Thoughts on Dive Insurance (DAN)

[Pao]

I am contemplating doing Advanced Nitrox/Deco Procedures and am seriously thinking of getting dive specific insurance. Does anybody have any experience with the local DAN office or does anybody have a better alternative?

Thanks in advance.

 

[drbill]

Know nothing about DAN in the PI, but here in the States I don't leave home without it.

 

[vladimir]

You would use DAN Asia Pacific, as I do. The coverage is substantially the same as that offered by DAN to US residents. It costs us a little bit more and, annoyingly, we don't get the same access to the DAN website. Those are minor quibbles though--you should probably have the coverage.

 

[SandyRobinson]

Not sure what your cost would be but in the US it is some cheap insurance for what you get. I would be surprised if your instructor did not require or strongly suggest it. Also, their magazine is a very nice publication.

 

[miked]

With apologies, as this does not really answer your question (I'm in the US, and have no specific info on your "local" DAN office):
I'd strongly suggest getting either the DAN insurance (top program) or something (if it exists) of a similar nature.
It was of immense value when I had a DCS2 hit in 2004.

 

[vladimir]

I have DAN's Preferred plan, and I recommend it. I have DAN's Preferred plan, and I recommend it. I have DAN's Preferred plan, and I recommend it. I have DAN's Preferred plan, and I recommend it. I have DAN's Preferred plan, and I recommend it. I have DAN's Preferred plan, and I recommend it. I have DAN's Preferred plan, and I recommend it.

Whenever I try to have a dispassionate look at the pros and cons of insurance it seems to arouse religious fervor in some, so let me say, again, that I have DAN's top plan, and I recommend it. I think it is a good value for the cost.

Is it cheap? The premiums collected certainly exceed the amount that DAN pays in benefits. You might consider it cheap though, in the same way a lottery ticket is cheap. The aggregate cost of lottery tickets far exceeds the payout, but if you are the winner, the ticket was cheap (though it was never a good value, unlike DAN insurance).

I have DAN's Preferred plan, and I recommend it. I have DAN's Preferred plan, and I recommend it. I have DAN's Preferred plan, and I recommend it. I have DAN's Preferred plan, and I recommend it. I have DAN's Preferred plan, and I recommend it. I have DAN's Preferred plan, and I recommend it. I have DAN's Preferred plan, and I recommend it.

The cost-benefit analysis might be a little different for the OP than for US residents. I guess that medical treatment, even hyperbaric treatment, is a lot cheaper than in the US. And if the OP does all his diving close to a hyperbaric chamber and close to home, then medevac costs might not be a factor.

 

[Pao]

Thanks everybody! Vladimir, the lottery ticket analogy looks just about right. Chambers are few and far between here in the Philippines, especially in Subic (our wreck diving capital). I'm particularly interested in the local Medevac system that DAN can provide. That is why I am asking if people have had any experience using DAN.

 

[bill22]

DAN has numerous testimonials from accidents that have taken place all over the world. They have the contacts and will get things moving as soon as they get the call. Personally I wouldn't dive without it

 

[Ed Palma]

When I was doing my internship in V. Luna, the hyperbaric doc there was telling me that he had a px that spent around Php700k for treatment. Placed in that context, then insurance sounds like a good plan if you're headed in that direction of training.

I don't have any direct experience with DANP but there was this other company offering dive insurance for around 6k per annum. Need to check what it was though. I'll have to get back to you on that.

 

[Pao]

When I was doing my internship in V. Luna, the hyperbaric doc there was telling me that he had a px that spent around Php700k for treatment. Placed in that context, then insurance sounds like a good plan if you're headed in that direction of training.

I don't have any direct experience with DANP but there was this other company offering dive insurance for around 6k per annum. Need to check what it was though. I'll have to get back to you on that.

Thanks! Didn't think there was an alternative.