NHI not meeting financial demands of BVIHSA
Chairman of the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA), Moleto Smith has said the National Health Insurance (NHI), in its current state, has not been meeting the financial demands of the Authority.
Appearing before the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) late last year, Smith said he does not view the challenges faced by the NHI as a structural issue.
The Chairman’s comments came after the Deputy Premier, Dr Natalio Wheatley, stated that the overall structure of the NHI scheme does not work to the advantage of the BVIHSA.
Smith told the FSC that he was familiar with the NHI from the time of its initial assessment.
According to Smith, the NHI is a universal insurance scheme that is based on numbers, spending risk and identifying how you would supplement premiums for whom the risk is being diverted.
He further suggested that it is a feasible time to examine the NHI to ensure it is meeting the needs of the territory and promoting wellness for the community.
Should BVI make public health facilities mandatory for some?
Meanwhile, during the SFC hearings, Labour Minister Vincent Wheatley complained that the government pays for health insurance on behalf of persons and a majority of those persons choose to go to private institutions instead of public facilities.
He then asked the Chairman if the BVIHSA would be better financially supported if persons were mandated to use public health facilities.
Smith said that he would not suggest any mandatory enforcement but noted that some reform is presently needed.
The Chairman said persons have a right to choose their own health facilities. However, he advised that the NHI’s funding formula needs to be equitable.
The chairman indicated that persons who tend to lean towards public health are higher-risk patients with higher morbidities than those who have financial access to go to private entities.
Private entities, he continued, can set their prices to what they think these should be in order to recoup their full cost.
According to Smith, this is something the Authority needs to consider if it were to ensure that the BVI can recoup most of the cost for delivering services.
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ah who he? where him come from?
He is a son of the soil who hales from Huntums Ghut.
Yes, Lilly, he is the son of the soil and hales from Humtum’s Ghut. But this individual has NEVER lived and/or work in the BVI.
Additionally, this individual works FULL TIME in the US Virgin Islands. How can he effectively oversea OUR hospital and working 80 plus hours in St. Thomas.
We have to do better than this.
He is a chairman not a operating staff. A chairman is not a full-time employee or an employee period.
Most countries that operate social healthcare services utilize private healthcare providers, but, dictate costs and charges, the BVI should do the same. If one compared the fees charges by local private practice doctors to most UK territories, they are excessive.
This is how insurance works!! They guarantee private centers access to their insured and in return they get favorable rates! Here in the BVI do you see how many different private practices have popped up over the last 5 years? Nothing against those persons trying to make their bread but let’s be real, the NHI chest is what most are after. BVI is the only place where insurance is charged these obscene rates and pay them. NHI needs expert persons negotiating these rates otherwise we will continue to be fleeced and the system will go bankrupt. Further guess what? When NHI starts bleeding all they will do is increase our contributions, they will NOT address the real elephant in the room even if it’s standing on their foot, crushing it.
You need to look into what the doctors are charging, before NHI my doctor was $60.00 or $70.00 for a visit since NHI it,s $150.00 plus, everyone I know complains about the same thing. We don’t have to pay that much but that’s what is killing NHI
Remember everything went up except pay cheques, so Dr’s feel justified to increase their fees as well, and why not.
Are 80 MILLION+ USA DOLLARS a year and the reason for this is that the private hospitals have increased their charges by nearly 500%. The NHI is benefitting the private doctors ONLY and allowed them to build new clinics worth MILLIONS OF DOLLARS (Bougainville, B&F, O’Neal etc).
We have far too many incompetent people in crucial roles and it continues no matter which Government is in power. We continue to destroy the country with this notion that locals should be placed in all positions whether they can do the job or not. No real concern is placed on whether the institutions fulfill their meaningful roles in our society, as long as we appear to be putting locals in big jobs we are happy. I am a local and I’m not taking a stab at locals, we have many capable locals all around but let’s be real. The reporting from SFC over the past 10 years is the same shit every single year. Why do we continue with the same foolishness but expecting different results? Hard decisions need to be made regarding NHI and they need to make them. First off why do we have persons with ZERO insurance or medical understanding running NHI.
This is the first issue! NHI is INSURANCE and should be ran as such with private institutions being reigned in and the BVIHSA and public health properly staffed/equipped to handle the needs of NHI insured. We spend almost $400 mil per year and all we hear are excuses while we live in a complete ghetto situation in all areas. Every district rep wants a community center and basketball courts in their district, money for this, money for that but nothing for the important stuff.
Well said. I totally agree. We need consummate professionals making important decisions in NHI.
I once got a referral to visit an entity overseas as I was experiencing very weird heart palpations at night for a long period. In fact, as I write this, I still am. I took my referral to NHI before I left and paid all the fees overseas and applied for a refund upon my return. I got a call to come to NHI to be given a letter that says I will receive zero refund. If you pay NHI monthly and they are mandatory, and they are an insurance, why would there be zero refund? Some small-headed, unkind person decided I didn’t deserve a refund. If you are saying visit the doctor locally only, then it should be that if someone decides to visit a doctor overseas and pays out of pocket, upon their return there should at least be a refund for what the cost would have been if done locally. NHI is a big joke and needs proper reform. I am sure the prices collected locally is comparable to those anywhere in the world and specialists care cannot be had here. NHI needs serious help.
If the NDP wasnt so bullheaded we wont be in this predicament now
Thanks Ronnie Skelton.
NHI is GOOD and it can WORK! We do not have an NHI or BVIHSA problem, we have an INCOMPETENCE PROBLEM! We continue to put clueless people at the helm of important institutions just because of time served or party support. NHI has saved many lives over the years so let’s not only look at the negative side of it. I know of many persons who have used NHI in the USA and elsewhere and got their coverage. The issue is that of educating the insured persons and having proper staffing at all levels to deal with queries, approvals and negotiating fees. As usual we continue to blame politicians but what about the workers that are actually tasked with getting things done? They continue to sit around, dressed nicely, doing the bare minimum and waiting for their 25 years to be done to collect a big pension and still be in line for another big job. Double dipping and not a single thing of substance being offered. But we want independence and we continue to blame the white man/expats for our problems. We will get a rude awakening very very soon if we don’t face the music and turn it down!
n/a lets just cancel NHI, the people and country did better overall before them
I surely do not understand what the running of the BVI health services has to do with NHI. These people need to get their incompetent selves and see how they can make money for the hospital Everything almost has to go to a private facility or oversees
You people need to offer more services no ENT services, no Orthopedics services, no oncology services, cannot offer endoscopies or colonoscopies
No eye specialists, If the elderly get a fracture they have to go oversees or bougainvellea clinic, which scarcely offer many surgeries and talks about NHI.Government is not paying for the elderly or children therefore i thing these services should be offered at Hospital. You people need to get your act together and stop talking about NHI every time NHI cannot be all thing to all people.
@Lilly, Their fees went up a long time ago when NHI came in.
For outpatients the BVIHSA at Peebles is too slow and expensive. The private clinics associated with NHI are efficient and practical. The private clinics make money while BVIHSA loses money.
NHI AND THE GOVERNMENT ON A WHOLE IS FULL OF CRAP, THEY MAKE SURE THE PRIVATE CLINCS GET THERE MONEY BUT THE HOSPITAL ALWAYS SUFFERING. ALL THE PRICES FOR SERVICE IS 2X OUR HOSPITAL PRICES. IS THAT FAIR !!!!!!