NHI expanding, negotiating with Dominican Republic
The building that houses the NHI offices.
Management of the National Health Insurance (NHI) is seeking to expand their network of healthcare providers.
The Social Security Board (SSB), which has responsibility for the NHI, are reportedly adding providers from the Spanish-speaking nation of the Dominican Republic.
SSB Director Antoinette Skelton gave that indication when she appeared before the House of Assembly’s Standing Finance Committee this year.
Skelton told the Committee the NHI “visited six [healthcare] facilities in the Dominican Republic and they were in the process of negotiating agreements with them”.
She said NHI’s Manager of Health Benefits & Referrals, Dr Harland Vanterpool visited the Spanish-speaking country following last year’s hurricanes.
Back in 2017, the NHI had terminated its overseas healthcare agreement with a company known as JIPA, and signed agreements with Coomeva in Columbia, as well as United Health and HEMA in Puerto Rico.
The NHI’s agreement with United Health allows residents access to healthcare providers throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world.
Some 36,057 persons were registered with NHI at the end of 2017.
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While in theory NHI sounds great; it is not working out too great for those patients whom need to access over-seas care in a timely manner. The entire NHI needs re-evaluating and stream-lined to ensure adequate professional healthcare is afforded to all. Seems like we need an audit/review if NHI to date to see where we are and where NHI is going. Seems like all the healthcare providers overseas realize what many of us locally have known – it was (NHI) setup to enrich certain local providers! Why don’t we have an agreement with the other OT’s for medical care?
How did it work out for those that never had private insurance and couldn’t afford it? How did it work out for those that DID have private coverage but limited when it came to overseas coverage? Why are we pretending as if private insurance was so much better than NHI when it came to preapproval and other coverage? How did it work out for Government that had to pay insane amounts of monies to fly persons with critical emergencies overseas when they had zero health coverage? NHI or insurance on a whole is not an exact science and will never be perfect. With that said, the BVI and its people are far better off with NHI than they were without it and that is a fact. We keep hearing about the bad things with NHI but there are so many success stories and life saving stories that we do not hear about because negativity sells. The real question with respect to NHI is how many people who would never have access to care without NHI are benefiting from it. Perhaps NHI should release statistics showing how it has benefited the people of the BVI since inception.
The big question is….is NHI sustainable? Money issues, access issues and poor nanagement on display…..wait until chronic diseases enter the fray…..I always thought the population was too small for NHI….we should have went after the uninsured and work our way fron there if needed….
Is NOT having NHI sustainable? Not having NHI means that every time a resident is injured beyond what can be done locally to save them, the Government has to fork out monies to pay it. Where will the money come from? It cannot be pay as you go, there must be a fund where these monies would come from. Even if Government picks up the shortfall if any for NHI, it’s far better than having to foot the entire bill. Insurance is a pooling of funds that are relied upon in the event that claims are made. With such a small population in the BVI, NHI had to be mandatory to make it work. NHI needs to be unashamed of their positive stories and get their PR persons off their asses and working on educating people.
You made some very valid points.I especially appreciate the way you responded. You did not try to humiliate me……That being said my belief is the population is too small for NHI to be sustained…..there is alrrady a short fall and its only goong to keep going up. Some type of joint venture with the insurance companies may have been better.
Really to the DR where so many people die from botched medical care. Even the US was investigating why so many of their people were dying after going there for medical procedures.
I agree with you 100%, I am saying the same thing. Why is it that these people always look for the worse for us. Ridiculously crazy.
That’s just like saying you will never go to Africa because there are so many poor people. I guess people don’t die in the US, EUR and BVI. So f—ing stupid!
This is probably to benefit the many Domincan Republic nationals that live and work in the BVI who often go back home to seek medical attention when they are feeling ill…
to the DR imagine that.
NHI will need to start giving Spanish language classes to those patients that seek healthcare in Puerto Rico with HEMA or in the Dominican Republic with their healthcare providers. Additionally most patients at Spanish speaking healthcare providers heavily rely on their relatives to attend & support them while bed ridden. Will NHI pay for the extra expense of a relative to stay with the patient for days, weeks, months, etc.???
Typical BVI rubbish!
“WE need options, we need access, we need proper healthcare!”
“The USA is too expensive, Peebles is too expensive, B————— is too expensive..”
..look into other options in the Region
“We don’t want that…blah blah blah f—-ing blah!”
What do you suggest they do then? DR, Panama, Cuba, Colombia, Jamaica all have very good health facilities. Most of the people on here talking shit have never even been to these places but just rely on what they see/hear in the media and form an opinion.
Why is the bald head woman having so much say about NHI? Thought it was only housed there and Barry was the person involved from SS. Too many l—-, too many bosses. The politician must come. Clean to the people. Just as a lot of SS money was mis———, the same will be for NHI. Break down the salaries for S S. How many Ss people are paid from NHI.? Time to let us know what is happening in this little country.
This is simple to see, the government have not paid their medical bill in Panama, Jamaica etc. Now dem going to Santo. Government employees better check their private air ambulance and insurance to make sure its up to date
God help us?