Today, the Hon. Dr. Perry Gomez, Minister of Health tabled the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill.

After months of consultations with stakeholder groups, the Government of The Bahamas has heard the insights and opinions of relevant parties, enabling them to improve the initial draft of the legislation. During this period, stakeholders shared their expertise and provided important feedback, which have been taken under advisement.

Based on the feedback received from stakeholders, the following changes to the draft Bill were made:

1. Composition of the board to reflect corporate governance structure.

2. Inclusion of additional responsibilities of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

3. Inclusion of provisions that mandate a collaborative working relationship with the Ministry of Health and Insurance Commission.

4. Expanded provisions on reporting and publishing requirements.

For a detailed description of the specific changes, a table has been made available that outlines the changes made to the Bill since the release of the draft on the NHI Bahamas website, www.nhibahamas.gov.bs. The full Bill has also been published online and is accessible to all interested persons.

“This is indeed a sentinel moment for the people of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas that comes at a pivotal time in the history of The Bahamas as we implement National Health Insurance, thereby providing our citizens with accessible, equitable and high quality health care – one of the most significant objectives of my Government” said Minister Gomez.

Permanent Secretary for National Health Insurance, Peter Deveaux-Isaacs, has also been an instrumental figure throughout the numerous consultations. As progress is made with regards to the implementation of NHI Bahamas, Deveaux-Isaacs reminded Bahamians that “In order to successfully implement NHI Bahamas, the Government is rolling out primary care first. Primary care is universally viewed as the foundation for a strong, sustainable health care system.”

Deveaux-Isaacs also noted the importance of implementing NHI in responsible manner: “The Government consolidated fund will be used to fund the programme.”

As evidenced by tabling the NHI Bill today, the Government of The Bahamas is making significant progress in its efforts to bring modern, affordable and accessible health care services to The Bahamas.

More information on NHI Bahamas can be found at www.nhibahamas.gov.bs.