but not for injuries from more serious sharks. Also, it only covers non-diving "accidents" and would exclude coverage for heart attacks, dengue fever, etc. Therefore, instead of getting the preferred plan, I usually get the cheaper master plan and supplement that with third party trip insurance that offers far more medical coverage.

---------- Post added April 21st, 2014 at 08:04 AM ----------

www.diversalertnetwork.org/insurance/compare.asp[/URL]

But yeah, you're right - plus they don't define skin diving.

The handbook doesn't even mention skin diving. It defines Covered Dive and Covered Dive Accident. Basically, a Covered Dive means a "recreational dive". Of course it doesn't define recreational dive, but I think it would be hard to call snorkeling off the beach a "recreational dive".

 

[Christi]

I was being facetious. I wouldn't expect DAN to cover me if I was attacked by a shark while hanging out at a beach club (but if I was snorkeling, by their definition, it sounds like it's a dive). Of course, it's pretty unlikely I'll be attacked by a shark at all... this was a truly rare event.

Why wouldn't you expect them to cover you if you had the preferred plan and that was part of the coverage? That's WHY we have insurance, for accidents - doesn't place fault or liability on anyone else, but that is what insurance is for - it's not frivolous - unless one doesn't have coverage for said event and tries to claim that they were participating in another activity.

 

[DandyDon]

Not incorrect. I said "Dive accident coverage should not" and it doesn't. The preferred plan includes non-dive accident coverage in addition to dive accident coverage, but the other plans do not.

The $10K accident coverage is a feature/benefit of the Preferred dive insurance plan.

The handbook doesn't even mention skin diving. It defines Covered Dive and Covered Dive Accident. Basically, a Covered Dive means a "recreational dive". Of course it doesn't define recreational dive, but I think it would be hard to call snorkeling off the beach a "recreational dive".

Incorrect: It does...

 

[Skittl1321]

Why wouldn't you expect them to cover you if you had the preferred plan and that was part of the coverage? That's WHY we have insurance, for accidents - doesn't place fault or liability on anyone else, but that is what insurance is for - it's not frivolous - unless one doesn't have coverage for said event and tries to claim that they were participating in another activity.

Well, if I had the preferred plan, then I'd expect them to cover me.
My comment about snorkeling didn't say anything about the preferred plan though- it was about whether if the guy was snorkeling instead of wading, would DAN cover him. It's possible to snorkel with a beer in your hand. They don't just cover SCUBA dives. It appears their handbook actually doesn't say what they consider an official "skin dive"- so would wading with a snorkel, and sticking your head down to see things actually count (which is how I typically snorkel, whether I can touch the ground or not; I rarely submerge myself), or do you need to be breaking an actual depth limit akin to competitive free diving?

DAN preferred plan isn't really an economical option for -me-, because I have much better insurance available at a much lower cost for non-dive related things.