By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunmedia.net

National Health Insurance’s (NHI) project manager says laboratory and pharmaceutical services will be rolled-out over the next few weeks, with the fee structure for service providers ultimately changing over time..

Dr Delon Brennen told Tribune Business: “As we continue to deliver more and more services, we introduced the lab services that will likely come next.

“The pharmaceutical services and diagnostic imaging services are to be rolled-out over the course of the next few weeks. As we start to deliver those, people will be able to get their lab work, medicine, X-rays, mamograms and the like, and all of it will be paid from the NHI Authority.”

While acknowledging that discussions and negotiations on NHI fee structures are continuing, Dr Brennen said these will evolve over time.

“We have, for the better part of months and years, held discussions and negotiations with these providers, getting to where we are now with the fee structure that was put in place; knowing that what we start with on day one and year one is not going to be what end up with at year two, year five and year 10,” he added.

“This is a dynamic process based on utilisation, and how we can go about ensuring that we procure good product, how we can get a better scale on delivery of service as well. All of these things are likely to change, but it will be based on the actual evidence that is available for us to be able to develop those payment mechanism.”

NHI is expected to be rolled-out in three phases with the first phase, primary care, launching last week. More than 9,000 persons have enrolled in NHI to-date, and around 60 private doctors have signed-on.

“Right now, things are done very anecdotally because that data isn’t out there. A national level programme like NHI allows us to say how many patients are actually using a particular service nationwide and, if so, what kind of service delivery we will be able to give them while not breaking the bank to be able do so,” said Dr Brennen.