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NHI a done deal! 'No changes' expected – IABVI’s Sarah E. Hatcher

- said meetings with body yielded little; job losses still a concern
President of the Insurance Association of the BVI Sarah E. Hatcher. Photo: VINO
Some months ago the Association in a press release pointed to a number of negative fallouts as a result of the implementation of the NHI as is. Photo: VINO/File
Some months ago the Association in a press release pointed to a number of negative fallouts as a result of the implementation of the NHI as is. Photo: VINO/File
 With just a few months left to go the Association is hoping to understand more of the pricing structure with regards to what the healthcare providers are going to be offering. Photo: Provided
With just a few months left to go the Association is hoping to understand more of the pricing structure with regards to what the healthcare providers are going to be offering. Photo: Provided
Members of the NHI Concerned Citizens and Residents Group. From left: Doug Wheatley, along with Edmund G. Maduro, Winston E. Nibbs aka La Fontey and Natalio D. Wheatley aka Sowande Uhuru on Tuesday October 13, 2015 following a meeting with Premier Dr The Hon D. Orlando Smith. Photo: VINO/File
Members of the NHI Concerned Citizens and Residents Group. From left: Doug Wheatley, along with Edmund G. Maduro, Winston E. Nibbs aka La Fontey and Natalio D. Wheatley aka Sowande Uhuru on Tuesday October 13, 2015 following a meeting with Premier Dr The Hon D. Orlando Smith. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – The Insurance Association of the BVI (IABVI) continues to express concern about the lack of clarity with regards to the National Health Insurance (NHI) which is to fully begin functioning on January 1, 2016.

This news site spoke exclusively with President of the Association Sarah E. Hatcher at a recent IABVI event during which she made the comments. Some months ago the Association in a press release pointed to a number of negative fallouts as a result of the implementation of the NHI as is.

“Obviously the insurance companies are trying to offer supplementary plans to assist alongside the National Health Insurance,” Hatcher said.

IABVI's challenges with NHI

With just a few months left to go the Association is hoping to understand more of the pricing structure with regards to what the healthcare providers are going to be offering.

She said that these costs are what the insurance companies would have to pick up should someone have a supplementary plan.

Hatcher said that costing and supplementary plans are the biggest challenges at the moment and the Association is trying to understand how they can actually work those out.

“Yes we have met with the National Health Insurance Team themselves and we have also met with the Permanent Secretary (of the Ministry of Health) to go through some of the concerns that we have,” she said.

“We know that the NHI is a reality so all of the meetings were constructed with a view to how we work alongside each other, how NHI is going to work and how supplementary plans for those who could afford them going to work,” she said.

Hatcher said that in terms of the construct of the NHI nothing is being changed as a result of the meetings.

“Obviously our aim now is to be as positive as we possibly can and to try and make it work as best as we possibly can because at the end of the day our customers are the ones that we will have to be thinking of,” she said.

“I know in the last day or so the NHI has released an update on the schedule of benefits to say what further coverage they are going to be doing so we have to analyse that compared to what we were doing,” he said.

Job losses

As had been spoken of in the Association’s press release, Hatcher is still concerned that there will be reductions in insurance companies’ staffing.

“We still envisage that we will be losing some staff,” she said as she voiced her concern about the possibility of job losses in the insurance sector as a result of the National Health Insurance.

“I think they understood what we were saying but I didn’t think that they felt there was anything that they could possibly do with regards to the losses of jobs,” she said.

She said that there are a lot of people who cannot afford both the National Health Insurance together with their private insurance so as a result there would inevitably be losses of jobs in the insurance industry.

Hatcher pointed out that while percentage wise the job losses expected seems high, this is only because the industry does not employ that many people.

Other protests to NHI

Meanwhile, among the many persons and groups expressing concern about the controversial NHI is the NHI Concerned Citizens and Residents Group, which had on October 13, 2015 submitted its petition against the National Health Insurance (NHI), along with a detailed letter, proposing a number of alternatives which it would like to see Government consider instead of the scheme in the current format.

The petition had garnered close to 1,000 signatures.

Premier Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith had said the petition and its recommendations were with a committee headed by Minister for Health and Social Development, Honourable Ronnie W. Skelton.

However, on December 1, 2015 the leading person behind the petition, Mr Natalio D. Wheatley, said that nearly two months on, the group had received no communication from Government on the number of measures proposed for what they believe would be the improving of the NHI Scheme.

“We hope that the government will be willing to consider the options we have put forward,” said Wheatley when contacted recently.

“We especially hope that the government will consider an NHI that is not compulsory and financed through different avenues.”

The fear of many, however, is that NHI was always “a done deal”- a phrase that has become synonymous with the policies of the National Democratic Party (NDP) Administration.

18 Responses to “NHI a done deal! 'No changes' expected – IABVI’s Sarah E. Hatcher ”

  • rogue agent (14/12/2015, 08:45) Like (7) Dislike (1) Reply
    WE DEAD NOW!
  • Yah! (14/12/2015, 08:45) Like (2) Dislike (2) Reply
    How is it then that SOME companies are telling their employees that they will be paying the NHI but also keeping the insurance that they already have?
    • Caramel (14/12/2015, 09:11) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
      Its a choice, it can be done, as I myself will be looking to get another insurance since I am a Government Staff.
    • Spinx (14/12/2015, 09:27) Like (19) Dislike (2) Reply
      If you all would read things in full and stop looking for negativity you would understand that while NHI is mandatory, there's nothing against keeping what you already have provided that you and/or your company can afford it. With insurance companies wanting to remain viable they will have to offer supplementary packages to run alongside NHI at affordable rates so I don't see what all the hoopla is about. I agree health insurance is a very important thing, but the Government could no longer go on winging it and providing healthcare to people without a pool of funds to pay for it. The freebie mentality in the BVI is what brought us to this point. Government is expected to provide jobs, pensions, contracts, back walls, roads, sewage treatment, water, electricity, give every truck man a job, all while leaving taxes low and not laying off people even when they don't even show up at all for work. We got to be crazy around here!
      • Yah! (14/12/2015, 12:21) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        I was made to understand by the insurance company when I inquired about the purchase of a private health insurance that they themselves were not sure how it was going to work. At that time I was told that any insurance I purchased would become a secondary insurance and that NHI coverage would have to be exhausted first before the now secondary insurance could be used. So what is it? Isn't this then what people were asking for all the time? To be able to keep their insurance while they paid the health tax, I mean NHI because we all agree that government needs the money for health care.


  • ???? (14/12/2015, 08:54) Like (11) Dislike (0) Reply
    It was a done deal from day one just like many other initiatives. I agree that by now we should have more info. available to us but that is what happens when you vote a "done deal" crew back into power with such a large majority.
  • locals (14/12/2015, 09:04) Like (3) Dislike (3) Reply
    Yes they will listen to her she has the right face I bet no more done deals on NHI
  • Stopit (14/12/2015, 10:48) Like (15) Dislike (11) Reply
    Long time insurance companies ripping the people off. Because NHI comes in, how are they going to have to layoff people? Always trying to frighten people with their piss. Let the insurance companies learn to play in the field. The minute you got to be begging them for jobs, they want to treat you like slaves, hanging something over your head. Ah sick ah some of these companies....
  • Narsawski (14/12/2015, 12:01) Like (15) Dislike (0) Reply
    NHI please get rid of the death panel. We do not need a panel to decide who will live or die. Who will stay here or go overseas for treatment. Stop now before it is too late.
    • OK!!! (14/12/2015, 12:35) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      I am glad someone else is seeing it like me! that be left to my doctor, who has gain my trust over the years for what is good for me, not someone else or someone that may have a beef with me or any of my family!
  • Uneblievable (14/12/2015, 13:29) Like (7) Dislike (1) Reply
    May God look over anyone needing emergency care off island. With our lives in the hands of a panel, it is disgraceful. Also how do we know all companies and persons are signing up. They mention 15k have registered to date with a mandatory system they are about 10k short. I believe everyone should have access to health care but worry this system will leave a shortfall and ill persons will suffer.
    • Bonny (14/12/2015, 16:46) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      Our lives were always "in the hands of a panel". It just was not NHI's panel. You need to hear some stories about some of the insurance entities who are now disgruntled because of NHI. That is always the result of competition.
  • Eagle Eye (14/12/2015, 18:19) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    If the people rebel there is no done deal. Majority rule
  • Me (14/12/2015, 18:42) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Only in the BVI such can happen. Instead of leaders we are dealing with criminals.. They forget how they get in power. If the people are unable to move them God will in his time.Man can do what they want but not as long as they like. They must know they are not above the law.
  • time (14/12/2015, 18:57) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    They had enough time to get thrir business straight.

    NHI is hiring insurance workers.
  • mary j (14/12/2015, 22:07) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    deeds insuranc big boys all voted for the VIP, hence the hostility


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