Prime Minister Perry Christie suggested yesterday that despite constant criticisms, the government must push forward with its National Health Insurance (NHI) plan to bring greater relief to Bahamians. While attending Mount Tabor Church in recognition of his party's third year in office, Christie said whenever he has to care for his special needs son, he is reminded of the thousands of Bahamian parents in similar circumstances with less means. He said this also reminds him of his commitment to the people of The Bahamas, particularly the poor, who he said in many cases will die without medical intervention.
"Every time I see newspapers editorializing about whether a government ought to, having introduced value-added tax (VAT), introduce National Health Insurance, I think about those people who are poor, and whose family member is affected with some health challenge," Christie said.
"I know that unless there is a medical intervention or some help, they will die. And I ask myself, given my own faith and belief, what is the obligation of a prime minister and a government when the reality of the circumstances of our country demands that we recognize many of our people live in a different environment to those who have money, and the means to buy their way through life?
"What are we to do? If we understand the meaning of the verse in the book of Matthew, which says, 'what you do for the least of my brethren...'.
"How do we interpret that and apply it to modern circumstances?"
There have been mounting concerns expressed by private insurance companies about the scheme, with several companies suggesting the most basic plan under NHI - Sanigest Internacional's vital scenario - is "extremely comprehensive".
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Glen Beneby told the Pan American Health Organization Symposium on Universal Health Coverage last Monday that the government was considering a payroll tax of less than three percent to fund the scheme, but the aim at the outset is to have no additional tax.
CFAL President Anthony Ferguson said last Wednesday the idea of introducing NHI in January 2016 without a payroll tax to support it is "hopeful, but delusional". Beneby also admitted that the government has completed less than half of the items on its agenda to prepare the way to introduce NHI in January 2016.
Sanigest Internacional, the government consultants hired to provide options for the implementation of NHI, has estimated that NHI would cost between $362 million on the low end and $633 million on the high end. But the Bahamas Insurance Association (BIA) has predicted that NHI could require close to $1 billion to implement.
The BIA supports the concept of universal health coverage, but not the NHI proposal as it currently stands. One significant reason is the financing, with BIA suggesting that the Sanigest cost estimate was about $300 million short. After failing to implement NHI during his first term in office, Christie has listed NHI as a priority matter this term.
While observers have said January 1, 2016 is too ambitious, the government insists that it must not fail this time around to implement NHI. But it has already missed key targets set by Sanigest if the January 1 deadline is to be met.
Last week, Minister of Health Dr. Perry Gomez insisted the government will introduce NHI despite the challenges. On the campaign trail ahead of the 2012 general election, Gomez had pledged that a PLP government would implement NHI within the first year in office.
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