Although the government initially stated that the National Health Insurance (NHI) would be implemented by August of this year, there are indications that it could be pushed back as far as January, 2014.
Health Minister Ronnie Skelton on Monday said enough time will be given to get the views of residents through a public meetings being undertaken by the Steering Committee of the NHI.
No clear time-line has been set for the conclusion of those meetings, where residents have been expressing various concerns about the plan that will be mandatory for all legal residents.
“We will determine, based on the satisfaction of what happens, whether we should implement it now, August, September, October or next year,” Skelton told residents this week during a public meeting in Cane Garden Bay, Tortola.
“Off the top of my head, I turn to my colleagues and say it is better to implement the programme in January – why? Because you have more disposable income.”
Although cabinet has not yet determined the portion of each insurable income that will be channeled into the health insurance plan, researchers from the University of the West Indies have recommended 7.5%, adding that it would be shared equitably between each employee and employer.
While he and his colleagues privately crunch the numbers, Skelton continued to assure the public that the plan is not aimed at bringing undue hardship.
“We as the government, we are not trying to bring undue hardship to anyone. We are trying to ensure our people – all our people – even the less fortunate ones in our society, can get the level of care that you want…“If it’s not August, it’s not September, it will be whenever the government feels it will be. But we are doing the ground work to make sure and to ensure that this happens,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, Antoinette Skelton – Executive Director of the Social Security Board which is promoting the controversial plan – recently told BVI News that discussions of the sort have been taking place for decades.
“The government has been looking at health financing for a long time; from H. Lavity Stoutt’s time,” she said.
The Executive Director further stated that the principle of a national health insurance has been supported by different governments formed by both the National Democratic Party (NDP) as well as the Virgin Islands Party (VIP).
“In 2003, the NDP government was elected, and they launched the National Health Insurance. We contracted with the Health Economic Unit (University of the West Indies) to advice how we should design the programme” she said.
“In 2007, the NDP government lost the election. A Virgin Islands Party government was elected, and the work continued under the Virgin Islands Party government. So it’s not a political thing.”
