BVI News

These patients put the most financial strain on BVIHSA

Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital

Officials from the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) have said that victims of scooter and motor vehicle accidents are among patients who are placing a significant financial strain on the public healthcare system.

BVIHSA Chief Executive Officer Dr June Samuel recently told the Talking Points radio show that care for these victims is particularly expensive when they are not covered by the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme and require intensive treatment.

“We have a significant cost associated with scooter accidents and motor vehicle accidents for these individuals who are not covered, and they require the highest level of care, which is most expensive. They end up in the ICU most often,” she said.

Dr Samuel then revealed several other categories of patients who fall outside full NHI coverage and add to the institution’s financial burden. These include patients requiring emergency care, emergency medical transfers from the sister islands, dialysis patients, and long-stay patients who live in the hospital. 

Because of these groups that increase operational expenses, Dr Samuel said that the authority is now considering the establishment of an endowment fund to help offset expenses that are not reimbursed by NHI.

The proposed endowment fund would function as a dedicated pool of money set aside to help cover healthcare costs that are not funded through NHI or insurance, allowing the hospital to continue providing care without relying solely on government subventions or emergency funding.

Talking Points host Damion Grange, who is also an employee of the BVIHSA, agreed with Dr Samuel, highlighting that the BVIHSA often gets pushback when they request increased yearly funding. He said the government should understand the strain caused by categories of patients as well as other unseen stressors that contribute to rising costs.

“When the Premier made the comment saying we can’t just come and ask for more money, I said Premier, you have to talk about the nuances,” Grange said. “Those [uninsured patients] are some of the things that impact the way we deliver services, in addition to the fact that we have expanded service.”

Grange argued that while the BVIHSA has broadened the range of services it offers, it continues to lose revenue due to costs it cannot recover.

“So here is an organisation that expanded service, but is leaking cost and is unable to recoup that cost,” he said. “To make a statement that we jumped from $10 million to $30 million and have nothing to show, it was disingenuous — so that’s why I corrected it.”

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16 Comments

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  1. Victims of Scooter & Motor Vehicle Accidents... says:

    The solution to accident victims being a significant financial strain on the NHI is to increase law enforcement against those kids/idiots riding scooters without helmets. Whatever it takes – crush their scooters, prison their parents, whatever. Change the laws then enforce the laws so we, the tax & NHI payers, don’t support these people. And enforce motor vehicle laws too!

    Like 38
  2. Stewwww says:

    Don’t worry you guys will find a solution.
    I sorry for the expats because the will have to cover those bills
    Oh wait let me rephrase, the same expats that are being treated worse than dogs. The BVI only want there tax money and other deductions. Who is annoyed with my comment that is your problem not mine.
    The truth always hurt the wicked.

    Like 17
    Dislike 13
    • Yo fraid? says:

      Go back home

      Like 4
      Dislike 15
    • Anonymous says:

      What the hell u dont go back home with your stupid comment . Ah bet you is one lookinh handouts strupes u commenting with this dumb ass comment all over man get a damn life or go yuh behind back home .

      Like 6
      Dislike 13
    • Easy Fix says:

      Even dogs practice gratitude.
      These imported thingies of a specific demographic are Satan remnants as evidenced by their mass occupancy of our not too long ago empty prison and the
      crumbled remnants of the BVI schools and academia in addition to a never enough police human
      regalia recruited from distant places.
      One and only one demographic that has planted itself in these Vi.,and has outstandingly without fail contributed to the cannibalistic occupancy of these VI and USVI in keeping with their norm and reflection of their unfortunate hellish “free and independent” septic pits of poverty crime ridden self made satanic countries.

  3. big chungus says:

    “Officials from the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) have said that victims of scooter and motor vehicle accidents are among patients who are placing a significant financial strain on the public healthcare system”

    and we the people must pay for them and their family ignorance smh. tax eating up by rich elites and tax eaten up by ignorant reckless youths.

    both sides we taking blows from.

    then andrew big belly self wanna add more by running dope on we heads

    greed and ignorance all over. do we need another hard reset in the bvi? sad things the good and bad will sufer under another reset like irma sigh. if only usa could do to us like venezuela. take upp allll alll the bad eggs and leave with a smile

  4. Long stay says:

    Long stay patients are number one. Their family members are able body persons who can find home care and housing but refuse to. They are in our community walking around and have their loved ones in the hospital living. I think if they are exposed the Public would be shocked. How can you abandon your father, mother, brother, sister and just dump them in the hospital and out living your best life????

    Like 29
    Dislike 1
  5. Anonymous says:

    @Stewwww If you feel this way about the BVI leave.

    Like 1
    Dislike 4
  6. Enforce insured scooter insurance says:

    Make their insurers pay . Police stop and seize uninsured scooters.

  7. Inefficient says:

    Inefficient admin put BVIHSA in trouble, they ruined it, fresh minds should takeover

    Like 6
    Dislike 1
    • Fedup says:

      Too much Woman running BVIHSA! As long as they have DR S,PMS and RW running the show nothing will change down there they all like fish without a head

  8. Scrap it says:

    Scrap NHI, plain and simple. It is not working

    Like 1
    Dislike 7
  9. @ ANONYMOUS says:

    Aka wiggie / stay on your racist yello site and hush ■ they need to castrate you and those crackheads on scooters who terrorises the streets and you only spewing out your daily racist sh*tty narratives making the country look bad, go and play with your WIG , you are BORING I gotta tark to trump about U , and leh he drop one ah them rockets in your LIEING mouth ■

  10. Scientist says:

    Data seems to show scooters are a problem and that this is costing the tax payer a lot of money that could be avoided with more diligent compliance and enforcement of scooter laws.. But nobody wants to enforce them. There does not seem to be much political will to do so. Since our actions or lack thereof say something about our priorities, the logical and lamentable conclusion can only be that politicians don’t see preventable excess costs to the public purse as much of a concern or problem, quite likely because none of it comes out of their pockets.

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