Representative of the Second District Honourable Melvin 'Mitch' Turnbull has shelved a study he had announced he was undertaking to compare and contrast the benefits of the National Health Insurance (NHI) as against private insurance coverage. Photo: VINO/File

Speaking with this news site on Saturday February 6, 2016, Honourable Turnbull said that the NHI was in the process of setting up a public relations unit and the duties of that unit would have assumed the work that he had started, which was to look at how the NHI compared with private insurers with regards to overseas medical coverage. Photo: Provided

Honourable Turnbull had said that due to lack of correct information in the public domain people are unclear of the benefits under NHI. Photo: VINO/File

Speaking with this news site on Saturday February 6, 2016, Honourable Turnbull said the NHI was in the process of setting up a public relations unit and the duties of that unit would have assumed the work that he had started, which was to look at how the NHI compared with private insurers with regards to overseas medical coverage.

The District Two Representative said when he learned of the plans to launch the unit and learned of their areas of responsibilities he thought it best to put his efforts on hold.

“When I heard about it I [did not see] point of continuing with the study. I deferred to them,” he said, speaking of the unit that is being established to sell the NHI, which commenced operation in the territory on January 1, 2016.

Lack of correct information

Speaking at a community meeting in Cane Garden Bay on Thursday September 24, 2015, Honourable Turnbull had said that due to lack of correct information in the public domain people are unclear of the benefits under NHI.

At the time he was hoping that the release of his report would lead to a better understanding of what Government is trying to accomplish through the introduction and implementation of the scheme.

Some of the main arguments against the NHI is that persons will be forced give up their constitutional freedom of choice and right to life as argued by talk show host Edmund G. Maduro; that the NHI will mean loss of jobs in the insurance industry as put forward by the Insurance Association of the BVI (IABVI).

"One of the things we hear is that the NHI is only for use in the BVI, NHI is supposed to pay for the hospital, NHI is government's way of introducing a new tax, NHI is forcing you to cancel your existing insurance," Honourable Turnbull had pointed out.

With formal training in the insurance sector having been licenced since 2002 in life, health and variable annuity insurance, Honourable Turnbull is considered well qualified to speak on the issue.

He said back in 2012 as a member of the BVI Health Services Authority he heard the initial presentations which were made on the NHI thus he understood what the process was about.

He explained that with NHI, for a sum of 3.75 percent of their earnings someone could receive coverage for the rest of their lives.

"What you're not hearing from the persons out there speaking negatively about the programme is that there is a category of persons in insurance deemed uninsurable. Usually it happens for males around 63 or 64 and for females around 65 up to maybe 67. They deem you uninsurable because you are that much closer to your mortality rate," he explained to persons at the meeting.

Honourable Turnbull had said too that under NHI there is no deductible which means a person doesn't have to pay a certain amount before they receive treatment.

The public has, however, blasted Government for the lack of access to critical information surrounding the scheme. Some said even getting access to key personnel to answer their questions and concerns have been a problem.