Page 10 - AlertDiver_Winter2013

8 | WINTER 2013
FROM THE SAFETY STOP // P E R S P E C T I V E S
Following several days of intense
insurance symposiums in Grand
Cayman recently, my left brain
was saturated with statistics
and analyses. Fortunately for my right
brain, I had booked a couple of days of
diving in Little Cayman, which would allow me to relax and
casually ponder the more subjective and intuitive sides of
life. Not surprisingly, most of the guests I met on the boats
and at the bar were from the USA, and once they learned I
was from DAN® they shared stories that involved their love
for diving and, quite often, how DAN was there for them
in a time of need. Regarding the benefits of membership, it
seemed everyone knew about our diving emergency hotline,
DAN TravelAssist® and some of our popular dive-accident
insurance plans. Yet many other DAN programs and
services were either unknown or underutilized.
Floating over Bloody Bay Wall I should have been reveling
in the spectacular visibility, but I guess it is an occupational
hazard that my mind would wander to the lack of general
awareness of DAN’s full portfolio of services — far beyond
Alert Diver and the insurance for which most people seem to
recognize us. For example, over the years DAN has collected
and disseminated an enormous amount of information of
value to divers. Through research, DAN has helped develop
protocols that make diving safer (see “DAN Research,”
Page 84). Our training programs have continually educated
divers on the therapeutic use of oxygen — much more than
any other programs in the industry. The DAN Medical
Information Line provides physician referrals and answers
questions for thousands of divers and medical professionals
each year. If you have a question about safe diving practices
or a medical issue you believe might affect your diving, DAN
has, or will find, an answer for you.
DAN is always looking for ways to better serve our
members. Based on member input, efforts are under way
to introduce a new, comprehensive watersports-accident
insurance plan. With higher limits for divers and expanded
nondiving benefits, this new policy will provide greater
protection for members who travel extensively and engage
in a variety of in-water activities. Benefits will be available
for many of the activities we already know our members
enjoy such as boating, sailing, waterskiing, surfing,
windsurfing, wakeboarding and more. Although this new
program is not yet available in all states, you’ll hear more
about it in the coming months.
DAN’s desire to adapt and serve its members has also led
to the creation of a variety of diverse travel-insurance plans.
Each plan has been developed based on what you, the DAN
member, have told us you want. These travel-protection
plans have been customized to meet the specific needs of
adventure travelers. Whether you take a single trip or many
over the course of the year, DAN has a program designed
for you. Our objective was to create per-trip policies that
are competitively priced and offer the benefits most sought
by experienced travelers. Based on member response, those
who travel frequently are very excited about our new annual
travel insurance because it is designed to cover an unlimited
number of trips during the year, protecting against trip
cancellation or interruption, medical expenses, and baggage
and equipment loss; it even provides collision insurance
when you rent a car.
DAN works hard to be there for our members, and we
work just as hard to make sure the programs and services
we provide meet members’ evolving needs. Revenues
from various DAN insurance initiatives support medical
research and diver education — the “mission” aspects of
our operations. Our “Divers Helping Divers®” pledge is the
cornerstone of the DAN foundation, literally and figuratively.
DAN pledges to continually do what’s in the best interest of
its members, and as CEO I ask for your input. We care about
every member, every trip, every accident and every insurance
expense reimbursement. If we ever fall short in any way,
contact us directly atDAN@dan.org. AD
Program
Diversity
Matching needs
with solutions
B Y W I L L I A M Z I E F L E
STEPHEN FRINK