Controversial NHI scheme to begin Jan 2015 – Roy Barry
Barry was last night June 4, 2014 speaking as a guest on the show Straight Talk with Mr. Donald E. De Castro aired on ZBVI 780 AM.
“Currently we have 60 percent of the population who are uninsured. The 40 percent who are insured, most of them are insured through their employers. The employers will decide if they will continue to have the private health insurance along with the public health insurance,” he said.
Barry pointed out that supplementary private insurance can also supplement what the NHI will be providing. “They can have a supplementary insurance with a private insurance company which will be a top up to what we have and it will cover the difference in what we offer and the level that they had before,” said Barry.
“So far we have been able to have discussions with all of the private insurance companies and they have had the opportunity to look at our benefits package to see what exactly we’re offering so that they have an idea as to what they can offer to supplement what we have,” he said.
“If we design this system to look after only the persons who cannot afford private insurance it will not be sustainable, because the persons who cannot afford private health insurance are the persons in the lower income bracket,” said Barry.
De Castro sought to find out how the NHI would benefit those who rely on herbal remedies for their health care needs. “I don’t put drugs in my body. I would go and find a bush or a herb or something for that. If I am paying insurance to you am I going to benefit by getting my herbs that I want to cure me or will I have to take drugs to make me sicker?” asked De Castro.
“We don’t cover [herbal or natural cures] but what we will do is pay for your doctor visits,” stated Barry in response to De Castro’s inquiry.
Asked when the programme will come on stream, Barry said, “Currently we are still working on the final logistics of the NHI. Based on how far we are it looks like January of 2015.”
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28 Responses to “Controversial NHI scheme to begin Jan 2015 – Roy Barry”
Mr. Barry this is the problem, you said it loud and clear. Fix the low income bracket and stop trying to bring down the people who are struggling to hold on.
How do you 'fix' a low income bracket? There will be low income in any society stop talking bulls..t. A good way to fix it would be to bring back the tiered tax system where the people making the most money pay more in taxes thereby Government has monies to care for the less fortunate and lower income. But if Government were to advocate for that then all hell would broke loose. It seems everybody think Government has this magic wand somewhere. Essentially, WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT! Whatever we want to see happen, we must be a part of it. What you say about fixing the lower bracket makes no sense if it doesn't mean the people that make more are willing to pay more.
This thing is a set up to benefit the p..ple medical complex alone.
This is totally identifying the rich, middle class if any, and poor which is in abundance.
Ronnie have you going nuts trying to implement an Obama Care type of insurance here but it will cripple our purse.
Ronnie have money so he can afford any kind of insurance he want.
You are asking me to pay for something that will benefit thee territory and not an individual. My health insurance will cover everyone in the territory? Including the lazy ones that don't decide to get up off their rump to find a job? I am already feeding the prisoners with my tax payers money and now you want me to take care of them by providing health care? Why not ask me to adopt them and done?
Our health insurance already covers our immediate depends here or abroad are you asking us to abort that and pick up NHI that only covers dependents living in the territory? This here as I see it, is only to benefit the territory and not an individual.
National Done-Deal Party strikes again!
The NHI is a tragic case of the blind leading the blind in a massive money grab. The government doesn't have a clue what they are up against and mark my words, people who think they are covered for this, that and the other thing, will soon learn that their health insurance doesn't cover nearly what they think it should. We will still be digging into our pockets to cover all sorts of "extra" costs.
The hospital is testimony to this governments ability to manage costs. Their "vision" for the well being of all BVIslanders has already become a major burden to us all and the NHI is only going to add to that burden.
Good luck to all of us, we are really going to need it. Hopefully, at some point down the road, another government will somehow manage to fix the mess we are all about to find ourselves in!