DCI Treatment Costs and Insurance

[Nettie-NZ]

Actually there are some people that get the generosity of our Accident Compensation Corporation for gratis - Tourists.
So if you have an accident here, including diving accidents, the kind workers of New Zealand fund your treatment. It’s pretty generous of us!

 

[Storker]

Actually there are some people that get the generosity of our Accident Compensation Corporation for gratis - Tourists.
So if you have an accident here, including diving accidents, the kind workers of New Zealand fund your treatment. It’s pretty generous of us!

AFAIK, it's the same here on the other side of the world. I suspect that it might be because we have a "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" attitude to medical treatment and financing of it.

 

[Nettie-NZ]

AFAIK, it's the same here on the other side of the world. I suspect that it might be because we have a "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" attitude to medical treatment and financing of it.

There are lots of things that the Scandinavian countries do very well - it’s just a pity that more countries don’t do things like they do in your part of the world!

 

[Colliam7]

---

---

A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Folks, let's see if we can get this thread back on track to respond to the OP's specific question.

While a discussion of the politics of health care financing around the globe may be of some interest, such a discussion is probably better placed in the Pub. So, let's stay focused on the issue that started the thread (formatting added for clarity):

'I’m going to be diving in North America in the next few months and other than knowing that decompression chamber and medical costs are ALOT more expensive than where I live, I’ve got no idea of what the costs could be. . . . roughly what do USA decompression chamber costs run to? I’m not going to be doing any tech diving - strictly recreational, staying within the no decompression limits.

There may be some judicious pruning of off-topic posts going forward. Let's try to address the request for information from the OP.

---

 

[soonerwink]

We had a member of our dive club recently take a DCS hit and had to have 15 chamber rides on top of the helicopter ride and 14 days in the hospital and still undergoing physical therapy. He had the top tier of DAN and so far he hasn't had to pay anything. DAN was the only insurance he had. Get the highest level you can afford.

 

[krbailey]

I had a serious type II DCS hit in Cozumel this August. A week in the hospital with 8 chamber rides. With my DAN insurance, $0.00 out-of pocket expense.

 

[Gareth J]

SoCal is far from the only region of the world with great diving. Some of those others have single payer healthcare systems making the cost of a chopper ride and a pot ride zero, and the nearest pot will be less than an hour away.

Please try not to have such a myopic view of the world

I don't want our American cousins to think we are having a pop at them.

But if you are a citizen from any other country with travel insurance, as soon as you want to include the USA the insurance company ramps up the premium. America may be the land of opportunity, but it is also the land of rip off medical (& legal) fees - and insurers know this.

DAN (Europe), will more or less double the premium if you want cover for the USA.

 

[Storker]

DAN (Europe), will more or less double the premium if you want cover for the USA.

Slightly related anecdote (yeah, I know. I tell too many of those. Bear with me, will ya?):

Quite a few years ago, I was planning my first vacation-with-diving (not quite the same as a "diving vacation". But I digress. Again). Being concerned about potential accidents or incidents, I called my insurance company. Yes, my standard travel insurance covered costs incurred during a diving accident. Yes, the limit was 40m depth. Yes, that was planned depth. If my PDC showed that I'd been down to 57m before the heli trip and the pot ride, and if that was due to a downcurrent or other unplanned issues, I'd still be covered. Unless it could be shown that I had deliberately deviated from the plan.

So, I happily went on vacation bringing only my standard travel insurance cert, my EU health coverage cert and my diving certs. And i still do so. Fortunately, I still haven't had to check if the insurance agent gave me a correct representation of the real facts.

 

[Gareth J]

The key point here ever is for diver use only. Our pots mostly get used for other stuff unless there is a diver in them. I don’t know what would happen at St Johns wood if there were HBO patient in it at the time a badly ill diver turned up. Maybe they’d have sent the helicopter else where?

The preferred option is either ring 999 - Coastguard, or 07770 423637 (Hyperbaric Service Emergency number - i.e old RN Hyperbaric Doctor) and they will direct you to the nearest available chamber.

Easiest option is just call the Coastguard and let them co-ordinate everything - even from an inland site.

 

[Gareth J]

Thinking about it, we airlifted a couple (early 60's) into Cherbourg when diving off Normandy. The French Navy kindly provided the service. Helicopter off the deck straight into their Navy Facilities in Cherbourg. The French Marines and special forces facility from what I was told.

The Gentlemen had a rather bad ascent - and was not very copus mentus once we got him on the boat (Sorry about the spelling). The lady involved, a very well spoken individual, did pass comment that it was off putting to be walking around a hospital in a hospital gown - with her bits on show - surrounded by super fit 18-25 year old marines. Her companion said she rather enjoyed the attention .
The Gentlemen involved was rather upset at all the 'fuss'. He said if we had left him on the boat with a cup of tea he was sure he would have been alright.


You can say what you like about the French (and we often do), but they where excellent. Again, a free of charge service.