Get your DAN on!!

[caydiver]

You wouldn’t let a loved one dive without insurance, don’t let them dive either!!! Or yourself. So so sad to see how many divers end up in the chamber who are not current or never had dive insurance. Most have the it will never happen to me mentality. Rides in the chamber here start at just over CI$2000 all the way to just under $5000 for standard treatment. Some guests require a few. Add in hospital costs, flight changes for patient and family members, additional accommodations, ambulance or medivac and your dream holiday can quickly turn into a nightmare. Often it seems like those who can least afford $10,000/$15,000 for the chamber alone are the ones who don’t get the coverage. When you see a grown man weeping and trying to hide it from his wife, it totally changes your perspective!!! If not DAN, something, but get you and your loved ones covered!

 

[michael-fisch]

In over 30 years of diving, having done over 2000 decompression dives, most using mixed gasses, I've needed a chamber once. For me, doing advanced technical diving, I'm not sure that insurance is worth the expense. So far I've paid a lot more for the insurance than they have paid for my treatment. For recreational divers, the vast majority (like 99.9%), will never end up needing a chamber ride and buying DAN insurance just puts additional profits into the insurance company.
Unfortunately, it's similar to being involved in a carwreck as an uninsured motorist, lots of people do it and get away with it for years in Florida. Finally when a wreck occurs that was your fault, there went the money you have been saving for your children's education and your 2nd TV.

Michael

 

[outofofficebrb]

@michael-fisch I am wondering what the actual % is for all active divers ending up needing a chamber ride or having medical complications (including barotrauma) that need care.

While I hope to never have to go into a chamber, the harsh reality for me is that it would financially decimate me and really throw me off. For some people it isn’t a college fund or a second TV, it cold be their life savings, their homes, their mode of transport.

I don’t buy it just as a “good value” approach in that sense. The same can also be said of health insurance.

I love that they are also a non profit organization that does research and education. Their magazine is fun to read, too. I had to consult them on a few things and they are very helpful, thorough and informative. I had a friend who had to make a claim after a hospitalization and significant medical issues while in the Philippines. He didn’t have DCS, though. They came through for all of it, including the business class ticket home weeks later.

As for driving uninsured, there are many things that you can do to minimize your chances of getting into an accident but there are also things outside of your control like other (bad) drivers or others making mistakes. Unfortunately, while divers can also make every effort to try to minimize the likelihood of DCS, it is not an absolute. I am OK looking back and saying I didn’t need to use DAN and don’t regret spending the money.

 

[Blasto]

This makes me wonder - if one's existing insurance covers sports diving activities for which they hold certification, and up to a good amount, how much value does DAN add and how much just duplicates it?

 

[The Chairman]

Not just for diving: My broken leg...

 

[caydiver]

Wow. Great that you are on the mend. I didn’t even realize they would cover an injury like that when I posted. I was so focused on the crazy couple of weeks we have had, that I also didn’t think of all the other non-chamber related dive related medical issues that can occur. You just opened my eyes in a really good way.

 

[outofofficebrb]

@caydiver DAN | Membership

https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/scuba-dive-insurance/handbook-g.pdf

 

[tursiops]

DAN had just started when I did a scuba class (not my first) in the early 80's. My instructor back then said "Join" with the argument "if you need it, it pays off big, if you don't need it, then you are helping other divers, and the cost is about the cost of a single 2-tank boat dive."

So, maybe 35 years later, my total costs have been around $4000, and that includes it now being a family plan.

I lead dive trips; I won't take anybody on the trip that doesn't have DAN or equivalent dive accident insurance.

So, DAN? Join.

 

[michael-fisch]

When we talk about DAN, we have to remember that DAN and DAN insurance are 2 completely different animals:
DAN is a not for profit company, affiliated with a university, that publishes a magazine, has booths at most major diving shows, sponsors research, maintains records and maintains a 24hr hour diving medical hotline. It's services are free for all callers, wether or not you have paid for membership.
It will also interface with the, for profit, DAN insurance company, if you also bought DAN insurance that covers evacuation, treatment, travel, aftercare, survivors benefits, etc. as a secondary insurer up to the limits of the insurance policy that you bought . That means that whatever your primary insurer doesn't cover can be presented to the DAN insurance, and if coverable, will be paid up to the policy limits.
For approved chamber treatment DAN will act to assure the treatment facility that their bills for treatment will be covered up to whatever DAN insurance has determined is a fair and customary renumeration for the services. Sometimes, with some chamber operators, the fair and customary renumeration is less than the chamber operator is willing to work for - doesn't happen often, but you may have to whip out your credit card.

It's great that DAN and DAN insurance are available, but there are other, not as well known, insurers with comparable primary insurance policies that offer similar coverage.
My policy with Aquamed covers anything resulting from a diving injury, no matter how deep or what my certification level is, up to a few million Euros per occurance, and costs less than $60 a year

Michael

 

[The Chairman]

Yeah, I don't have the minimum DAN product, but the best. They did right by me. There's nothing scarier than being in a foreign country and being incapacitated to the point of not being able to even walk.