DiveAssure vs Dan

[DandyDon]

The biggest difference is that DAN is secondary insurance, they pick up where your primary insurance (like Blue Cross, for example) runs out. This has a lot of implications.

Dive Assure is primary insurance. If you have a diving emergency, they pay for it. Done.

Please forgive me for not reading the entire thread, I hate it when others do that, but I want to address that marketing lie. It's what you hear, but read the ADDITIONAL EXCLUSIONS...!

9.Expenses to the extent that they are paid or payable under other valid and collectible group insurance or medical prepayment plan;

That just nullifies to the primary claim to me...!!

 

[DiveAssure]

Hello,

DiveAssure's policy clearly states that medical coverage is primary.
Exclusion #9 indeed states "Expenses to the extent that they are paid or payable under other valid and collectible group insurance or medical prepayment plan; however, since coverage is primary, this will be of relevance ONLY where the member has another primary policy effectively covering the incident, in which case the 2 primary carriers will share the expenses.

 

[DandyDon]

Hello,

DiveAssure's policy clearly states that medical coverage is primary.
Exclusion #9 indeed states "Expenses to the extent that they are paid or payable under other valid and collectible group insurance or medical prepayment plan; however, since coverage is primary, this will be of relevance ONLY where the member has another primary policy effectively covering the incident, in which case the 2 primary carriers will share the expenses.

Thanks for posting. I'm really confident that your plan is a good one, but that just clarifies that it will share expenses with other coverages - primary or secondary/group. So to the medical bill paying diver, being primary doesn't really mean anything - it's just how his coverage shares the expenses.

 

[BDSC]

Thanks for the info Don!

 

[DiveAssure]

Thanks for your comments. To your post:

1. Primary insurance will ONLY share with another primary insurance program, not with a secondary one. The fact that only few policies are primary makes such a scenario rather rare. In all other cases the primary policy will not seek co-insurance at all.
2. With primary insurance the insurer will always pay the service providers right away, even when another primary coverage exists (coordination of benefits will be discussed later between the two insurers). Therefore, there will not be any delay in settling the claim, as will often be the case with secondary insurance.

To conclude; the advantage of primary coverage over secondary one is quite obvious. Each and every diver will make his/her choice as to whether or not purchasing primary insurance is worth the extra cost that is often associated with this type of product.

 

[PhatD1ver]

Thanks for your comments. To your post:

1. Primary insurance will ONLY share with another primary insurance program, not with a secondary one. The fact that only few policies are primary makes such a scenario rather rare. In all other cases the primary policy will not seek co-insurance at all.
2. With primary insurance the insurer will always pay the service providers right away, even when another primary coverage exists (coordination of benefits will be discussed later between the two insurers). Therefore, there will not be any delay in settling the claim, as will often be the case with secondary insurance.

To conclude; the advantage of primary coverage over secondary one is quite obvious. Each and every diver will make his/her choice as to whether or not purchasing primary insurance is worth the extra cost that is often associated with this type of product.

Lets make this simple, my company medical coverage will cover me for a dive injury and the necessary medical care, but nothing else. So, simple example, if I had a DCS incident that cost say $12000, they would first make me pay my deductible of $500, the pay I'd share 20% up to $2500 out of pocket and they'd pay the other $9000 basically.

With Dive Assure, you would then split the $9000 with my Primary? Or also reimburse my $500 and $2500 out of pocket expenses.

the answer to that tells me all I really need to know.

 

[DandyDon]

Lets make this simple, my company medical coverage will cover me for a dive injury and the necessary medical care, but nothing else. So, simple example, if I had a DCS incident that cost say $12000, they would first make me pay my deductible of $500, the pay I'd share 20% up to $2500 out of pocket and they'd pay the other $9000 basically.

With Dive Assure, you would then split the $9000 with my Primary? Or also reimburse my $500 and $2500 out of pocket expenses.

the answer to that tells me all I really need to know.

I can't speak for DA, but while you're waiting for a reply from them - I think they would pay/reimburse the full $3,000 you were out with your company policy. And their plan provides much more in non-medical benefits. I think your local DAN coverage would as well, it's different from ours, but DA is a fine competitor to DAN.

I have to wonder why they exaggerate this Primary coverage claim tho. See below...

Thanks for your comments. To your post:

1. Primary insurance will ONLY share with another primary insurance program, not with a secondary one. The fact that only few policies are primary makes such a scenario rather rare. In all other cases the primary policy will not seek co-insurance at all.
2. With primary insurance the insurer will always pay the service providers right away, even when another primary coverage exists (coordination of benefits will be discussed later between the two insurers). Therefore, there will not be any delay in settling the claim, as will often be the case with secondary insurance.

To conclude; the advantage of primary coverage over secondary one is quite obvious. Each and every diver will make his/her choice as to whether or not purchasing primary insurance is worth the extra cost that is often associated with this type of product.

It seems that your Exclusions say otherwise. Excerpting....

ADDITIONAL EXCLUSIONS​

Benefits will not be paid for:
<>9.Expenses to the extent that they are paid or payable under other valid and collectible group insurance or medical prepayment plan;

 

[jonhall]

Have read the old posts in this thread and the few newer ones. Am considering some type of travel/dive insurance and info on the websites can be confusing.Wondering if there are any responses to the following. Not looking for what's best, but how it works.

1. My Blue Cross/Blue Shield policy has the BlueCard Worldwide feature which for me states that outside the U.S., I will be covered for Urgent and Emergency care. A service rep told me today (I gave him an example of stepping on a rusty nail in Mexico) that if I go an "emergency room." I will be covered. Also he said that diving is covered as there are no exclusions on the activity I'm doing. From reading, on my own, an evacuation to a place that can handle my emergency is one of the benefits. Sounds like my medical would be covered outside the U.S. Will be calling BlueCard in next couple of days, but wanted to be ready with questions that may arise if anyone has any first hand knowledge.

2. DAN has a membership, dive insurance, and travel insurance. The membership includes TravelAssist which gets you up to $100,000 of evacuation assistance coverage whether it is a diving or non-diving emergency. It also gives you the opportunity to purchase diving or travel insurance. The dive insurance increases the amount of evac coverage and covers other areas as well. Travel insurance also covers evac, some medical, and several things related to your travel, including trip cancellation or interruption. Does the travel insurance cover some of the important features of the dive insurance? If I'm covered by BC/BS medically, would paying the membership fee only, with no DAN insurances, cover evacuations, if BC/BS didn't?

3. Two of the DAN travel plans, include rental car damage. I'm guessing that this would take the place of the collision damage waiver. True?

4. Dive Assure's membership also allows for purchase of dive/trip insurance. Site is a little confusing to me. It seems that their dive insurance can be purchased at different levels such as gold and platinum, but their trip insurance also covers diving. I can find prices for trip insurance but not the different diving levels. All links regarding the types of insurance prices go to the same price page, although prices vary depending on number of travelers. Is Dive Assures diving and travel insurance the same thing?

Appreciate any info offered.

 

[DandyDon]

Two of the DAN travel plans, include rental car damage. I'm guessing that this would take the place of the collision damage waiver. True?

So does my Visa card, but I won't do that. I'd have to pay in full, then file claims with forms in whatever language, and who knows what next.

Good luck on the rest.

 

[KeithG]

This is a simple but confused topic.
1) read the fine print
2) if it costs less, there is a reason (it covers less...)
We use a Blue cross product to cover ALL of our travel needs, including diving. As insurance is regulated, product offerings in your region will be different. (read the fine print)

Please note that there is nothing special about diving. You can get just as hurt on a golf trip or a cruise. Ever heard of golf trip insurance? specialty offerings like DAN and Diveassure are generally cheaper but much much more limited in coverage. (if it costs less..). I read a post about a dive couple having to cancel a trip due to illness. DAN covered the ill person, but not the other. You need to decide if these types of limited products are what you want.

We used to purchase per dive trip insurance via our dive travel agent but then discovered an annual product from BLue Cross that covers medical, trip and cancellation all in one policy. The product we have is much more comprehensive in coverage and benefits than anything offered by DAN or Diveassure it costs more as well.

My best advice would be to contact a broker who can explain travel insurance to you. Tell them you are not buying and offer to pay for lunch in exchange for knowledge.