The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

Permanent Secretary to the National Health Insurance (NHI) Secretariat Peter Deveaux-Isaacs yesterday defended the Government’s former NHI consultant Sanigest Internacional, noting that much of its work was being incorporated into the work of KPMG.

Mr Deveaux-Isaacs, while speaking at a press conference to announce the launch of a request for proposal or services relating to the public insurer under the NHI plan said: “Sanigest did a lot of credible work for the NHI plan. Much of the work has been incorporated into what KPMG is doing.”

The Christie administration contracted Dr Mark Britnell, chairman of the accounting firm KPMG’s 4,000-strong global health practice, as its latest NHI consultant earlier this year.

The Government has set aside $24m to create a special fund for patients with catastrophic medical problems during the first phase of NHI.

Dr Delon Brennen, deputy chief medical officer, noted that catastrophic coverage across the primary, secondary and tertiary phase of NHI would cost significantly more.

“What this roll-out allows us to do is start from the core of what health needs to be and should be - that is primary care,” Dr Brennen said.

“There is a small portion of the population that does need to have high cost intervention addressed right now so there will be a $20 million fund to be able to start implementing those things.

“We are designing how that is going to happen in consultation with healthcare providers in the country and administrators of healthcare plans and our health care facilities as well.”