Recompression Chamber in Bahamas Dumps DAN America

[Daylonious]

Bahamas Recompression Chamber dumps DAN insurance (USA Only) due to disputes on payments for treatment of recompression illness. Important to know if you're planning a diving trip to the Bahamas.

Personally I am insured with Dive Assure.

D.

http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=26519104087

Nassau, Bahamas (January 23, 2006) In a press release effective today, the Bahamas Hyperbaric Centre, LTD announced that they will no longer accept the Divers Alert Network (DAN) America insurance for payment of diving related injuries. All divers traveling to the Bahamas are advised to either secure appropriate dive insurance from a source other than DAN America or be prepared to pay out-of-pocket for any treatments related to possible diving accidents that might require a recompression chamber. The Bahamasm hyperbaric clinic will continue to treat all patients as medically necessary.

The Bahamas Hyperbaric Center is said to be faced with increased financial pressures to keep its facility operational and its staff on ready alert, and as such, can no longer accept Dan America insurance as payment for services.

This action only applies to DAN America (not DAN Europe, DAN Southern Africa, DAN S.E. Asia - Pacific, or DAN Japan), as DAN America is the only insurance carrier that has not settled its claims with the Bahamas Hyperbaric Centre, LTD. It is worth noting that the other DAN World organizations, PADI, Insurance and all other dive insurers worldwide, including major medical health programs in the United States and Europe, including National Health programs have settled satisfactorily claims for hyperbaric medical services with our company and continue to be accepted at the chamber.

This announcement comes on the heals of a similar announcement by SSS (Sub-aquatic Safety Services), with chambers in Mexico, Belize and Thailand, that they would no longer accept insurance from DAN America over billing disputes.

DAN responded to the earlier announcement saying the dispute was over what constituted “reasonable and customary” charges for treatment of decompression illness. DAN claims Mr. Mauricio Moreno, owner of SSS, says his charges are “reasonable and customary,” even if the charges are significantly higher than similar services elsewhere.

 

[ekremer]

This is old news, and I think most people on these boards beleive it is a fake.

 

[pete340]

This announcement comes on the heals of a similar announcement by SSS (Sub-aquatic Safety Services), with chambers in Mexico, Belize and Thailand, that they would no longer accept insurance from DAN America over billing disputes.

Funny thing: they neglected to mention that Bahamas Hyperbaric Center (the subject of the current announcement) is run by SSS (www.sssnetwork.com/bahamas/index.htm). It's disgusting when business negotiations are taken public like this.

 

[pete340]

Bahamas Recompression Chamber dumps DAN insurance (USA Only) due to disputes on payments for treatment of recompression illness. Important to know if you're planning a diving trip to the Bahamas.

Their web site (www.sssnetwork/bahamas/index.htm) has some fascinating stuff in it. I particularly like their extor^h^h^h^h^hfee system, where participating dive operators charge $1 per tank and remit it to BRC at the end of each month. If you don't pay it but need services, they require a $2500 deposit and charge $800 per hour. If you do pay it, but don't have insurance, they charge "a mere cost-recovery fee, which is a nominal payment." Pretty clear where their ethics are.

 

[Daylonious]

Whatever the reason is if they don't take DAN (and most divers use DAN) - it's good to know in advance if you're planning a trip there - that's all I was saying.

D.

 

[detroit diver]

This is old news, and I think most people on these boards beleive it is a fake.

Actually, it's not a fake at all. They do not accept DAN America.

If you're in the Bahamas with DAN America insurance and you get bent, you get a couple of choices:

1. Pay for the transportation and treatment out of pocket (ouch).
2. Get different insurance (ie diveassure) before going and be completely covered.
3. Call DAN and wait to see where they suggest you do. On a different dive board, a DAN board member suggested that they would fly you back to Miami to treat you. For me, that's not good enough. The longer I'm in pain and bent, the more damage to my body.

As a previous post suggested, this may be a pressure play by the chamber operator to get more money from DAN. Nevertheless, as a diver I have to make sure that whereever I am, that in case of a problem I have access to the fastest and most competent treatment available. I have purchased Diveassure insurance for a trip in 2 weeks to the Bahamas. I already have DAN insurance, but what choice do I really have?

 

[Fred R.]

Actually, the chamber in question is on New Providence, in Nassau. Since the Bahamas is an archipelago nation, which means 'made up of many islands', unless you are diving with the one or two operators left on that island, the question is moot. If you have to fly to get treatment, your more sane choice is to fly to one of Florida's chambers, which evac DAN or Diveassure will cover if you allow them to arrange it.

I don't think the case is only of the chamber operator looking for more money, DAN probably is trying to force business to chambers where they have more influence. There is some nasty 'politics' going on.

Fred R.
Grand Bahama Scuba

 

[pete340]

Actually, it's not a fake at all. They do not accept DAN America.

Well, that's what the article says. The web site for Bahamas Hyperbaric Centre doesn't have a copy of the press release, but it does give contact information for DAN in the US.

 

[RadRob]

This is all in the other thread, but here it is again. If you NEED to go to that chamber, call DAN first. They will contact the chamber and wire money at that time if need be. They will not let you go without treatment. My opinion is to go to the chamber in FL to avoid the BS. Other destinations, you may not have that option.

 

[DWJ]

I travel and dive all over the world. The problem for me and I'm sure for many divers has been that we are blissfully ignorant of medical care and treatment facilities in the places we go. I have always simply taken for granted that my DAN insurance which supplments my regular Health insurance would be sufficent to A) get me or my family member treatment and B) not financially destroy me . I guess I trusted DAN and now that trust has certinly been shaken. Politics or not, I think that to be truly safe, I'll also have to carry a third insurance policy such as what Detroit Diver is doing.

I can't help but think if one vender is questioning "fair and Reasonable" then others must be as well. This is probably not an isolated case, only the first to bubble to the public domain.