The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIANS who are satisfied with their existing health insurance coverage won’t be affected by the implementation of National Health Insurance although they may be able to renegotiate their private insurance plans in order to pay a lower price, Health Minister Dr Perry Gomez said yesterday.

His comments came as debate began in the House of Assembly on a bill that would establish the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), an important step towards realising one of the Christie administration’s top priorities.

“Some persons (who) are fortunate enough to have private health insurance are worried about what will happen to their policies when NHI is introduced,” Dr Gomez said. “I want to reassure them that NHI does not mean that you will have to give up your private insurance benefits.”

“What it does, instead, is give you an opportunity to renegotiate your private plan so that you are able to only pay for the services not currently included under NHI. This may not only reduce the cost of your plans, but may allow a greater number of Bahamians access to private health insurance at the lower rates.”

Since the NHI Bill was tabled in Parliament last week, stakeholders have complained that they were blindsided by the government and not properly consulted.

Dr Gomez tried to counter that criticism yesterday.

“The initial draft of this bill was released in February and over the last six months we have met extensively with stakeholders to receive their feedback and incorporate their thoughts into this revised bill which lies before you,” he said. “More than 80 changes have been introduced based on the feedback received thus far, ranging from simple changes of definitions to major changes such as the composition of the Board of the National Health Insurance Authority.”

Regulations for NHI are still being drafted and are expected to be released in September, according to the Permanent Secretary of the NHI Secretariat Peter Deveaux-Isaacs.

Combined with the NHIA Bill, the regulations will bring clarity to the way the primary healthcare phase of NHI will operate.

The Christie administration, on the advice of consultants, believes that it will cost $100m per year to provide primary healthcare services, notwithstanding changes in inflation and adjustments to the benefits package that could cost this figure to fluctuate.

“This money will be transferred to the newly established National Health Insurance Authority from the Consolidated Fund using existing public resources which will be reallocated from existing spending at the Department of Public Health and Public Hospitals Authority,” Dr Gomez said.

His statement confirms that the facilitation of primary healthcare will come as the government streamlines the country’s existing healthcare services framework, as opposed to making new investments into it.

Dr Gomez said: “In our first phase, where we will be redirecting money currently allocated to less efficient modes of health delivery instead to the provision of primary health care services…we will ensure that individuals who currently put off taking their chronic disease medications for lack of payment are able to access them, and hence keep them out of the hospital. By opening up access to private primary care facilities to Bahamians previously unable to afford their services, we will be able to reduce wait times in our over-burdened public clinics – allowing a working mother the opportunity to take less time off work and access care for their sick child when they need it – not waiting until late at night and accessing care through the more expensive emergency room.”

Dr Gomez said the key to the plan is that it will allow Bahamians to access healthcare services from both the public and private sectors.

“…Currently, there are thousands of low, middle and even lower-upper income Bahamians who do not have access to (healthcare) because their economic, age, or health status does not allow them access,” he said. “Without that financial protection of insurance they are only able to access services in the public sector.”