The National Health Insurance of the Virgin Islands (NHI) is advising all employers to notify NHI of the termination of an employee within seven (7) days. Photo: Provided

This is according to a press release dated Tueday, March 5, 2015, which states that according to the Social Security (National Health Insurance) Regulations, 2015, “An employer shall, within seven days of the termination of employment of a person employed by him, notify the Director of such termination on such form as the Director may approve”.

Employers who fail to notify NHI within seven days of the termination will be required to pay a $20 fee. To formally notify NHI, employers are asked to fill out and submit ‘Form M’ or the ‘Termination Certificate’ to NHI.

The form can be found online at www.vinhi.vg and via this direct link: http://vinhi.vg/wp-content/nhi/Forms/FORM-M-Termination-Certificate.pdf.

Deputy Director of the Social Security Board with responsibility for National Health Insurance, Mr Roy Barry, said that it is also important that beneficiaries notify NHI of any change in their employment.

He said, “Also according to the Regulations, a beneficiary who changes his employer or his status as an employee, employer or self-employed, must notify NHI of the change within fourteen days of the date of the change.”

In order to notify NHI of a change in employment, beneficiaries are required to fill out ‘Form O’, or the ‘Notification of Change Form’, and have their employer sign or stamp same.

The form can be downloaded from www.vinhi.vg and via this direct link: http://vinhi.vg/wp-content/nhi/Forms/FORM-O-Notification-of-Change2.pdf. The BVI’s National Health Insurance system is built on the principle of universal healthcare, which is designed to provide all legal residents in the Virgin Islands, affordable access to healthcare.