Thread Split - DAN insurance for Cozumel DM's?

[Crush]

Not wanting to clutter this thread with an off-topic post I searched the Accidents & Incidents forum for a sister thread where I could learn more about the incident itself. I was unable to find any such thread. Can someone point me in the right direction?

Thanks. Sorry to hear about the incident.

 

[mike_s]

I have now seen several conflicting reports on whether Coz DM's can or can not even purchase DAN insurance

Who knows the truth, and can supply the facts? Please.

FYI everyone. From the DAN website.

DAN Divers Alert Network : Insurance : Diving Accident Insurance Plan


This is the page where you choose the plan in which to buy.


says:

DAN America membership and dive accident insurance are available to residents of the United States and Canada​

Based on this, doesn't look like you can purchase DAN if you are legally a Mexican resident.



EDIT:

Looks like it is available to "dive professionals" who live in countries eligible. (like the US and Canada)

Eligibility for DAN insurance includes any recreational scuba diver or snorkeler (including instructors and divemasters supervising recreational diving activities) who is a DAN Member and resident of the countries eligible for DAN insurance coverage.​

Their "DAN Member Benefits Handbook" says it's not available for commercial divers though.

reference page 18 of http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/membership/handbook.pdf

 

[gypsyjim]

Thanks Mike. Your Thanks button is a bit novel, too, I see .

 

[Crush]

I have now seen several conflicting reports on whether Coz DM's can or can not even purchase DAN insurance

Who knows the truth, and can supply the facts? Please.

You cannot purchase DAN insurance from the DAN America website (which is the one that you most likely visit) unless you live in Canada or the USA.

For some reason, despite the fact that Mexico is located in North America, the country of Mexico falls under the jurisdiction of DAN World (see https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/world/). At that website you will find the following statement:

The Traveler EMS 'Prepared Diver', 'Mexico-Prepared Diver', 'Mexico Local Diver', 'Brazil Prepared Diver ', and 'Brazil local diver' programs are custom designed for your region. Clients of Traveler EMS who purchase one of these customized programs will also have access to benefits offered by DAN World at no additional cost.

The wording is clearly directed towards non-dive professionals. I could not determine (from a quick glance) whether dive professionals are explicitly excluded.

 

[lsorenson]

This is DAN's subsidiary Traveler EMS... I am waiting on a call to verify Pro's can obtain this insurance as it seems a little vague...

:: Traveler EMS ::
:: Traveler EMS ::

I apologize if I am the one who got the thread off track but this is why I asked in post #3 to please be another thread so this one was somewhat clean...

Disappointed that dive professionals did not have insurance but that is another thread... Please, please, PLEASE let that be another thread...!

lee

 

[lsorenson]

Their "DAN Member Benefits Handbook" says it's not available for commercial divers though.

reference page 18 of http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/membership/handbook.pdf

Your referring to this statement...

Classification of Eligible Persons
All dues-paying Members of DAN who are residents of an eligible country. (For a complete list of eligible countries, contact DAN Member Relations at 1-800-446-2671.) Commercial Divers are not eligible.

Not sure this includes DM's or such... More like underwater welders and such but I am still waiting to get the official word from TravelerEMS... Besides, TravelerEMS should be a different handbook but that is just an assumption and there have been many made...!

I find this interesting... found in TravelerEMS Page 10 http://www.travelerems.com/pdf/BenefitsHandbook.pdf

Covered Dive means snorkeling, breath hold diving, recreational diving, or diving while a scuba instructor, dive master, underwater photographer, or while performing research for a state or national government agency or university and following the diving safety guidelines of the American Academy of Underwater Scientists (AAUS) or any other recognized scientific body. A Covered Dive begins upon entry into the water and ends upon exit from the water. Except as specifically provided above, a dive for commercial or business purposes is not a Covered Dive. A Covered Dive must begin while coverage is in force.
Custodial Care

lee

 

[mike_s]

Your referring to this statement...

Not sure this includes DM's or such... More like underwater welders and such but I am still waiting to get the offical word from TravelerEMS...

lee

And if you'll read the paragraph above it, you'll notice that regular DAN insurance INCLUDES "including instructors and divemasters supervising recreational diving activities"


However, if it was a person who might be working salvage operation, and happened to be a dive master, that would likely fall under "commercial diving" and would not be considered "supervising recreational diving activities".

so doesn't appear it would be covered in all cases. makes sense.

 

[lsorenson]

Mike, fair enough but I think I edited my post to include that statement while you were posting... I did find the exact wording (almost) in the Dan handbook dated 2010...

 

[Christi]

For clarification -we can PURCHASE it - but for other reasons - DAN will not cover local dive professionals working and living in Cozumel.

Some of you may remember the controversy a couple of years back with DAN and the local chambers here and in a few other Caribbean locations. There were excessive claims being filed and most locals do not have primary insurance. As a result of this, DAN cut off coverage to local dive professionals actually working in the industry.

Now there is coverage for us - but it is with limitations and I am not 100% sure if it has gone into effect yet.

Dr. Piccolo, who happens to be the Dr. that treated me for my DCS has been working with DAN over the past year or two to come up with a treatment coverage plan for local professionals. Dr. Piccolo will treat locals when needed at greatly reduced fees and DAN will cover up to $5000 USD from my understanding. trhis would not include any additioanl expenses such as hospitalization if needed.

Fortunately, when I took my DCS hit at the end of Feruary, I had (still have) primary medical insurance and we filed with them. Payment is still pending as we had to appeal the claim because tey originally denied it. However, there are no exclusions in my policy and I was honest on my application for medical coverage - so we are optimistic that the claim will be paid.

As far as my DAN coverage, I am covered if on a recreational dive trip away from Cozumel just as any of you would be within policy limits, etc.


I hope this clarifies this issue.

 

[driftin' by]

Not sure this includes DM's or such... More like underwater welders and such but I am still waiting to get the official word from TravelerEMS... Besides, TravelerEMS should be a different handbook but that is just an assumption and there have been many made...!

Commercial divers and dive professionals are 2 very different career paths. A Commercial diver would be covered under their employers insurance and most likely, all expenses covered at 100%. For most, part of their job requires regular rides in an on-site decompression chamber immediately following their dives. Dive professionals work in the recreational diving industry and while their salary is significantly less, they're on the own for accident coverage.

On many trips to Cozumel, I've had the luxury and pleasure of diving with the same DM over the course of a week. Between my wife and I, I know I've tipped that particular DM enough to easily cover the cost of what I pay for DAN Preferred plan for at least 2 years. Now I understand that the price I pay for the Preferred DAN plan maybe considerable less given that I'm not a diving professional therefore I log a fraction of the dives they do and that I'm a US Citizen. If it were available to them, could it really cost twice as much? Very seldom do you hear about dive professionals getting into trouble therefore from an insurer standpoint, the risk would seem very low.

I've become good friends with this particular DM and I tip him more than average because of the level of service he offers. I understand that not everyone tips (shame on you) and that some DM's don't get tipped enough and if that's the case, they're probably not cut out for customer service type work. I'm shocked to hear that 2 of the victims don't have insurance and I understand that they have other expenses, like the rest of us, but honestly, it seems like a token amount given it's the basis of their livelihood and in terms of what I know they can potentially earn from tips. Again, that is assuming it's available to them.