Awesome is: DAN H2O Equip Ins.

[ohanadivers]

I hate to overuse a word but... my experience with H2OInsurance though DAN: awesome, awesome, awesome.

(no I don't work as a publicist for them... actually H2OInsurance is underwritten by Fireman's via AIG... I used to have a 70K Pension with AIG as a former employee, which dwindled to a couple thousand thank's to mismanagement & stock collapse...)

Scenario:
So... before going to Curacao, we covered our checked gear. HD Video, U/W housing, BC's, Fins... everything we would lose physical contact with during our flights. GOOD DECISION.
Our second to last day, my BCD went "missing" from hotel security guarded dry rack in front of the dive shop. (BOO Breezes, BOOOOO).

The claim:
We returned stateside on Friday 9/25, I filed my claim online on Saturday, on Monday I received a request for additional information (online quotes for the gear), on Tuesday my claim was settled, on Wednesday the check was cut & mailed, on Friday I deposited it in the bank. Open to close, it took less than a week to have the money. Completely hassle free.

I strongly, strongly suggest H2O Insurance to anyone traveling, or who has expensive gear (cameras, housings, tech gear, etc.)
-Bobby

[wanchesemhc]

That is a very good point. Dive gear is pretty damn expensive for the amount of space it occupies.

[ohanadivers]

I recently had occasion to look into the fine print of my DAN membership. I found out that the medical transport/evacuation coverage (Travel Assist)can be used for any medical emergency, not just diving related ones! This is not the coverage attached to trip/dive accident insurance, but through the membership itself. The representative said that there are plenty of non divers who carry these memberships because of this.

Makes me awfully happy in case something unexpected happens while traveling to a remote location!

Lulu

Interesting info... when Carie broke her ankle in Cozumel, while walking up the dive ramp, in full dive gear (which the added weight was the key contributor to the fracture), still wet from the dive... she was advised that her claim would only be covered if she was performing the act of diving. Fortunately our primary coverage took care of the entire claim. DAN advised that we should send over any uncovered portion and they would consider an appeal.

I'm curious if you found a loophole we all should know about. They were pretty adamant that you had to be in the water, fins on, breathing compressed gas... or on a dive boat.

Sadly, most folks never know what's NOT covered, until they have to file a claim.
-Bobby

[fireflock]

Coverage varies by plan:
http://diversalertnetwork.org/insurance/compare.asp

You need the preferred plan to get Medical Non-Dive Accident Coverage.

Rich

[jddemtp]

I heard a story today about a woman who wrecked her ankle on a pool ladder while on vacation. She had been diving either earlier that day or the day before. DAN insurance covered her.

They might play the usual insurance company game of denying claims just to make people appeal them, and then pay them without further hassle. The "theory" is that if the person doesn't appeal, the claim must not be legit. A friend who works for BC/BS told me it's standard procedure to deny a certain percentage without even looking at the claim first.

Philadelphia did that with parking tickets. They mailed out notices to people across the state, knowing that most people will probably pay them rather than take time off work and travel to Philly just to fight a parking ticket. The Pennsylvania legislature finally started requiring them to take photos of the cars to prove they were parked in the city.

[ohanadivers]

Interesting info... when Carie broke her ankle in Cozumel, while walking up the dive ramp, in full dive gear (which the added weight was the key contributor to the fracture), still wet from the dive... she was advised that her claim would only be covered if she was performing the act of diving. Fortunately our primary coverage took care of the entire claim. DAN advised that we should send over any uncovered portion and they would consider an appeal.

I'm curious if you found a loophole we all should know about. They were pretty adamant that you had to be in the water, fins on, breathing compressed gas... or on a dive boat.

Sadly, most folks never know what's NOT covered, until they have to file a claim.
-Bobby

Yes, but you were trying to cover CARE for her injury. What I was talking about is medical transport. It covers diving and non diving emergency medical transport to the nearest medical facility qualified to handle the problem, even if that means repatriation to the US.

24-Hour DAN TravelAssist
As a DAN Member, you automatically receive DAN TravelAssist and up to $100,000 of evacuation assistance coverage. Effective for both diving and non-diving injuries, this benefit is provided by AIG Travel Assist, a world leader in emergency evacuation services. Your evacuation coverage begins when you are traveling at least 50 miles/80 km from home and call DAN TravelAssist to arrange your evacuation.

Ah, that makes more sense now... especially since the Transport was a wild ride with the hotel manager who ripped through the Curacao streets in a tiny little compact. Thought we were going to wind up dead, before making it. Had we been transported stateside for the potential surgery needed... it would have been covered.

Keep in mind, in MANY instances, Trip Protection insurance might cover trip related injuries if written as such. Then again, good primary coverage is your best bet (which we've had in each incident).

Thanks again for the clarification.