Travel insurance/dive insurance

[swimmer_spe]

I live in Canada where my provincial health card means I need not worry about getting sick or hurt. I show it, and I get treatment.

Once I leave this great country, I am not covered.

Canada does have some great dive sites, but, so does the rest of the world.

I am looking for travel insurance for a Canadian that also covered diving accidents, including the use of a hyperbaric chamber.

DAN does not, I asked them.

 

[Wingy]

Speak to world nomads.

Sorry misinterpreted your question...two policies, one for diving specifically from DAN and another from somewhere like world nomads who are a little more flexible than your average travel insurance company.

 

[tursiops]

Travel insurance and dive-accident insurance are usually two different things. DAN offers them both.
All traveling divers should have them both!

 

[a-marshal]

I live in Canada where my provincial health card means I need not worry about getting sick or hurt. I show it, and I get treatment.

Once I leave this great country, I am not covered.

not quite so, OHIP will cover some things..

Check here Travelling Outside Canada - Ontario Health Insurance (OHIP) - Publications - Public Information - MOHLTC

a bit from the doc above.

OHIP will pay only for insured, emergency out-of-country health services that are rendered to an insured person. To qualify as an 'emergency' there are a number of criteria that must be satisfied. These criteria are set by regulation and include the conditions listed below that must be met :

• the treatment must be medically necessary, and
• the treatment must be performed at a licensed hospital or licensed health facility, and
• the treatment must be rendered in relation to an illness, disease, condition or injury that :
  • is acute and unexpected, and
  • arose outside of Canada, and
  • requires immediate treatment.

These provisions are intended and designed to provide a very limited amount of funding for the medical treatment of insured residents of Ontario if they incur an unexpected illness, disease, condition or injury while they are outside of Canada. If the illness, disease, condition or injury arises before you leave Canada, or if it is not acute or unexpected, no payment can be made.

That being the case I used to self-insure but as I got older I ended up getting an annual travel plan, first through blue cross then through DAN to go with my Dive insurance.

 

[mikeycanuk]

DAN has the diving accident insurance, but as of a few months ago the travel insurance got updated so we Canadians are S0L. I used DiveAssure for my most recent booking, got a yearly plan 20% off special. I'll be able to get 3 trips as it starts mid July so the next summer vacation will be in June. Still Dive Assure is more expensive but I got a LOB rider as well.

 

[KeithG]

we use a single policy from blue cross: annual plan with package option. this bundles $5,000,000
emergency medical together with trip cancellation and trip interuption. covers us for all of our trips for a year from a single source.

you have some choices on the maximum trip length and amount of trip coverage that will affect your premium.

 

[underH2Oman]

we use a single policy from blue cross: annual plan with package option. this bundles $5,000,000
emergency medical together with trip cancellation and trip interuption. covers us for all of our trips for a year from a single source.

you have some choices on the maximum trip length and amount of trip coverage that will affect your premium.

Blue Cross does not cover diving accidents http://www.ihaveaplan.ca/RTEContent...ments/Detailed_Explanation_Coverage_97180.pdf
check the exclusions number 27.

I have diving insurance through DAN and get separate travel insurance when needed.

 

[KeithG]

Blue Cross does not cover diving accidents http://www.ihaveaplan.ca/RTEContent...ments/Detailed_Explanation_Coverage_97180.pdf
check the exclusions number 27.

I have diving insurance through DAN and get separate travel insurance when needed.

Good catch - ALWAYS read the fine print!

But we have a different policy. Same provider. Ours does not have an exclusion for scuba diving. It actually has very few exclusions...our exclusion list only has 19 entries (with exclusions for dangerous activities like "any kind of speeding event", parachuting, hang gliding, skydiving, bungee jumping, conyoning)

My guess is that the policy you linked to is some sort of "group plan" that an employer or association would provide at very low cost (even free?). We have an individual plan. Very different. The group plan is likely (much) lower cost. So less is covered.

ALWAYS read the fine print! And do not believe the marketing BS!

 

[underH2Oman]

Good catch - ALWAYS read the fine print!

But we have a different policy. Same provider. Ours does not have an exclusion for scuba diving. It actually has very few exclusions...our exclusion list only has 19 entries (with exclusions for dangerous activities like "any kind of speeding event", parachuting, hang gliding, skydiving, bungee jumping, conyoning)

My guess is that the policy you linked to is some sort of "group plan" that an employer or association would provide at very low cost (even free?). We have an individual plan. Very different. The group plan is likely (much) lower cost. So less is covered.

ALWAYS read the fine print! And do not believe the marketing BS!

I would recommend you check your policy again.

It might not specifically say scuba but probably includes a statement for the list that says (similar but not limited too) or (any sport or activity that has a high level of risk)
If it does you are most likely not covered for scuba. I would recommend you get confirmation in writing.

 

[KeithG]

I would recommend you check your policy again.

It might not specifically say scuba but probably includes a statement for the list that says (similar but not limited too) or (any sport or activity that has a high level of risk)
If it does you are most likely not covered for scuba. I would recommend you get confirmation in writing.

Agreed - always check if something is vague. And unfortunately, many insurance policies are. Ours is vague as well. So we checked.

We already have confirmation. On record with Blue Cross. Participation in any scuba activity for which you are certified is covered by the policy. A Discover Scuba session is NOT covered as you are not yet certified to perform scuba activities.

Scuba diving (like hang gliding or parachuting) is such a well recognized activity by the insurance industry that if it is excluded, it will (most likely, YMMV) be explicitly stated as an exclusion. It is not a fringe activity that they are unaware of. Many (most?) products do explicitly exclude scuba diving (like the product in the link above). If scuba is not explicitly excluded, then it is "likely" covered. But the buyer should not blindly assume it is covered and should seek clarification just to make sure.

Insurance products vary by state / province since that is who regulates them. So a product available to you may not have the same coverage as a product available to someone in another state / province. Both products may have the same "marketing name", but can/may/will have different levels of coverage.