By RICARDO WELLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
rwells@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Public Services Union President John Pinder suggested yesterday that the silence by government officials over National Health Insurance has led to “confusion” for persons employed in the public service.
The union leader told The Tribune that clarity over NHI is “desperately needed now” as fears of substandard healthcare are starting to mount among workers who he said have grown used to quality medical services.
According to Mr Pinder, civil servants have become accustomed to “completely comprehensive health coverage” offered on a range of split payments between employees and employers.
In some cases, employees are required to cover roughly 20 per cent of coverage cost, while employers cover the remaining 80 per cent. In other cases, employees share a 40/60 split with employers.
Mr Pinder said he has heard unsubstantiated reports that the government was considering a 2.8 per cent tax to fund NHI, contending that if that number is true, he could foresee civil servants accepting that if it was accompanied by “quality healthcare.”
“They are paying on average 20 to 40 per cent, in most cases that balances off with a 2.8 per cent charge – in most cases. So one would have to understand that the breaking point in this debate would be what it is we are getting. Are we going to get quality service in healthcare for the money we are contributing to this scheme?
“You can’t move persons away from great service and then deliver long lines at PMH and clinics, poor service. These people are coming from full dental, full vision, full comprehensive coverage. You can’t now come in and charge them for a service that they might not truly benefit from. You can’t take away a person’s quality coverage and then give them something substandard in return.”
“We have to date no clear understanding of what will happen once the New Year rolls in, at this point we hear the number of 2.8 per cent floating around but that doesn’t seem certain, so we don’t know what any of this means,” he said.
In late September, Mr Pinder said unionists feared the government would cut the benefits of some civil servants once NHI was implemented.
The government has previously said NHI will be introduced on January 1, with the first phase to encompass registration and improvements to public health infrastructure.
Primary healthcare coverage is expected to begin in April.
However the government has faced pushback to its plans, with the Bahamas Insurance Association this month saying the proposed NHI model constitutes “a hostile takeover” of the private health insurance sector.
The association predicted that NHI would destabilise the health insurance sector, which they expect to have a snowballing affect on the entire insurance industry.
Comments
Honestman 8 years, 3 months ago
Look, there is no confusion. Civil Servants will be paying the same money in the short term for a grossly inferior service. They can also expect crowded waiting rooms, lengthy waits for appointments, many of our best doctors retired or relocated to Florida, a new batch of doctors from the Third World with limited command of English and who are prepared to work for low pay, no more access to Stateside medical consultants. Oh and don't forget the regular increases in NIB contributions to fund the growing demands of patients. So there you have it civil servants but please don't be confused.
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