NHI not likely until 3rd Quarter of 2014 – Roy Barry
Speaking on the ‘Open Mic’ radio programme aired last evening, October 16, 2013 on ZRod FM, Barry said this was due to the absence of necessary legislation required to implement the NHI.
“I would say third quarter [of next year],” Barry said in response to a question posed by host, Julio Sam Henry.
“It can be sooner but that decision is not left up to me,” Barry said in reply to a caller querying the late start.
“Once the legislation is passed then the elected officials are going to decide exactly when they are going to start. The groundwork is already there, it’s just that the legislation is not passed so I have to give them time to get that done,” he added.
“The most I can say at this point is that we are moving towards having the amendment to the Social Security legislation sent to the House [of Assembly] for approval, once that’s enacted, then that’s the point in time when we can look at a start date,” Barry stated.
He related that a trend where eighty-two percent of persons avoid making payments to the Peebles Hospital is unsustainable and can possibly lead to some form of bankruptcy.
Barry also disclosed that it would take approximately four months to enrol the entire population into the NHI. “The plan is to collect contributions for three months before persons can access care. This will build the reserves and ensure that when persons access care we have monies to pay bills that will be coming in to our office. After that three-month period we should have enough money,” he added.
The team responsible for the NHI is also currently working on a website that will provide information for the general populace.
Employees with concerns about making payments on behalf of their workers to the National Health Insurance System while there is no work available for them also had these concerns eased by Barry.
“If you have your employees and for some reason… you no longer have work for your employees you won’t have to contribute any monies to National Health Insurance on behalf of your employees once they are unemployed,” Barry said.
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12 Responses to “NHI not likely until 3rd Quarter of 2014 – Roy Barry”
WHERE THERE IS NO VISION THE PEOPLE PERISH! I say this with no joke - the Government looks like they want to kill persons off with this shoddy insurance, not to mention the crime rate is likely to increase as people try to rub two pennies together to pay for this insurance. Remember people if your spouse is not working you have to pay FULL not half and your employer pay half but FULL!