NHI has fundamental problem, says Social Security Minister
Social Security Minister Vincent Wheatley has argued that the territory’s National Health Insurance scheme has a fundamental problem.
Minister Wheatley made the assertion when he appeared on JTV’s the Big Story recently.
“NHI has a fundamental problem that we are now trying to address. They’ve hired a consultant to overhaul NHI and bring some solutions and proposals forward,” Wheatley stated.
The Minister said a report from the consultant was expected to emerge sometime this month.
“So, we are addressing, not just the quick fix for COVID, but that fundamental issue that NHI has been experiencing ever since it came into being in 2015.”
The Labour Minister said the NHI scheme, as it stands, could not be considered a very viable institution.
He expressed that illnesses have increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring more of the NHI scheme, even as the monies collected by NHI have been reduced due to unemployment and underemployment.
Comprehensive review for NHI
Meanwhile, Director of the Social Security Board (SSB), Jeanette Scatliffe-Boynes said the NHI is expected to undergo a comprehensive review this year.
This is according to a 2022 report of the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) budget deliberations held late last year.
In addition to this, Scatliffe-Boynes said there will be an actuarial review and financial reporting done this year. She noted too that the agency will be able to facilitate certificates of good standings.
During the SFC hearings, the Director said that a request for expression of interest was issued to conduct a comprehensive review of the NHI system. There were also recommendations for the relevant regulations to be amended to maintain the scheme’s solvency while, at the same time, maintaining and improving the level of benefits currently offered.
The Director informed officials that the SSB contracted Redbridge Solutions on December 1, 2021, to conduct an operational review of the NHI plan and technical assistance for the establishment. That contract was valued at $423,000.
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This has been known since inception. The costs of running NHI is EIGHTY MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS per year for the BVI and the PRIVATE DOCTORS have been benefitting by overcharging up to 500% of the REAL COSTS for every patient treatment.
Now they need a consultant for that. We the people have told them that for years now and they don’t know??? INCOMPETENCE
but he is reading his lines from the script , our master has spoken
Mrs. Boynes PLEASEEEEE in the name of Jesus lets scrap it or give us choices. NHI is the sole reason for huge prices increases in the BVI. What i paid a private insurer for me and wife and child i now paying for me only, plus my wife also paying. and child working part time and school part time. she paying too. NHI is a robbery & waste.
Well, you had a Single Payer system in place (which has been tested around the world and is the least expensive health care plan – just like the UK). So you made that into a Heath Insurance setup – adding more people that need to get paid in the process to do all the paperwork…done by a person in the medical field who was Premier…
Conflict of Interest??
You bet it is. And we the people are paying for it. Add this to the COI. More jail terms needed for these folks. They are robbing us blind!
The government had no business getting into the insurance business.
They made us get rid of our good insurance and forced us to sign up for this thing. They doctors overcharging and doesn’t cover half of the medication that was covered by the insurance companies. Nonsense.
Atlantic Southern was the best insurance company they ever had here. Don’t know why they got rid of them