Is DAN membership worthless?

[Gareth J]

In the UK, I don't need DAN insurance.
Medivac' and treatment are covered by the state. NHS for medical, Lifeboat, Coastguard, or RAF for rescue and medivac.

When I go overseas, I have DAN insurance. For most countries, my normal cover is sufficient, Europe, the Red Sea, and Asia are covered. American medical bills are so high you have to pay a penalty premium for the USA.

I have used DAN once, when my partner died. They provided excellent repatriation service.

I wouldn't dive overseas without their insurance, the cost is negligible for the service provided.

 

[TMHeimer]

In the UK, I don't need DAN insurance.
Medivac' and treatment are covered by the state. NHS for medical, Lifeboat, Coastguard, or RAF for rescue and medivac.

When I go overseas, I have DAN insurance. For most countries, my normal cover is sufficient, Europe, the Red Sea, and Asia are covered. American medical bills are so high you have to pay a penalty premium for the USA.

I have used DAN once, when my partner died. They provided excellent repatriation service.

I wouldn't dive overseas without their insurance, the cost is negligible for the service provided.

Believe I'm in a similar situation. All covered in Canada. When we "snowbird" to Florida (not now.....), we pay a pretty hefty fee for out of Canada emergency medical coverage (have used it) through Blue Cross. They told me that they would cover dive accidents because it is an emergency. Hope to not find out how that really works.....But of course, the places I've dived in FL and other Gulf states are close enough to chambers that a helicopter ride wouldn't be needed.
Agree that if you're farther afield than that it's best to get DAN insurance.

 

[apenland01]

I took my printed out DAN membership card to FedEx Office and used their bag tag lamination to make a rig I can hook to my BCD. I started thinking about the whole, "what I'm found floating on the top" deal and figured this would be an easy way for someone to immediately identify me and also know to call DAN in an emergency, if I'm not able to tell them myself...

 

[Dsix36]

Did you recover fully and are you able to dive now?

I would say about 95% recovered and Yes, I am cleared and back diving.

 

[EireDiver606]

Is any insurance worth it? smh

 

[Blue Quaker]

[

Believe I'm in a similar situation. All covered in Canada. When we "snowbird" to Florida (not now.....), we pay a pretty hefty fee for out of Canada emergency medical coverage (have used it) through Blue Cross. They told me that they would cover dive accidents because it is an emergency. Hope to not find out how that really works.....But of course, the places I've dived in FL and other Gulf states are close enough to chambers that a helicopter ride wouldn't be needed.
Agree that if you're farther afield than that it's best to get DAN insurance.

DAN is useful in Canada too. Back in 1990s we were involved in a missing diver search at the Arabia site up at Tobermory. One of the searchers lost his weight belt during deco and corked. At the Tobermory chamber, the first thing he was asked for, before the precautionary treatment run, was "Do you have Dan coverage?" He did. With DAN coverage there were no charges, without DAN there was a $250.00 per hour fee for the use of the chamber...not covered under OHIP! It is worth it...

 

[TMHeimer]

[


DAN is useful in Canada too. Back in 1990s we were involved in a missing diver search at the Arabia site up at Tobermory. One of the searchers lost his weight belt during deco and corked. At the Tobermory chamber, the first thing he was asked for, before the precautionary treatment run, was "Do you have Dan coverage?" He did. With DAN coverage there were no charges, without DAN there was a $250.00 per hour fee for the use of the chamber...not covered under OHIP! It is worth it...

You may be right, but OHIP is the provincial health plan. My coverage for out of Canada is private Blue Cross. But, you may well be correct about DAN's value in Canada. I actually don't know if our Blue Cross covers chamber costs in Halifax area, the only place I dive here. Never thought to ask. Probably won't need a chamber diving mostly to 30'. But thanks. Phone call to Blue Cross tomorrow...

 

[Uber Dave]

I took my printed out DAN membership card to FedEx Office and used their bag tag lamination to make a rig I can hook to my BCD. I started thinking about the whole, "what I'm found floating on the top" deal and figured this would be an easy way for someone to immediately identify me and also know to call DAN in an emergency, if I'm not able to tell them myself...

View attachment 605461

That's a real good idea!

 

[Gareth J]

I am not sure of the situation in the Americas. But DAN is also often the insurance of choice for instructors liability insurance and dive facilities insurance in Europe.
This does mean that everything dovetails nicely, one insurer dealing with one incident for all parties.

 

[JaminBrown]

Thanks to the info in this post, I just upgraded our memberships to the Guardian Plan. I'll be looking into making some dog tags to attach to our BCs next.