Caller disturbed by NHI threats
One caller to the Things to Talk programme on ZBVI 780 AM on Wednesday November 16, 2016 has put forth an argument stating that it is not fair that every month employers remove the mandatory deduction to cover health care and if they fail to pay NHI, the employees are the ones being punished.
“I am a little disturbed…if your employer is deducting it why should you be the one getting the shorter end of the stick? Why should I be the one being affected? You [employer] should be the one being affected because they are the ones not meeting the end of the bargain,” the female caller pointed out.
According to a press release by the SSB, effective Monday November 28, 2016, employers who after a three -month grace period where letters and telephone calls were made in an attempt to settle the payments of the NHI, those who are employed by them will not have the coverage of health care benefits until it is paid. To avoid suspension of their employees' NHI benefits, employers must make the full outstanding contribution payment no later than November 28, 2016. The controversial NHI will only be reinstated when full payment of the outstanding amount is made. During the suspension period, NHI will not pay for any healthcare services, supplies or prescriptions.
The Social Security Board expressed that employers not only have a legal but a moral obligation for their employees' well-being.
Measure doesn’t seem fair- Wheatley
Meanwhile, host of the programme Natalio D. “Sowande Uhuru” Wheatley was also in agreement.
Wheatley said he had to look at the legislation and also read the news story “and I was a little troubled by that as well. But I think the strategy they are trying to use is to make sure that everybody is paying and to push for the employers, they are probably seeing that as being easier than going after individual employees.”
He continued, “But you are right, it doesn’t seem fair. I think if you can prove that the deductions are being made from your paycheck you should be able to access NHI. I agree with you completely I believe those are the things that they have to work out in the system.”
He said it is his belief that there is going to be a surcharge on the NHI contributions, which will be the punishment of the employers.
Under the Social Security (National Health Insurance) Regulations of 2015, a contribution rate of 3.75% of insurable earnings is payable in respect of an employee, employer, dependent spouse, another adult dependent, or an unemployed pensioner (under age 65 where a pension is the only source of income).
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21 Responses to “Caller disturbed by NHI threats”
If the employer has repeatedly ignored letters, calls and correspondence for 3 months (and assuming that these means of correspondence have specified the risks for employees if the employer does NOT comply), I think it fairly safe to assume that penalising the employee at this point by denying care would do very little to convince such an employer. They have already made it clear they do not care about their employee/s.
Further, it would seem that this sets up a loophole for employers to simply starve the NHI system by withholding their share of contributions as there are no real consequences for employers, just the employees in their charge (who are vulnerable and could be fired at any point in this economy). Employees who are able to would then go to private insurance for coverage, and we would be right back to the pre-NHI situation, as the system depends on a certain percentage of regular contributions being made to survive.
If serious action is not taken against non-complying EMPLOYERS, it could also signal to other unscrupulous employers that there are no consequences for non-compliance where they are concerned, thus KILLING NHI as a domino effect ensues.
Really, the ball is in the SSB/NHI camp's court, to decide whether they want to kill NHI by punishing employees for non-compliant employers or whether they want to pursue action to ensure employers comply and thus ensure that NHI lasts longer than one calendar year.