By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE draft legislation for National Health Insurance has been approved by Cabinet and will be released for public and further stakeholder consultation before the end of this month, the government said yesterday.

In a statement, the government said the legislation, which will provide the legal foundation for NHI, is currently undergoing “final revisions together with stakeholders.”

In the meantime, the government said registration for NHI, by way of the National Insurance Board (NIB), will commence as scheduled on January 18. The new NIB smart card, which was launched in 2014, will be used as the primary tool for identifying persons that are eligible for NHI services. Without it, persons won’t be able to establish that they have coverage, according to NIB officials.

The government also said that an NHI website and “other information sharing tools” will be unveiled this month to “ensure that Bahamians have the information they need to understand what NHI Bahamas is, the values of the new system, and how it will work.”

Additionally, the government said it is still continuing its Health System Strengthening (HSS) throughout the country, having allocated $40m towards the upgrade of the country’s various health facilities and systems to prepare for NHI.

“The government of the Bahamas remains committed to having a NHI programme in our country and has been working tirelessly to develop and execute the framework to make this vision a reality, for a stronger Bahamas,” the statement said.

“We are a proud and caring people. The historic launch of NHI Bahamas is a big step to ensuring that everyone has reasonable access to healthcare, assuring a bright future for all Bahamians and improving the health of our country.”

Last month, Dr Duane Sands, a cardiothoracic surgeon and former Free National Movement (FNM) senator, said the absence of the legislation shows that the government is “rushing” to roll out its universal healthcare plan and “making things up” as it goes along.

Dr Sands added that if the government truly considered NHI to be a top priority, the legislation would have been drafted earlier and already presented to Parliament.

However, Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson subsequently said the government was focused on NHI’s implementation and would not be swayed by critics.

NHI will be phased in over a five-year period, officials have said. The government has previously said NHI’s introduction will encompass registration and improvements to public health infrastructure.

According to officials, the plan’s primary healthcare package will be rolled out in April.

However, the Christie administration has not revealed how much NHI will cost and has faced criticism for not being transparent about the plan.