The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune

There is an old joke and it has never been so true than in recent times: “How do you know when a politician is lying? When their lips are moving!” I have put a quote from Dr Gomez below which was in The Tribune August 11.

“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.”

Now section 21 of the national health insurance bill, 2016 and the second schedule it refers to I have copied below;

1. Coordination of coverage of benefits. Where a beneficiary is covered by private health insurance for a benefit included in the Second Schedule, the private health insurance carrier shall be the primary payer in accordance with prescribed regulations.

SECOND SCHEDULE (section 20)

BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO A BENEFICIARY UNDER THE PLAN

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE

The benefits provided at the primary health care level shall consist of —

1. Primary health care services of health care providers

2. Primary health care diagnostic, laboratory, pharmaceutical and other medical services, including care integration, counselling, home or residential care and population health services addressing the social and other determinants of health

3. Personal preventative services

4. Primary health care prescription drugs and biologicals

5. Health education and promotion

To simplify it for everybody, if you have health insurance your insurance will be covering all of your primary care costs, not NHI!

It would seem Dr Gomez should read his own bill to understand that there will be no renegotiating with your insurance companies, because your insurance company will be covering your primary care benefits and not NHI. So when new taxes come, which they will, you will be paying for NHI and your private health insurance. I’m sure many people like myself will not be able to afford both, and therefore we will lose our private insurance! The government has created a situation in which it will be very difficult if not impossible to have both. Thank you so much Dr Gomez for taking my private health insurance from my family and me, we really appreciate it!

I’M WATCHING YOU

Nassau,

August 11,2016