Dan

[hbh2oguard]

Just wondering what plan (Preferred/Master/Standard) you guys and girls have. They all seem like a great deal. Anyone have positive/negative feedback about DAN. Maybe a story of an incident and what they covered?

[lottie]

I just signed up with the Master Plan (would have gone for the preferred, but thats only for within the US).

After mentioning it to a few other people as I was curious to know whether anyone else had taken other additional insurance for scuba diving on top of their health insurance, the general consensus was they had.

If you have a look on DANs website (I cant remember where though), it shows you what each of the plans do and don't cover.

[Zero]

My only experience with DAN was through a friend and wasnt a good one. He got bent in The Solomons and had them for all his cover so was naturally straight on the phone to them to get things going. Long story short they were trying to bargain down the charter flight evac over the next hour so he rang Amex who also had him covered as he payed on card for the trip. They told him straight away to get to Honiara and the plane was on its way no questions asked.
I dont know how DAN operate in the rest of the world but that lost me for good trying to bargain with someones life. Although my friend only had a skin bend he had been bent once before and wanted treatment asap but if it had of been life threatening would they still do the same? I wont risk it.

Matt

[hbh2oguard]

here's what the three plans offer

https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/insurance/compare.asp

[Mountain Dog]

I have the DAN preferred. For the few extra bucks a year it covers a whole lot more. Saving a couple of bucks just isn't worth it. When you look at the extent of this coverage, I think their product is some of the best insurance money can buy.

A guy from my scuba club just got bent two weeks ago on a liveaboard trip in the Caymans. DAN took care of him and his wife's transportation and hotel room while he was in treatment...under the preferred plan. Bottom line is that what his primary health care coverage won't cover, DAN will. He is damn happy he had the preferred coverage.

The issue Zero mentions was indeed a problem with DAN. But my understanding is that they heard the membership loud and clear on this issue, and it won't happen anymore. From my friends experience, I can say that DAN did everything possible to make sure he got the best care immediately.

Mountain Dog

[hbh2oguard]

yea I fully agree the prefered is the way to go. When you think about it, what's $70. Pratically nothing for the coverage. Don't go out to dinner a few times and it's paid for.

[acelockco]

I would be concerned because of their past issues as Zero pointed out. If DAN is there to protect us, then why would they act that way. Does it take the members to die before it decides to change its ways? I was also told that there are places where DAN will not cover you. I was also told that the reason is they could not negotiate a EXTREMELY low price with the recompression chamber so they decided to block that place.

Don't get me wrong, the idea of having insurance is great, but there is too much BS in my opinion. I wonder what other options are there?

By the way, why wouldn't your regluar health insurance cover the costs?

[hbh2oguard]

acelock that's a good question. Not sure how my regular health insurance deals with claims outside the U.S. I know that they don't cover all of emergency transportation, had a problem in the past, so I guess DAN would pick up the rest, but not too sure.

[BamaCaveDiver]

I have carried the DAN prefferred plan for some time now, and all it took was one trip to the chamber for the policy to pay for itself, for life. DAN is a secondary insurance which means they do not pay until your primary coverage has been exhausted. The one time that I needed to go to the chamber I quickly found out that my primary does not cover such treatment; DAN stepped in and paid everything. The only delay encountered was with my primary carrier hemhawwing around trying to decide how best to get out of covering any part of it. Once the primary fools had stepped aside, DAN even completed the paperwork for me, all I had to do was sign the claim.

There were a few incidents recently where DAN took the heat for not paying some charges that they deemed to be above the norm for the area. This centered around a chamber operation owned by a centralized corporation that was in fact charging considerably more for basic procedures. It was the chamber facilities that stated they would not accept DAN coverage (for lack of their desired payment obviously), but DAN responded to its membership by negotiating a price for services at all the operation's facilities, and members are once again covered there. DAN also stepped in during negotiations and assured members that they would be cared for even if it meant flying them elsewhere for treatment.

Whether you use DAN, Dive Assure, or one of the other policies designed for divers, you need some sort of coverage. Primary insurance typically will not cover expenses associated with our favorite activities, unless you are paying out the ass for your policy (and even then I can guarentee you will encounter more headaches attempting to initiate and maintain coverage.) A single trip to the chamber can run up a large bill real fast; if you require subsequant treatments be ready for a real shocker when you see the final bill (mine was two table six treatments, at about $15K each.)

[hbh2oguard]

Bama thank's for the info. I still find it amazing how cheap DAN is for what it covers. But I guess they have thousands of members that never use the plan so that's why it stays so cheap.