Parents peeved about $25 hospital fee for infants & young children
The children taken for various services were under the age of 4 years old and according to the women they were shocked when they were told they had to pay a fee of $25 per child.
“When they told me I had to pay $25 for my child I had to ask them if they crazy, all the years I have been bringing my babies to this hospital and was never one day made to pay no $25 and all the women started bawling too because that was so new to us and they never gave us any notice before, just dropped it like that on us.” said a mother four.
Another mother of eight children also verified what the others had said. She claimed that it seemed that a new policy was put in place. “All my children had from their immunization to other medical care right here and never one dollar we had to pay, so how come all of a sudden, something is not adding up.”
“If they are claiming that this is a system that has always been in place, let them bring receipts and other documents to show me because something is definitely not right here,” claimed an obviously disturbed mother.
Contacted on the subject, Chairman of the BVI Health Services Authority, Mr John I. Cline said that it is a matter of law that children who are in school do not pay for medical services as they have been classified as exempt. However, he noted that for children 0- 4 years a fee is required.
“… often times people would complain that they would have been charged …. We only charge for new born and infants because according to the legislation it is exempt for school children,” stated Bishop Cline.
He made it clear while speaking with Virgin Islands News Online in an exclusive interview on Friday December 20, 2013 that charging infants and newborns has been the practice of the BVIHSA.
Chairman Cline noted that the fact is, the BVIHSA have found themselves at a critical juncture, a matter of much concern to him. “… we are not able to charge more than 70% of the people we serve…”
He explained that this has put the government in a position where it has to be subsidizing healthcare in the VI. “They give us between $21 and $23 million dollars annually when truly we need about $30 million to run healthcare.”
This he said puts the BVIHSA under serious financial strain in terms of dealing with healthcare from salaries to medications in pharmacy to specimens in the laboratory. “We find ourselves in situations where we are being cut off by these trials. The other thing to that is the fee structure for healthcare services,” Chairman Cline noted.
The fee structure of the VI has not been upgraded since 1927 according to the BVIHSA Chairman. “In 1927 when the legislation was put in place and the fees were written, for instance $25 per night for a semi-private room, it has not changed,” he noted.
He added that this has been hit with the current cost for hiring doctors while noting that general healthcare provisions have all increased since. “We have not been allowed by any government to increase the fees and what we need to let the public know if it’s not for fees for one, the government cannot afford it, two, the public can’t afford not to have good healthcare,” contended Mr Cline.
He said that not being able to charge fees for the greater part and the government not being in a position to effectively subsidize the healthcare sector simply meant that the BVIHSA cannot deliver the quality service as is required.
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81 Responses to “Parents peeved about $25 hospital fee for infants & young children”
s...n is going to extract blood out of stones to pay for his mistakes for that humongous hospital
thanks vino for bringing this to us atleast the c....man confess the NDP is a waste
It starts the same in every country... The progressives want to help all the poor in the society and achieve their goal by shooting everyone in the foot!
I am so sick of all these people who think it is the Government responsibility to care for them and their mistakes.
As said Mr John I. Cline said that it is a matter of law that children who are in school do not pay for medical services as they have been classified as exempt. However, he noted that for children 0- 4 years a fee is required.
If a higher level of service such as the gold or platinum plans are needed, there must be cost sharing between government and customers. Except for the aged, disabled or indigent healthcare
should not be free. Cost to the maximum extent practical should be fair and reasonable and be assessed based on ability to pay.
In any event, the BVISA should have communicated with customers about impending intent to collect fees for services provided. Instead, it was sprung up upon customers. This was a poor business practice and poor communication. In regards to the fee structure, it needs to be revised.
These women complaining about $25? them got to be kidding. i know when they go to euricka them have to pay $90 upfront just to consult with a doctor, and its even more when they travell to st thomas,puerto rico or the states. People in this country want everything free especially them island people.
BVI is not you welfare state. You want free school, free health care, free scholarship, free roads, freebies from government, free land, free house, free tent shop, free no rent car trunk restaurant, free crime spree. What is 25.00 when you getting the world of benefits from BVI.
Just shut up or ship out mon nuh.
I heard people talk about how many hours they/their kids were in the hospital waiting to be seen by a doc. My reply always, why you didnt go eureka or b and f. Your would have been in and out in 20-30mins or less! Wait over hours for free service or pay $30-60 and get thru in less than a hour with medications. I WILL PAY, i wouldn't want my child or me be uncomfortable (in pain) waiting for free service.
These are the same people who have fancy gadgets, gears and latest fashion. enough is enough !!