Can non-member call DAN's hotline or medical phone?

[nohappy]

Will DAN answer medical or emergency question on their hotline for everyone? Or do they only assist their member?

 

[michael-fisch]

I don't think that they care. Their mission is there for everyone, their overpriced insurance isn't.

Michael

 

[tursiops]

I don't think that they care. Their mission is there for everyone, their overpriced insurance isn't.

Michael

Their insurance is only overpriced if you never need to use it, in which case you are just helping your fellow divers. Worrh every penny, either way.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Their insurance is only overpriced if you never need to use it, in which case you are just helping your fellow divers. Worrh every penny, either way.

I have the very same opinion. DAN is not an insurance company, DAN is a safety network which aims improving safety for all divers, sponsoring research and education, and providing help in case of accidents. Selling insurance policies is just a method of raising funds for such noble goals.
I could as well just pay my membership fee each year for supporting DAN towards these goals. They also give me some insurance, which I consider just an additional benefit, and not the main reason for being associated with DAN.

 

[michael-fisch]

DAN (Europe) was a nonstarter for me 25 years ago as an american citizen living in Germany, because of their rules that non-european community members would not be insured for accidents in their country of citizenship. If I had DAN (Europe) Insurance, it wouldn't have covered anything that happened in the USA.
Luckily Aquamed doesn't have that particular clause in their policy.

Soon I will have to buy insurance from a different DAN (DAN USA) and won't have that particular problem anymore.

Read the fine print before you sign anything that you might have to depend on!!!

Michael

 

[martincohn]

Their insurance is only overpriced if you never need to use it,

just like every other kind of insurance. If the insurance company wasn't making $$$ betting you won't use it, they wouldn't offer it.

 

[Hoyden]

Just to make sure that a clear answer is given - the DAN medical hotline is available to everyone regardless of membership.

 

[tbone1004]

Just to make sure that a clear answer is given - the DAN medical hotline is available to everyone regardless of membership.

but you should feel bad if you use it and don't have insurance through them...

 

[Brett Hatch]

just like every other kind of insurance. If the insurance company wasn't making $$$ betting you won't use it, they wouldn't offer it.

Kind of. The difference is that DAN is a non-profit, and they use the funds in other ways that keep me safe, like funding research. At least in the US, every other insurance I've ever heard of is for-profit, and the excess funds just go into the pockets of investors, who are definitely not me and who definitely do not share my interests.

edit: the above is not exactly correct, see post #14

 

[Hoyden]

but you should feel bad if you use it and don't have insurance through them...

No, maybe if you are happy that there was a reliable source for the kind of help/information that you received by calling their 24-7 hotline, you become a member or you make a donation.