The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Super Value’s owner believes the insurance industry “dropped the ball” by not inviting the wider private sector into the National Health Insurance (NHI) discussions earlier, suggesting it could have impacted the scheme like it did Value-Added Tax (VAT).

“I think that the Government consulted the insurance companies, but I think the insurance companies should have invited us, the Coalition from the Chamber of Commerce, to the table,” Rupert Roberts told Tribune Business.

“The way we did it with VAT, we really helped the Government, and we could really have helped the country with NHI. All the business community combined have a contribution to make.

“We made it with VAT, and we could have made it on NHI. I think the insurance companies dropped the ball by not inviting us to the table. The Government was grateful for the contribution of the Coalition [for Responsible Taxation] and the Chamber with VAT.”

Whether anyone could have dissuaded the Government from the course it is now embarking on with NHI is debatable, given that it appears determined to impose its chosen model on the whole healthcare industry and the Bahamian people, despite suggestions there are better alternatives.

The Christie administration also appears to be forging ahead despite possessing less-than-complete data, and not knowing how much NHI will truly cost or how it will ultimately be financed, and by whom.

Mr Roberts said Super Value would likely “have to develop a mix of the three” when NHI comes along, suggesting that the supermarket chain would combine its two existing staff medical insurance schemes with the Government-run offering.

“We’ve had insurance companies in and talked to them,” he said. “We’ll have to come up with a mix, a combination of the three.”

Meanwhile, a well-known financial analyst warned that the uncertainty surrounding the NHI scheme was creating “real consternation” throughout the healthcare industry and wider private sector.

Kenwood Kerr, Providence Advisors’ chief executive, told Tribune Business that the Government’s plan may be “disruptive” unless there was true collaboration with the medical community and insurance companies.

While backing universal health coverage (UHC) and NHI as concepts, Mr Kerr said the existing healthcare system first needed to be strengthened, and the numerous unanswered questions dealt with.

“There is little, if any disagreement that NHI should available to all Bahamians,” Mr Kerr said. “The critical questions remain: What will I pay? What will I get in terms of coverage? How does this impact my employees and my business? The NHI uncertainty creates real industry consternation and could be disruptive without real collaboration.”

He added: “Let us recalibrate, open up the dialogue and include all parties and vested interests in building and implementing the best NHI solution for the Bahamas.

“However, let’s assess where we are, remove the excesses of the current system, make the required adjustments and then map out a complete NHI strategy with all sides involved going forward. With a quarter of the current budget allocation being allegedly wasted, the system needs fixing before moving forward.”