By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas has been afforded a ‘second opportunity’ to get National Health Insurance (NHI) right the Bahamas Insurance Association’s (BIA) deputy chairman said yesterday, urging that ‘all hints’ of politics ‘must be removed’.

Tina Cambridge, deputy chairperson of the Bahamas Insurance Association (BIA) while addressing the Rotary Club of Southeast Nassau yesterday, said: “We have another opportunity to get this right. We have been blessed with a second opportunity to get this right. It’s a national initiative and so we must remove all hints of politics. We must include all stakeholders.”

The Christie administration launched NHI’s primary care phase just prior to the general elections back in May. Ms Cambridge asserted the BIA’s assertion that critical elements of NHI governance and healthcare delivery structure were not in place. The insurance body had previously called into question the acts undertaken by the former administration to implement the plan given the NHI Authority Board had not been appointed.

With that Board having now been put in place by the Minnis administration, Ms Cambridge suggested it would be challenged with ‘righting the ship’.

“They have to concern themselves with what has happened to date, righting the ship and trying to take care of those people who have enrolled," said said.

"Only the Board according to the law can appoint a managing director and only a managing director can delegate responsibilities.”

More than 25,000 Bahamians and legal residents have enrolled in the scheme to-date but Ms Cambridge noted people are getting no more than what was already available to them in terms of benefits through the public healthcare are system. She said the NHI is the actual funding mechanism for the delivery of universal health care in The Bahamas adding that while the BIA supports universal health coverage, there must be a collaboration among all stakeholders and a phased approach due to operational adjustments and the financial burden.

Ms Cambridge noted that 40-50 percent of the population is covered under a private healthcare scheme; 33 per cent through private health insurance and 17 per cent through civil service health care plans.

She also sought to dispel the notion that insurers were merely agitating over NHI because of concerns for their profits.

“The profit margins for health insurance companies in this market are very slim," she said.

"Seventy five percent of the premiums we collect go toward the payment of claims, 15 per cent goes to administration costs, seven per cent brokers commissions, leaving a three per cent profit for insurers."

Ms Cambridge said that moving forward, there is a need for a good and effective governance structure, the upgrade and strengthening of the this nation’s healthcare infrastructure and for existing inefficiencies and wastage to be addressed.