By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

LINGERING concerns about National Health Insurance (NHI) plans among business people were laid bare on Friday after a presentation to Rotary Club of East Nassau members from two top NHI officials were met with scepticism and, at times, harsh criticism.

Dr Mark Britnell, the head of KPMG's healthcare practice, and Dr Delon Brennan, NHI's Project Manager, discussed the benefitis of NHI during the meeting.

They said that primary healthcare, the third phase of NHI's rollout, will be introduced early this year, though no specific date was given. Mr Britnell said primary healthcare will be available in the Spring.

Officials are currently finalising the NHI regulations as well as selecting an institution to manage the public insurer.

Dr Brennan said it would not take long for the public insurer to get up and running after a manager is selected, given the experience the would-be company has in insurance management.

He described the NHI Secretariat's interactions with potential providers as positive so far.

Nonetheless, Rotarians were openly sceptical of the NHI scheme, particularly the idea that it would not become financially burdensome.

"I want you all to realise that everyone in this room are business owners so we're paying for this," one man said. "Don't tell me it's free because that's a bunch of crap. We're paying for this. My staff enjoys medical insurance. There's no way in hell I'm going to pay for that, and for this.

"If you been in the Princess Margaret Hospital lately or some of the clinics on the out islands, you'd see the (expletive) they are in. It's ridiculous. There's a clinic in Abaco that was built five years ago and it's rotting down; another clinic in Exuma that's built five years ago that's also rotting down. It's unbelievable. I'm sitting back here and I can't believe what I'm hearing (from you)."

As Dr Brennan sought to address the man's concerns, another Rotarian shouted: "Who's gonna pay for it? Who is going to pay for it? Don't say it's free."

"None of us has said it's free," Mr Brennan responded, explaining that the NHI scheme would allow people to access services without worrying about costs at the time of doing so.

Officials have said that secondary stages of NHI may be paid only after a new tax is imposed.

As for primary healthcare, while additional money will be pumped into the health system to support it, officials emphasised on Friday that primary healthcare will largely be paid with the usual amount of money given to the healthcare system, by reducing wastage.