Govt should raise quality of health care before bringing NHI - RT residents
That was one of several emphatic statements made by concerned residents who attended the public consultation for the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) Programme at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park last evening, February 26, 2013.
It was no easy go for the members of the Board as it was evident from the responses and questions asked, recommendations made and statements of persons, that they were not in support of the impending NHI policy being proposed by the Government of the day.
Presiding over the consultation last evening were Deputy Director BVI Social Security Board (SSB) with responsibility for NHI, Mr Roy Barry who said the consultation had been the most vocal of all others held so far; and Executive Director of the SSB and Co Chairperson of NHI, Ms Antoinette Skelton.
Residents spared no bones in speaking their minds to say that government was putting the cart before the horse; they had no confidence in the healthcare services; and that persons should have the free choice to choose which insurance company they should be covered by.
One resident said, “I don’t see this as no health insurance plan, I see this as another tax.”
In response, Mr Barry was very firm in noting that the NHI is indeed what it says it is, however it does not dictate whether or not persons should have an additional insurance coverage for health care. “Based on the rules and regulations, it is mandatory once they are working in the BVI or legal residence in the BVI, they must be enrolled in national health insurance, but you can access additional insurance from a private provider of you so wish,” he stated emphatically.
Mr Barry added that he could not speak totally for the Health Services Authority but said they are working together and as they move closer to launching NHI, “they are moving towards major improvements at the Health Services Authority.” He also sought to quell the concerns by stating that if persons were not comfortable with the services of the public providers they could access from a pool of private health care providers in the Territory. “But I can assure you that when we are finished with the healthcare reform we’ll have a system that is second to none."
Persons questioned whether the NHI Board would decide whether or not a person should go overseas to seek medical attention once given that recommendation from a private doctor. “We are not going to second guess the doctor but we live in a small community and we believe, I hope I am not putting my foot in my mouth because I was misquoted in the press already for the week, I don’t want to get that happening again but most of us like to jump on a plane and go overseas and get medical treatment. That's a fact,” said Ms Skelton.
The statement was greeted by a response of one resident, who said “….Because we want to live.”
“Suppose I have a [private] insurance now and I have to give up that when NHI comes on stream because I cannot afford both and NHI cannot give me the kind of coverage that the private insurance was giving me, then you are asking me to give up something for less, I am mandated to pay for less, I cannot afford both of them but I would need both of them,” the resident stated. Ms Skelton responded assuringly. “You wouldn’t.”
There was loud applause and shouts of “wonderful, wonderful” when one man heavily criticized the present healthcare services being offered at Peebles Hospital and stated that it was his opinion that it would have been a better thing if the government had waited until the health services come on par before introducing NHI.
Attempting to give some level of comfort to the resident, Ms Skelton asked the man if he had been to Peebles Hospital recently. “I try to avoid going there,” the man said bluntly.
Ms Skelton then said that while she was not prepared to speak totally for Peebles Hospital, “The health services authority is doing similar to us, they are making their wrong …but the government of the day, the Ministry of Health...is committed to improving the standard of healthcare so much so that Peebles hospital will be the facility of choice, so much so,” said Ms. Skelton. “We are not going to build a big hundred million dollars hospital and it’s going to be business as usual,” she added while noting there would be an addition of seven specialists to the staff of Peebles Hospital. “And I am not speaking for them [Peebles Hospital],” she repeatedly said.
One particular resident, who had the full support of several present, was very straight forward with his line of questioning the proposed system. “You also said that you are not going to ram anything down people’s throats, then what is ‘mandatory’.” In response, Mr Barry said it’s the system is that is mandatory. "...When she said she is not going to ram it down your throat, she is listening to what the people has to say so that we can re-design whatever needs to be re-designed."
At one stage it was dubbed as uncouth of Ms Skelton as she could be heard on the microphone whispering to her colleague “she is only trying to be rude”, following several questions posed by a resident.
Persons also objected to the omission of alternative medicines not being covered by the NHI.
Big under the tent, was the question of whether the monies would be used on government investments, a notion that almost everyone was not comfortable with. However, Ms Skelton said because the monies would be too much to be held in a bank account they would have to invest and the best choice would be the government.
At one stage the questions seemed to have been overwhelming and Mr Barry even asked one young man to visit him at his office for further discussion but that was met with a firm objection. The young man stated that his concerns were those of the general public and as such he needed to have his questions addressed in the open forum. This again was met with rounds of applause.
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22 Responses to “Govt should raise quality of health care before bringing NHI - RT residents”
You mean to tell me with all those people there nobody told Roy to haul he - - - - a$$. If you are making something mandatory and your company is telling you that because government is forcing their hand with this MANDATORY aspect for NHI and they WILL DROP YOUR OTHER INSURANCE, how the F- - - do we have a choice??? Who in the hell can afford to pay into a mandatory government insurance and then ON YOUR OWN(which will make payments even higher) pay for private insurance? You notice the only people making that statement about having 2 are the rich SOB's in the BVI. And I bet all of them who pushing NHI saying you do not need any other insurance will have 2. Cause the same way they always telling you to shop local and when you Puerto Rico and St. Thomas you have to push them out your way, is the same way they will tell you, "you only need NHI but they will have another and utilize the other". These SOB's we have in positions like to talk with two tongues.
Peace
I also believe that if the a significant number of residents (both local and non-local) are not in agreement with this proposed legislation, the people should (through the Governor) demand a REFERENDUM on the matter.
I am sick and tired of being force fed policies that substantially affect my personal finances. I for one will not take this one lying down!
They try to hold meetings and make us think we have a say yet still they going on with this "$h1t" of a scheme. We all need to stand together and leave them @$$ there at them meeting let them talk to themself. Saying the scheme to help the less fortunate ... but what the hell our tax money doing? It's paying for all those unecessary consultant contracts that's what. We need to show these people we aint playing no game with them no more we need to start signing pettitions and writing letters to the Queen let she intervine, last time I checked we live in a democratic society we have the freedom of choice. This $h1t aint going so, you people never learn with these crooks what call themself NDP. Politics would have never gone so in any other Caribbean country.