The Tribune

By NATARIO MCKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

Medical laboratories yesterday said they were “willing to start” with National Health Insurance (NHI) despite lingering concerns over payment rates.

Bonnie Culmer, who heads Bonaventure Medical Laboratory, and a council member and former chairperson of the Bahamas Association of Medical Technologists (BAMT), which is comprised of six companies, told Tribune Business: “They launched it on Monday from what I understand. We signed up and are ready to take our first NHI patients.

“We have ironed out most of our concerns. However, we still have concerns about reimbursements for the chemistry tests, and the amounts they will reimburse at the onset to cover our cost. We’re willing to start and hopefully things will change as we go along.”

Ms Culmer added: “We are hoping to continue discussions, as they appear open to such discussions. We are willing to start with it. Obviously, if we have patients coming in from the clinic and various physicians offices to use their cards, they have to have a laboratory and we’re not in a position to turn away clients. We all have to make a living. We can’t turn away customers.”

The NHI Secretariat announced earlier this week that Bahamian and legal residents who have enrolled in the scheme will now be able to access laboratory services as part of their primary care benefits.

It added that “persons will no longer have to pay for certain lab tests, including some blood tests, to check immune function, blood sugar, cholesterol, hormone levels and organ function, as well as blood tests for HIV and blood disorders like sickle cell anemia”.

According to the NHI Secretariat, Bahamas Medical Laboratory Services; Bonaventure Medical Laboratory; Executive Family Medical Centre; Premier Clinical Laboratory; Integrated Medical Centre and Memorial Plaza are all available to provide laboratory services at no cost at point of care under NHI Bahamas.