By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Staff Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
IMPLEMENTATION of the government’s National Health Insurance scheme has been set for January 2016, Finance Minister Michael Halkitis said yesterday.
Foreign consultants made presentations to Cabinet on the proposed scheme this week, according to Health Minister Dr Perry Gomez, who brushed away reporters seeking more details on the plan outside the House of Assembly.
However, officials have yet to reveal the cost of the contract to engage Costa Rican-based healthcare consulting and management firm, Sanigest Internacional.
Mr Halkitis made the announcement on the plan’s projected implementation timeline during his contribution to the debate over the revised Medical Act in the House.
The date is some three years past the initial timeline promised during Dr Gomez’s election campaign.
Health Minister Dr Perry Gomez confirmed Sanigest Internacional made a presentation to Cabinet on Tuesday. The firm was contracted in March, according to Dr Gomez, who at that time said he would reveal the cost of the consultants and discuss relevant matters concerning the plan when the firm began work in the country.
Yesterday, Dr Gomez referred the matter to National Insurance Minister Shane Gibson, adding that it was a National Insurance-funded contract. Mr Gibson, however, declined to reveal the information to The Tribune yesterday because he was concerned that it would take the focus away from his contribution later that evening.
Mr Halkitis did not respond to messages put to him yesterday.
The Finance Minister cautioned Bahamians on the critical need to make the NHI plan both accessible and sustainable, pointing to the high costs currently paid to maintain insurance for civil servants.
“The government of the Bahamas,” he said, “today spends close to $100 million to insure just over 15,000 civil servants and yet there are many civil servants, and many thousands of Bahamians, who don’t have the benefit of health insurance. That’s why I believe
National Health Insurance should be a national priority and we should all support it, not blindly but throw our support behind it so we can provide the best system possible for the maximum number of Bahamians.”
National Health Insurance was first developed as a policy priority under the first Christie administration. A 15-member Blue Ribbon Commission was appointed to review the feasibility of a National Health Insurance Plan. The National Health Insurance Act 2006 was then tabled in Parliament by the Christie government on November 2006.
Last week, Dr Gomez announced there will be 12-strong steering committee that will oversee the full implementation of the NHI scheme.
Five members have been appointed - Dr Delon Brennen, Deputy Chief Medical Officer; Chartered Accountant Anthony Kikivarkis, Edison Sumner, President of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce; Archbishop Drexel Gomez and Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr Valentine Grimes - and more will follow.
The committee will be supported by three sub-groups: a Review Committee, a Health Strengthening Committee and a Finance Committee.
Comments
Honestman 9 years, 12 months ago
Bet ya any money the PLP will not meet this deadline. They have no intention of meeting the deadline. This is just another carrot to dangle in front of their gullible supporters. The country cannot afford a National Health Scheme at this time especially with VAT still to be implemented. There is only so much money you can bleed from the working class. My prediction is that implementation of the scheme will be included in their long list of promises going into the next election leaving the FNM to be the bearer of bad news.
proudloudandfnm 9 years, 12 months ago
So many say Halkitis is a smart man. I find that really hard to believe....
CANDACESCOTT 9 years, 12 months ago
Was this the same think the campaign on in 2002, i remember a woman with a sick baby crying because the PLP won saying this would be great relief for her sick child... that was 2002...new date 2016...interesting
B_I_D___ 9 years, 12 months ago
We simply cannot afford it. We are already in debt up to our eyeballs...VAT or some other form of tax is needed to STRICTLY PAY DOWN DEBT...NHI is NOT cheap, heath insurance is EXTREMELY expensive. Let's be sure that any and all discussions about tax reform are weighted with the concept you all are wanting to spend a fortune in funding NHI...don't think that has even been tabled as a factor in any VAT discussion to date. So what are we going to do...roll out VAT, then got after NHI and realize, oh hey, we need to bump up VAT to cover NHI now...bring it all out up front NOW...let's not bicker about the funds needed to do it after the fact and hit us with MORE taxes...roll out vat April 2015, cripple the economy, then roll out NHI in 2016 and have to boost VAT to pay for it, further crippling the economy...NO NO NO!!
SP 9 years, 12 months ago
On the campaign trail with promises of "Dis & Dat".....
No Thanks!
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 12 months ago
Go sit down. VAT by July. Mortgage relief by January, referendum by November.
Was any of this craziness planned for in the 2013 budget????
asiseeit 9 years, 12 months ago
To hell with it, I am not going to work any more and I am going to expect the government to wipe my ass, feed me, clothe me, entertain me (which they do already), house me, tuck me in at night, and when I dead (like this country) bury me.
SP 9 years, 12 months ago
Which government you expect to wipe your ass clothe you and feed you? The PLP & FNM?
LOL....best you look for Haitians, Asians, Latinos and Africans because the PLP & FNM would NEVER give those jobs to a Bahamian!
asiseeit 9 years, 12 months ago
Why work when you will just give your hard earned money to the government to steal, waste and hire non-Bahamian firms for the kickbacks. They expect me to bust my hip to support them? Think again, I would rather become a bum under the bridge begging for a dollar!
BahamianAway 9 years, 12 months ago
They need to start making these companies responsible for paying for health insurance for their employees. If you work a job where you have more than 30hrs a week health insurance should be mandatory. The employee would pay into the health insurance programme and the employer would pay whatever premiums.
sheeprunner12 9 years, 12 months ago
Just look across to the USA............ Obamacare is a mess and a white elephant. Perrycare will be TEN times worse............. look at the power that the doctors have in this country now, then look at the situation at PMH and the state of healthcare in the Islands.
Can you imagine the cost that Perrycare will be??????and who are their consultants??????????
BahamianAway 9 years, 12 months ago
Actually it isn't a mess...people who complain are those who don't want to be responsible for their own healthcare if they are working. They rather receive a free handout from the government as to oppose to actually being responsible to pay for the care themselves.
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