By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The Minister of Health yesterday said Bahamians are spending more than $60 million annually on overseas care that could remain at home.

Retaining some of that expenditure could create more jobs for Bahamian health professionals, Dr Perry Gomez said yesterday.

Stressing the need for National Health Insurance (NHI) in the Bahamas, Dr Gomez said there were more than 100,000 Bahamians who currently do not have access to affordable health care in the Bahamas.

“Beyond those that have private health insurance, we estimate that there are more than 100,000 Bahamians who do not have access to affordable care in this country,” Dr Gomez said.

“Many others face large payments when they become ill with treatable diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Many of the persons who have private health insurance are often unable to make co-payments or deductibles.

“A Bahamian household is 20 times as likely as some in the United Kingdom to have a financially devastating health expenditure in a given year. Even compared to our US neighbours to the north, who are often highlighted as having the highest cost and catastrophic spending, Bahamians households are more at risk,”

Dr Gomez told Parliament during his Budget communication yesterday that more than $800 million was spent on healthcare in the Bahamas last year, with the public sector accounting for nearly 50 per cent.

He added that in 2013-2014, Bahamian households spent on average more than $2,300 on healthcare.

Noting that the World Health Organsiation (WHO) and the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) recommend that public health spending should target 6 per cent of GDP,” Dr Gomez said: “We are currently investing only 4.3 per cent in improving our nation’s health.”

NHI was developed as a policy priority under the first Christie administration. A 15-member Blue Ribbon Commission was appointed to review the feasibility of the scheme.

The National Health Insurance Act 2006 was tabled in Parliament on November 2006, and the current administration has revived the plan, which is now slated for a January 2016 first phase roll-out.

Prime Minister Perry Christie, at least for the moment, eased private sector fears when he announced in the Budget communication that NHI would be implemented in a manner that was “practical and affordable”.

Pledging that no new or increased taxes would be needed to finance the scheme in the short-term, Mr Christie also promised that NHI would be introduced via a ‘phased’ approach that matched new healthcare services with the country’s ability to afford them.

The 2015-2016 Budget indicates that the Government is initially financing NHI via an extra $60 million allocation, plus the regular $200 million-plus it grants to the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA).

The Budget ‘line item’ for NHI shows $274 million for 2015-2016. The extra $60 million allocation is projected to be repeated over the next two Budget cycles, implying that the Government is spending $180 million over a three-year period to strengthen the existing public sector health system and its infrastructure in readiness for NHI.