Cut out NHI abuse, Penn warns
Health Minister Marlon Penn has called for a cessation of the “abuse” on the BVI’s National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme.
Speaking in the House of Assembly (HOA) recently, Minister Penn described the issue of NHI as the “elephant in the room” that no one wanted to talk about.
He said NHI scheme has had challenges from its inception and continues to have challenges up to this point.
One of the main challenges, the legislator pointed out, was the issue of making contributions to the agency.
“It’s not just an issue of just making the legislative changes. We have to ensure that those persons who have been neglecting their obligations to pay into the system, pay into the system,“ Penn stated.
Penn said he has looked at existing numbers and if persons who are required to pay into the system had done so, “NHI would be ‘in the black’ currently“.
“So, we have to ensure that persons are in compliance with their obligations to NHI but we also have to make sure that we cut out the abuse that continues to plague the system. Not just the abuse on the system but the abuse on the customers as well,“ Minister Penn argued.
Penn said the government needs to act swiftly to address the needs of the programme.
He added: “We have to make some very tough and uncomfortable and unpopular decisions as it relates to NHI.”
The legislator further stated that he and the government are committed to making those decisions, particularly given the importance of maintaining NHI and its benefits of delivering healthcare and health services to the people of the territory.
According to Penn, he has already had discussions with Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley on an approach to stabilising NHI and on how to move forward with structural changes that are necessary for the scheme’s viability.
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well you guys though it will be another biggy bank (like social security) for you to dip in! it doesn’t seem that is working for you
NHI has been the biggest piggy bank of all the private doctor practices. Check out the new clinics built around town. Multi million dollar buildings paid from ridiculous cash back from the NHI system which has been raped by the doctors in the BVI
Please stop the talking and the empty threats and do what you have to do. You hit the nail squarely on the head when you said, “We have to make some very tough and uncomfortable and unpopular decisions as it relates to NHI.”
I thought NHI was a Ponzi scheme from the beginning mostly benefiting the doctors with no health care and customers service improvement. Prove that I’m wrong.
About time this was addressed. Start jailing employers who deduct contributions but don’t pay into NHI. Imagine this being deducted from your salary every month then you fall sick and need to use it and find out no dice. As a matter of fact address social security and inland revenue thefts as well because that’s exactly what it is. They steal from employees and they steal from the government. They’ll dare I say as well is majority local employers doing this. No way BVI government would allow an expat run business to neglect paying taxes and the like. It’s their friends they allowing to do it. Stop it now! Employees are being victimized with seemingly no recourse, by their employers and also the government.
Also the health service providers need to stop charging exorbitant fees just because NHI covering 80% of it.
Honorable Penn you have your work cut out for you. Good luck. I think you mean well.
In total agreement with “ about time”
Get rid of NHI
Talk is cheap!! expose them and send them to jail. If you are saying this then you must have some sort of evidence I hope.
It is obvious they are having a serious cash flow problem. But how can they expect to delay payment by 5 to six months. The management of the system need be held accountable. They have build a huge administrative entourage and so meeting their financial obligations is increasingly very difficult.
@NHI If they allow some of the private providers to charge some of these unrealistic prices for medication and services they pay little or nothing for, I would expect that’s a mere reason why it’s hard to pay them the unrealistic money they desire for.
@NHI don’t you think the unrealistic prices that some of these private providers sells thier medication and services would not allow NHI to meet these unrealistic payments demands. Some Health care providers are only concern about the box of money they are making rather than the health of the patients. Watch and observe some of these providers when NHI cuts back how the copays we have to pay is far more than what NHI is paying covering.
Money driving us crazy.
Large numbers of employers, mostly from the governing elite families, take NHI contributions from their employees and never pass them on to the government.
No one has ever been proscited or jailed for this ongoing theft.
Because of who they are.
ALL THE PRINCE FROM VG WAS WATCHING WAS PEOPLE WHO WORKED HARD TO MAKE A HONEST LIVING TO DOUBLE TAX THEM AND CLOSED HIS CHICNEN HAWK EYES ? TO THE EMPLOYERS WHO STILL ISN’T PAYING THEIR TAXES ( AND THE VG QUEEN DIDN’T PROTEST ABOUT THOSE THINGS , JUST LOOKED THE OTHER WAY?
What about service providers who rape NHI with needless procedures. This administration is really about passing the buck and not holding fellow 1%ers accountable.
National Hes**** Insurance and the next one with the biggest newest buildings fanciest cars and biggest houses
@ MAKE THE BVI GREAT AGAIN ? ( THE BVI HAS ALWAYS BEEN GREAT , ITS THE SHARKS ? THAT LIVE IN THE COUNTRY AND THEIR GREEDY MENTALITY, EVEN THOSE WHO IS GOING THEIR GRAVES , IS STILL GRABBING /RIPPING OFF / MANIPULATING AND EXPLOITING THEIR OWN PEOPLE FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE ? ? ? ? ? EVEN THOUGH THEY CANNOT TAKE IT WITH THEM WHEN THEY DIE ?
Its sickning that people who cant get work due to Covid ga still pay NHI. 2 years, no work where the hell yall wan me pay u from? Its a shame. Peopke cant grow in the BVI. Its all a set bak. And for what?
No body complaining when these unemployment young uneducated youth who rape the NHI with these medical bills that we the expats pay into NHI when a surgery needs to be done and the bill is over $20,000 to medical vac them is ok.But stop the payments and we see how much them families keep them off them scooters cause the bill be at them or them loose them feet hands or become babies again home can’t move
The person that fix NHI will go down as a hero and will be the most popular politician of course I will not only vote for that person but campaign for them.Obviously u have the evidence of the abuse. So the fix shouldn’t be that hard, just take the will, the want to, the courage.
Jail those employers withholding the funds deducted from the employees salary/wage and curb the greed of the other misfits draining the scheme by legislating a cap on medical fees. Or bring in Columbian medical expert who will do a better job at half price.