Prime Minister Perry Christie
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMIANS will likely have to pay a premium of two or three dollars to help fund the government’s proposed National Health Insurance scheme, Prime Minister Perry Christie said last week.
Mr Christie said Bahamians could look forward to a “new paradigm in healthcare” that will feature widespread improvements across the archipelago.
His comments came during a nearly two-hour presentation to College of the Bahamas journalism students.
Responding to a student who complained about the conditions and level of service at Princes Margaret Hospital, Mr Christie said: “You’re speaking, in your case, to the systemic failure of the system to provide (you with high quality service).
“You speak about the conditions of the ward, the conditions of Accident and Emergency. Yes they will change.”
“National Health Insurance will ultimately have you pay a premium – it might be two dollars, it might be three dollars. You’re not going to be in the general ward. They’ve just announced now that they’re beginning to reconfigure these wards and more, so to speak. There will four beds to a room, therefore much closer attention will be given. The hospital will be designed to (provide you with) high-level personal care. “The hospital is not supposed to be substandard in service. So you could look forward to a new approach to healthcare, one that I think will be very important to people, ones that don’t have the level of coverage that they have now.”
The government plans to introduce NHI in January 2016.
In a report given to the government last October, Costa Rican consultants Sanigest Internacional presented options for financing universal healthcare.
According to the report, of which The Tribune has obtained a copy, the consultants have suggested a payroll tax ranging from one per cent to five per cent to finance NHI.
The report also explores various other revenue-raising options, including levying a “sin tax” on alcohol and tobacco that would, the report estimates, yield some $64.93 million in NHI revenues in 2016, an estimate the report concedes is at the high end.
Another option identified is a tax on auto insurance premiums and increasing the wage ceiling for National Insurance Board (NIB) contributions.
According to the report, NHI could cost $633 million annually if implemented as a comprehensive package and $362 million on the low end.
The report also says that NHI will deliver healthcare savings per worker ranging from $280 to $2,970 per year when compared to private health insurance. The savings per worker can create enormous savings for firms of all sizes, while in most cases reducing employee health spending, the Sanigest report suggests.
Comments
proudloudandfnm 9 years, 8 months ago
We cannot allow the PLP to do this. The country cannot afford this right now. And with the PLP in charge the costs will triple just due to PLP incompetence.
Citizens need more power. We should be able to fire Perry...
Hogfish 9 years, 8 months ago
hey birdie,
you still ga be kissing ya boy perry ass when he charge you 5% of your salary to pay for more illegal haitians to show up and drop babies on pmh doorstep?
TheMadHatter 9 years, 8 months ago
Yep - that's all it is for - more money for Haitians. More Haitian babies. More medicine for Haitians.
I wonder if they think that the peoples' patience will NEVER run out?
Islandgirl 9 years, 8 months ago
Really though perry. What will I have to spend on myself? You are taxing everything except the air I breathe. You expect me to just be on Earth to pay taxes to maintain your foolish socialist agenda and fund your lavish partying and cronies before I meet my Maker? GO man. Just leave. I hope I see you and all your ministers towing the line at PMH and getting your exams done there too. No more US executive exams and ting for yinna. If it is good enough for us to be forced to swallow this shiyit, it definitely should be good enough for you.
duppyVAT 9 years, 8 months ago
Bulla, even Mudder Pratt doon wanna go to PMH....................... BOL
The_Oracle 9 years, 8 months ago
All their money is stashed abroad so it is not going to affect them. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Things are piling up! Islandgirl do not give them ideas. Carbon taxes and credits are exactly that, a tax on Carbon dumped into the air. Think dump fires. Globally they want to tax cow farts.( Methane) Personally the Bahamas should tax brain farts, we could kill the national debt on politician output alone.
asiseeit 9 years, 8 months ago
What about the unemployed? What are they going to do about them. That is a large part of the population once you add in the young and old you will have about 25% of the population that will be contributing to the scheme. Go ahead and tax alcohol, people already making moonshine. Auto insurance, I could walk. This scheme sounds great but in the real world (maybe Perry should check it out once in a while) this will not fly and if they force it will be a total disaster. They (the politicians) are pushing us into a corner, sooner or later we will push back!
ohdrap4 9 years, 8 months ago
52% of the population will be non-contributory, ie, the rest of us pay for the unemployed.
asiseeit 9 years, 8 months ago
One other thing these asshole politicians do not understand is that when we have a P.M. that publicly states that he hopes only his supporters get government contracts, when corruption is the order of the day, and only a very small percent of Bahamians seem to matter. Well, that is mixture that can become very explosive. I hope to god either the PLP government catches itself or elections come before this government pushes just a little to far. I do not think the government really understands how rough it is on the street or how upset people really are. Maybe if they came out of their ivory towers surrounded by ass kissers they might understand.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 8 months ago
Taxing us up to our eyeballs so he can establish his "legacy". Note to self, "legacy doesn't always have positive connotations"
asiseeit 9 years, 8 months ago
I would love if NHI could work in this country. The thing is I know for a fact that the politicians would derail it. Perry would insist that only PLP doctors could write prescriptions, those prescriptions could only be filled at a PLP pharmacy, and if the drugs where in short supply only PLP's could get their hands on them. The man has said PUBLICLY that he is only about empowering HIS supporters. You think I would trust such a person who is SUPPOSED TO WORK FOR ALL BAHAMIANS to administer a NHI plan in a fair and balanced manner? Not a chance, they have admitted that they only work for the PLP, to hell with the rest of the nation. The political class has in their corrupt ways caused this country great harm that just may not be repairable. They may not "do stupid" but their corrupt, tribalistic, greedy ways sure make the NATION look stupid!
duppyVAT 9 years, 8 months ago
Soooooooo, how will the Bahamian on Rum Cay or Mayaguana or South Andros benefit from a NHI based on an improved PMH or Rand???????? With the cost of airfare???
That is the big question ................ is this to benefit Nassau/GB, the politicians and the 85%???
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