Update on my "bent" friend...

[Tim Ingersoll]

My understanding is that no dive insurance makes direct payments to third party providers. You pay the provider and insurance company pays you. If there is an exception I'll gladly cancel my DAN and go with whatever company makes direct payment.

 

[Christi]

My understanding is that no dive insurance makes direct payments to third party providers. You pay the provider and insurance company pays you. If there is an exception I'll gladly cancel my DAN and go with whatever company makes direct payment.

Not true at all.

Dr. Piccolo regularly bills DAN directly as a courtesy to the patient. The patient simply signs a release authorizing direct payment to the provider. DAN payed them direct for my case, as well as several other people I know. Dive Assure will also pay the provider directly with an authorization. I am sure PADI is the same.

The chamber on Calle 5 across from Aldora requires payment first and then you have to worry about getting the money back.

I'm sure it depends more on the policies of the provider than the insurance company.

 

[Rick Inman]

Not true at all.

Dr. Piccolo regularly bills DAN directly as a courtesy to the patient. The patient simply signs a release authorizing direct payment to the provider. DAN payed them direct for my case, as well as several other people I know. Dive Assure will also pay the provider directly with an authorization. I am sure PADI is the same.

The chamber on Calle 5 across from Aldora requires payment first and then you have to worry about getting the money back.

I'm sure it depends more on the policies of the provider than the insurance company.

Piccolo.... Piccolo....
Just making a mental note of that name... not that I plan on needing it.

 

[BigJetDriver]

By the way...a real update!

On another positive note, last night, my friend received a personal call from a very high ranking executive from the DAN Insurance company. He assured my friend that the money would be reimbursed by DAN before he even returned home. They were cutting a check for the full amount, inlcluding the hospital charges at that very moment.

Happy ending to a not so happy story

Christi,

Upon reading your posts, I contacted a friend of mine who is, as they say, "well-respected within the organization" and informed him of the situation.

He was very surprised to hear about the problems, and promised me he would make some calls "immediately". It seems, in fact, that he did.

I would have to say that this is a VERY unusual situation when it comes to the outstanding service that DAN provides to our diving community. The NORM is that DAN service professionals get on the job when notified, and MAKE THINGS HAPPEN for the diver in trouble.

As a long-time professional member of DAN, I would like to ask that you give my personal, and professional apologies to your friend. I am sorry that there was any hiccup in the normally smooth flow of assistance that DAN provides.

Sincerely,

Rob Davie

 

[Christi]

Christi,

Upon reading your posts, I contacted a friend of mine who is, as they say, "well-respected within the organization" and informed him of the situation.

He was very surprised to hear about the problems, and promised me he would make some calls "immediately". It seems, in fact, that he did.

I would have to say that this is a VERY unusual situation when it comes to the outstanding service that DAN provides to our diving community. The NORM is that DAN service professionals get on the job when notified, and MAKE THINGS HAPPEN for the diver in trouble.

As a long-time professional member of DAN, I would like to ask that you give my personal, and professional apologies to your friend. I am sorry that there was any hiccup in the normally smooth flow of assistance that DAN provides.

Sincerely,

Rob Davie

Thank you Rob!

Clearly I was emotionally involved with the situation because this person is a close friend and I have been preoccupied and worried about him and his family for the past two weeks. He was in critical condition when I initially took him to the chamber, and I shutter to think of what would have been if I hadn't called to make dinner plans (he thought he had a bad case of food poisoning or something and was going to wait it out until the next day) I was present for about 99% of everything, and although I wasn't happy with what was going on at the time, they did right in the end and stood by the mission that DAN represents, which makes me feel a whole lot better. Once the right people at DAN were involved, things happened fast and fairly.

I did receive a nice letter from DAN as well and my friend received a personal phone call from Dan Orr, which was impressive. In light of all of the chain of events, I now suspect your phone call to them was instrumental, so thank you

Everyone is happy now..the Dr. is paid, my friend is not out-of-pocket a penny and of course on the road to a full recovery, and DAN has lived up to their reputation of being a good friend to divers in need.

 

[DiverColt]

Thank you Rob!

Clearly I was emotionally involved with the situation because this person is a close friend and I have been preoccupied and worried about him and his family for the past two weeks. He was in critical condition when I initially took him to the chamber, and I shutter to think of what would have been if I hadn't called to make dinner plans (he thought he had a bad case of food poisoning or something and was going to wait it out until the next day) I was present for about 99% of everything, and although I wasn't happy with what was going on at the time, they did right in the end and stood by the mission that DAN represents, which makes me feel a whole lot better. Once the right people at DAN were involved, things happened fast and fairly.

I did receive a nice letter from DAN as well and my friend received a personal phone call from Dan Orr, which was impressive. In light of all of the chain of events, I now suspect your phone call to them was instrumental, so thank you

Everyone is happy now..the Dr. is paid, my friend is not out-of-pocket a penny, and DAN has lived up to their reputation of being a good friend to divers in need.

I hope everybody doesn't abandon their DAN insurance based on the last couple threads by Christi. Looks like DAN did what they were supposed to do.

There is always more to the story.

 

[Christi]

I hope everybody doesn't abandon their DAN insurance based on the last couple threads by Christi. Looks like DAN did what they were supposed to do.

There is always more to the story.

Yes there is always more to the story, which is why once the right people got involved as I said, they took care of the situation appropriately and rapidly to ensure minimal problems for my friend. Initially, it was a very unpleasant situation from all angles for him.

I highly doubt that "everyone" would abandon their DAN insurance based on one person's experience/opinion, nor was that ever my intention in case you missed several posts by me. I was "venting" and sharing a specific situation which we knew would eventually work out...we just didn't know when. As I also stated more than once, the same thing could have happened with any insurance company. Perhaps you missed that part too.

Apologies to anyone who misinterpreted my posts.

 

[BigJetDriver]

Folks,

Let's not start getting down on Christi here. Her performance in this matter can only be described as exemplary!

She utilized her professional training and knowledge to first recognize the situation for what it really was, and then had enough forcefulness of personality to shepherd her friend to the right place and the right people to assure that treatment was begun.

I say again that she did an extremely good job here, and is to be applauded!! Christi is not to be faulted here for expressing her frustration with the situation, especially since, as she points out, she knows DAN to be a much better organization than that.

DAN does incredible work on behalf of divers in trouble, and our diving community in general. Even the best of organizations can have its occasional bad moment, but it speaks very highly of the institutional culture at DAN that someone with the stature of Dan Orr himself would personally intervene to straighten things out.

Again, Christi, thank you!

Sincerely,

Rob Davie

 

[pennypue]

I was impressed by Christi's handling of it and her dedication to her friend.

I was impressed at Rob's willingness to step up and assist.

And I was impressed by DAN's response once the bureaucratic layer was bypassed.

You never know how good an organization, or your friends are until there's trouble.
All three of you impressed me!!

 

[richard ruschman]

My friend Tom Goreau had one third of his left hand ripped off in an unprovoked barracuda attack last August as he was snorkeling over Cardona Reef with his teenage daughter. He had top of the line DAN coverage. DAN was great- cleaning/sewing of wound on the island (Miami doctors said he would have lost the hand if the Cozumel doctor hadn't done a superb job), helicopter to Miami, surgery in Miami hospital.