Country-wide public opinion surveys commissioned by the NHI Secretariat as part of the consultation process on NHI Bahamas have demonstrated the need for access to health care in The Bahamas, with nearly 8 out of 10 (79%) Bahamians believing that The Bahamas needs National Health Insurance. One out of three (32%) of Bahamians without health insurance say they have at some point needed medical treatment but not sought it because they were worried about the cost.

The data was collected over two polls, in November through December, and in March 2016. Those polled indicated that while 57% say that National Health Insurance will address the major problems the healthcare system currently faces, 71% still believe it is an important piece of improving the health care system in The Bahamas.

The Government launched the NHI Bahamas brand and their awareness and information campaign in January with a website, social media and community meetings. The surveys show that awareness of NHI Bahamas has increased since December from 81% to 87%, likely because of these promotional activities. The ability to describe what NHI Bahamas is/what it aims to do has also increased.

In December before promotional activities really started, 45% of the population could not describe anything about what NHI is. In the Feb/March poll that number dropped to 20%. Research also shows that people still haven’t registered for their Smart Card. Only 1 in 5 have registered, and 54% of those who are not registered know that they need a NIB Smart Card to register.

Some other key findings include:

·         87% of polled Bahamians have heard of NHI Bahamas.

·         Bahamians without insurance (75%) are less likely than those with insurance (84%) to have visited a medical professional in the past year.

·         On average, uninsured Bahamians say they spend individually $816 per year on medical expenses. Those with insurance say they spend an average of $576 on medical expenses (including their health insurance premiums).

·         44% of those surveyed have attended a cookout or given to a fundraiser for someone they know to help cover medical expenses.

·         Preventative care is more accessible amongst those with insurance: 66% of insured respondents received an annual physical last year, compared with just 39% of uninsured.

·         1 in 3 Bahamians are aware that town hall meetings on NHI Bahamas are occurring.

Surveys were conducted by Public Domain, a national market research firm, from November 25th to December 5th 2015, with a sample size of 1003 participants, and 2% margin of error; and from February 22nd – March 6th 2016, with a sample size of 255 participants and a margin of error of 6.3%. It is important to note that these were opinion polls, and results reflect answers given by a randomly selected portion of the population according to industry best practices.

NHI Bahamas Secretariat

Source: Bahamas Information Services