Having just had a customer have to pay for their own chopper and chamber rides - US$25,000 or so, and counting - because the insurance they thought would cover them turned out not to, I'd say you're crazy if you don't have specific dive accident evacuation insurance. I gather some people have had problems with DAN in the US, but DAN Asia Pacific are way, way easier to deal with than some travel-policy provider on the other side of the world, who has no idea what DCS is and wants the victim checked at the local hospital (nearest 'real' hospital to here is a two-hour boat ride... Assuming any of the doctors are actually at work when you get there) before they'll consider evac. We've decided as a matter of policy now that nobody gets in the water if they can't show us evacuation cover that specifically includes diving accidents, and we much prefer DAN.
As for cost, when I got bent I worked out the total costs at something north of US$70,000. Not a bad return on the $2,500-odd I've spent on DAN insurance (I have the top-level professional DAN Europe cover, which includes technical diving, instructor liability and all sorts of other stuff) over the years.
As for cost, when I got bent I worked out the total costs at something north of US$70,000. Not a bad return on the $2,500-odd I've spent on DAN insurance (I have the top-level professional DAN Europe cover, which includes technical diving, instructor liability and all sorts of other stuff) over the years.