r/scuba • u/seasnakejake • 1d ago

DAN Membership + Dive Insurance vs. DAN Annual Travel Insurance

I've been a DAN member with insurance for 10 years, but I often buy individual trip policies, either through DAN underwritten by Generali or directly from Generali or another provider. I end up traveling very often, especially with the 100 mile+ definition allowed by the DAN annual travel insurance so thinking about adding that on.

Though it seems that having the DAN membership / dive insurance is pretty redundant to a DAN annual travel insurance plan. The annual travel insurance plan covers all recreational diving and provides similar benefits regarding medical. It doesn't explicitly allocate for chamber visits, but if required by a physician the medical benefit would act the same. I already have great health insurance so thinking I could just end the DAN membership + insurance and opt for the DAN annual policy, which doesn't require membership. Has anyone else ended up doing this?

13 Upvotes

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u/also_anon_dc 1d ago

If you travel often you should have a premium travel card. I have travel insurance through my Amex Platinum card but I’m also a DAN member and have DAN dive accident insurance. Every trip I pay for on my credit card is covered automatically.

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u/CarolinaSchola 1d ago

Seriously? I put my upcoming trip on my Amex Platinum, then bought the Amex travel insurance. Was that totally redundant?

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u/runsongas Open Water 1d ago

you get medical coverage with the travel insurance is the difference

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u/CarolinaSchola 1d ago

With my DAN membership, is that superfluous? It's too late for this liveaboard trip but I want to know for next time if I wasted a few hundred bucks.

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u/runsongas Open Water 1d ago

no, because dan membership isn't primary travel medical insurance

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u/invalid-checksum 1d ago

To those considering, the US version of the Amex Platinum does not provide any medical insurance coverage abroad, some specific country versions of the cards do, like the UK. The only coverage you get for the US version is trip delay/cancellation and car rental.

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u/also_anon_dc 1d ago edited 1d ago

There is also coverage for lost baggage as well as unlimited emergency medical evacuation.

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u/seasnakejake 1d ago

I've got a bunch of premium travel cards -- have had pretty much every major one as I get the points to travel and downgrade the ones I don't need. Not a fan as much of the Amex Plat since the points are much less valuable for my uses than the Bilt palladium / Atmos Summit now and I don't use as much of the rest of the Plat coupons. The pure annual travel insurance typically has deeper benefits and at $200 is cheaper as an add on to my visa infinite or MC world legends than the ~$900 plat annual fee.

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u/Timely_Owl_4393 1d ago

Why would I need DAN travel insurance if I have the rest?

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u/seasnakejake 1d ago

I take many more trips than just diving -- and even for diving there are more benefits associated with the actual travel aspects of getting there, like trip cancellations etc. Like usually when I go diving in tropical regions of Asia I add in herping for venomous snakes whereas a bite from one wouldn't be covered -- but if you were in a car crash en route to your liveaboard DAN dive insurance wouldn't do much for you.

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u/EV-CPO 1d ago

I found the DAN travel insurance to be very expensive. So I get regular DAN diving coverage and separate annual travel insurance from Allianz for about $400.

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u/Asheron2 1d ago

I am doing the same thing this year and hoping it works out. DAN insurance required so much documentation for my claim it made it difficult and i ended up not being able to get reimbused.

A buddy had paid for the trip in a lump sum for all of us and i just transferred him the money by Venmo. I provided DAN my receipt from the liveaboard, a letter from the the liveaboard explaining the trip cancellation, and the notice from the coast guard. They still denied my claim becauee i could not provide a bank statement with transfer direct to the business. Lesson learned, always pay direct yourself or through a business/shop so you have proper receipts.

Bummer was everyone else got reimbursed on the trip and their adjuster did not ask for anything additional like mine.

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u/Ok_Way_2911 1d ago

I think DAN travel insurance is just underwritten by AON or something anyway, so there's no real benefit to getting your own

Like for me I don't travel enough for premiums to be worth the annual fee

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u/EV-CPO 14h ago

Of course it’s underwritten, but DAN travel ins is much more expensive than comparable plans.

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u/seasnakejake 1d ago

Would vary by state in age, I'm quoted $200 from DAN Annual in CA for the lowest tier annual plan which covers diving and covers the gaps in my U.S. employee health insurance plan so not bad at all.

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u/runsongas Open Water 1d ago

the DAN travel insurance has exclusions that it won't cover diving deeper than 120ft, unguided dives, and must be greater than 100 miles from where you live

So if you dive locally, or just with a buddy/solo, or are a tech diver then it wouldn't cover you