Quote: (Originally Posted by onetime)
DAN has repeatedly posted that they guarantee payment for treatment and that its members will not have to pay anything. This was communicated through email and postings on their web page. DAN is a reputable company and it's in their best interests to make sure their customers are covered as the covenant between members and the company is intended.
DAN can post anything they want, but they haven't managed to settle the underlying issue, and now I have a trip planned within the next three weeks (over "spring break" time) to Belize where this expansion of hostilities threatens to impact me.
In fact, their last communication on this (DAN's) from January said that there were only
three chambers affected. Now suddenly its the entire network and most importantly, the ones in the area I intend to visit on my vacation have decided they will not accept anything DAN-USA related - not even a DAN
credit card! DAN's "press release" says there are nine "PRO-DAN" chambers in the network - apparently that's no longer true!
In the (admittedly unlikely) event that I require the services of a chamber while in Belize, this would mean that I would have to figure out how to pay for it
out of pocket and then be reimbursed -
at whatever level DAN decides is "reasonable and customary", which may not be the amount I have already paid! There is no effective means for me to sue a non-US firm from the United States (post-incident) and DAN has their
insurance company (which is a for-profit subsidiary) based in the Caymans - where I
also can't conveniently go after them.
As a consequence there would be no way for me to recover the money they've already received!
The result of this is that I've been quite-effectively placed on notice that I have no coverage during this trip. If this can't be resolved prior to my departing the US, I believe it is only prudent that I secure alternative coverage which
is acceptable - and once I've done that, I may as well dump DAN entirely, because there's no point in paying for something twice.
Something on the web is not enough.
I have tried to call DAN - and got voicemail. We'll see how long it takes them to return my call.....
IMHO its time for divers to take their business elsewhere. I have been bothered by the "offshore" election for this insurance firm's base and allegations of improprieties regarding the former Bennett's actions with regards to the insurance subsidiary, but have up until now been swayed to remain with DAN due to the work they do in hyperbaric research.
At the point that it appears that I may have purchased a worthless insurance policy, however, its time to say "enough is enough", and perhaps to write some letters to a few regulators too.
Health insurance providers in Florida, for example, must be licensed
here and meet standards
here. Same with life insurance companies, etc. Perhaps its time for some state AGs to start looking into these policies and see if the state standards are met for offering these alleged services to residents of this state. I think its time for a quick letter to the Florida AG, as this is a regulated line of business in Florida.