Bankruptcy or not; commentators say behavioural changes can save national health insurance
BVI News Staff - Friday, March 8th, 2013 at 9:03 AM
Fearful that the prevalence of diseases may force the impending National Health Insurance Scheme into financial challenges, two social commentators have called for the government to undertake an initiative to promote disease prevention.
Cromwell “Edju En Ka” Smith and Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said they agree in principle with the insurance plan which the authorities said will be launched by August this year, will be mandatory for all residents, and will be below 10% of one’s insurable income.
Speaking on their “Umoja” radio programme last evening, the two commentators however stated that the territory may end up in deeper financial challenges.
Wheatley pointed to possible bankruptcy. “We want to make sure that it’s sustainable, it’s affordable and also that it’s quality. And part of the quality is not only preventing it, but when you have an illness, we give people the true solution. We are not only treating symptoms, we are treating the causes. And if we don’t do that, I am afraid that we are gonna bankrupt the whole country.”
Wheatley argument about the territory possibly ending up bankrupt was not supported by Smith who stated that the insurance plan would have to be scrapped if it is found to be unsustainable.
“We are not going to bankrupt the country. We would have to stop it. We will have to look to another means of providing healthcare…” Smith said.
I don’t think that any elected official, and I don’t think that the people themselves is going to sit back and watch the country go bankrupt because of an unsustainable national health insurance plan. I think that we will wake up before then.”
While the two commentators disagree on the issue of bankruptcy, they are both pushing for a proper marketing initiative that they think will lessen the burden on the insurance plan and eventually on the government.
According to Smith, the current frequency of illnesses is cause for concern. “We can’t just have the plan to pay for our healthcare. We also have to have alongside that plan, another strategic plan – and I think the government has developed this – to help us the population, to give us the information and provide the infrastructure for us to maintain our wellness for us not to get sick.”
“The important thing about the whole plan is to change our behaviour so that we don’t get sick; and that is the importance to me of having the social marketing person come to the territory… ”
Smith further stated that a number of other programmes would be required to push the matter of wellness. “…We gonna need to know the type of exercises, we need facilities to exercise in, we need side-walks to walk on, we need tree-line blocks so that we could walk in the shade, we need bicycle lanes so that we can ride our bikes, we need recreation facilities.”
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4 Comments
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I do not think this is a Good thing. BVI does not have adequate level of healthcare to put this in place!!! People do not have the funds to carry additional insurance to get overseas care. I know the ministers do, but what about the populace who has to go to peebles and deal withy the lack of everything. This is not right now is not the time. Bring the healthcare up to par first then. This can be considered.
“According to Smith, the current frequency of illnesses is cause for concern.” People in the BVI are always sick because from a child is born; once the child have a cold or sneeze two time for the day, they run to the hospital and pump the child full of medication. Then, the parents will not only turn around and blame the health sector but will convince others that the hospital is who make their kids sick. Also, one of our basic need as human, is WATER….CLEAN WATER!!! The very water that comes through our shower heads, are nasty; and sometimes smell like $h!t. We need to start looking at more ways to sustain this country, pertaining to agriculture; buying local meat and veggie prodcuts!
get the dam farmers market up and running. get the fishing complex expanded. people will buy these fresh goods and get back to basics when we were healthy. not all will do it, but enough will do it to make a big enough impact.
i really think ronnie single handedly put this country in debt with the generators, hospital and now this
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