I certainly wouldn't mind paying if PMH was a decent hospital. But the way it functions now, and how NASTY it is, I certainly don't think I would be getting value for money.

Pouring money into such a unorganized, pathetically run/monitored health system will only create more problems and graft.

#MinnisCare

About his Oban finders fee

So they start off with 2% and increase it every three years? And the minister has admitted that NIB administration has become too expensive. Admistrative and operating costs are gobbling up all NiB funds and if you’re under 40, the NIB scheme will go belly nip (bankrupt) if no serious adjtments are made. Fact is there is too much wastage, fraud, corruption and lack of accountability in government for these systems to work effectively and run efficiently. So government should build in a ceiling cap on how much they can deduct from any employee.

More taxes that will be poorly managed and wasted as always. Its rather strange that the government keeps on taxing the people but we get nothing in return. When will these idiots get their shit together?

No Naughty,
When will WE get our shit together and kick these jackass politicians to the curb?

Finally, there are positive signs we are are marching forward in right direction towards offering Universal BahamaCARE ((UBC) accessible to each and all. Of course the biggest obstacle and loudest cries in opposition anything resembling implementation Universal BahamaCARE (UBC) by 2019 or at anytime will come from comrade business owners who generally have a major influence input into whatever this Imperial red shirts regime ends up doing.... in short will the red red regime heed to calls of business owners in opposition or do what is right for and by the people...... Is it really the People's time to no financial obstacles accessible Universal BahamaCARE (UBC )?

So with the legally employed persons paying into this scheme, the Haitians will now just start flocking here for free everything at our cost. Oh goody, I can't wait to go broke paying for the drug abusers, drunkards, illegal immigrants, and the baby makers, what a joy this is gonna be !!!

LMAO. Proposed NHI plan for catastrophic and other healthcare is totally ill-conceived with no basis at all in economic reality. This is nothing but yet another tax by another name. And, like our VAT dollars, the vast majority of Bahamians will get very little if anything in return for their NHI tax payments.

It should now be abundantly clear to all honest and hardworking Bahamians that the very dimwitted Minnis and his equally mentally challenged side-kick, Turnquest, only understand governing to mean one thing - tax, tax, tax and spend, spend, spend!

No problem, add $100,000 to payroll per year, need more?
Go ahead take more ya dumb *ss.
Healthcare will not improve, as that which appears free will be forever in short supply.
Between this and Disney this crew will be history.
Why don't you just resign and save us all the additional financial hit?
The Conflict of interests aspect is blatant, Here we have a Dr. who will no doubt be over billing the system and riding his guaranteed income into the sunset.
Always taking more and cannot even perform the basic services like mail, garbage pickup, water quality and quantity, power, Healthcare, defense of borders and resources, public safety, justice system, and all the above will get worse no matter how much $$ they decide they need from "The People"

Here we go. The heart surgeon and the urologist propose to direct tax money to their pockets by covering catastrophic procedures that they and their comrades will carry out. Can't believe the people gonna stand for this when now the NHI is spending most of the money on administration and doctors are tiefing millions from the system per year.

I dont see anything about Taxing KFC or the Chinese take outs that serve a very unhealthy diet to the people! Its just not sugary drinks that are unhealthy, its all that breaded fried chicken with potatoes, and the Rice the Chinese serve as well. Lets call in everyone on this not just the Juice Bowl that Lil General have on sale for $20.00 per Case!

I agree.

Why are we not taxing them?

The 2% will just be placed by Minnis and his robber barons in the consolidated fund and treated like VAT. It will be spent on crony projects and given away like candy by black men in white leotards. Just another theft to add a notch to Minnis' belt. WE DON'T TRUST YOU ANYMORE FNM SO YOUR WORDS ARE POISON TO OUR EARS.

Hurricane Tax coming soon to an archipelago near you!

From 2% it will go to 5% from 5% to 12% from 12% to 20% from 20% to 30%. There you go Income tax!!!!! This is how these slime balls do things. Secretly incrementally boiling the frog. They believe you put a frog in boiling water, it will jump out, but if you gradually raise the temperature, the frog will be cooked.

it will nt be incme tax, the income tax will be additional

Ma Comrade The-Oracle, best provide doctor for mother's sick child or question - where's PeoplePublic outrage over many $100,000 s have done since 10 May, 2017 been added payrolls to fund dozens large scale delegations dispatched abroad... is it true that as we post to this hereto Tribune blog page - Minnis and KP, has a 20 plus persons Bahamaland delegation for elimination of discrimination against women's - over in Geneva, Switzerland,, also in attendance, be's none other than the always on plane heading somewhere foreign is Imperial red shirts minister Frankie.
{ Can't make this up }.

Buncha crooks!

The real problem is in implementation when you consider the number of Hatiens who contribute nothing to the economy but sure make use of the Government clinics. Then what about the workers Bahamian and foreign who do daily work on say construction sites or gardening?

LOL Oh Mad One!

LOL

The Oracle is correct in saying that " anything that appears free will be in short supply"

But also, we must note that the amounts suggested are no where near adequette to fund full healthcare. Canada has this system, they claim it costs over 6000 CAD per year (about 4500 usd) per person. Their system long since hijacked by corporate greed and crony capitalism; but none the less it doesn't suffice at those costs. With Canadians waiting 6 months to see a specialist and years to get non life threatening treatments. To their credit, if you ate busted up in an accident you will get immediate top quality initial treatment. Though sadly this won't be followed up with expedient therapy etc.

Health care in the Bahamas will be minimal at these prices and even the minimal care will be rationed.

Stop watching Fox news ,Half of my family are Canadian and 86% of Canadians like their healthcare . They have better longevity then the U S ,at lower cost .See how long it takes to see a specialist in The U S .And no Canadians are not flocking across the border to see U S Doctors etc ,its like .05 % of Canadians get treatment in the U S and those are mostly Canadians that get hurt or sick while in the U S . Canada is single payer to cover the cost and the hospitals and Docs are private

Seriously? I guess my experience in the waiting rooms at the Mayo Clinic and at Special Surgery in NYC are highly unusual. All .05% of the miscreant Canadians must utilize those two institutions. Also I have experienced zero difficulty seeing a specialist in the U.S. Stop watching CNN.

Ma Comrade Chucky, regardless whether it be Canada's or any other country's Healthcare, its complexities can be positive and negative. What works well within Canada's healthcare system works pretty damn well - - far exceeding what doesn't. The first 5 years beyond 2019 is be expected as our country's Universal BahamaCARE's (UBC) learning curve sets in. Will you deny cost workers healthcare premiums will cover decreasing range medical needs along with larger worker deductible contributions have and will have skyrocketed by 2019, and every year beyond? When you compare Canada's healthcare to the Americans, it functions pretty damn good at providing superior healing and treatment patient care.... no Canadian is tossed out hospital onto the public sidewalks to suffer or die in pain.

A public health service can only work properly in The Bahamas if it is bifurcated. There should be separate health services for legal Bahamians and those that are here illegally (Haitians). A single health service that must constantly deal with illegals popping out babies and the sheer number of illegals will be unable to aptly serve the Bahamians public. The Government must chose who it serves. It can no longer afford to serve two masters: does it serve legal citizens or illegal Haitians? The choice must be made.

So, the intent comrade opponents Universal BahamaCARE is get those with private workplace healthcare plans to hears dog whistle when others don't. Fact is in coming years the private workplace healthcare premiums for ever decreasing range medical coverage - along with high out pocket deductibles - will become extinct over next 5 to 10 years. Why stop providing healthcare Haitian nationals Shouldn't government then also turn away workers who suddenly find themselves no longer having access affordable private workers healthcare?

TalRussel. Unfortunately you are sadly mistaken in your praise for the Canadian system. I have fist hand experience as have many family and friends and their system simply does not work for regular healthcare. I.e. weeks to get doctors appointments, years to get to a conclusion/treatment for non life threatening issues. But yes for trauma victims there is imediate care.

What you miss in your analysis is that American care is much better. As an example in Canada if you're waiting forever, as you do, one cannot obtain private care. As it is illegal for money to be an inhibitor to access to care, so therefore even if you have money, one cannot simply pay for a surgery for example , since that would be an inhibitor to care for someone without the money. So Canadians with health issues, and money, go across the line to USA for expedient care.

In USA, if you can pay, all the beat treatments are available. The best in the world.

USA is the better system.

No disputing that everyone does not have unlimited funds , and therefore even in the USA many go without proper healthcare. But that's an issue about funds, not available care.

In fact the key issues is funding, and of course ensuring the funding is spent well, i.e. not sucked up by corporate greed or crony capitalists via scams.

There is no sense in getting excited about a national healthcare system that will not have sufficient funding to function. You simply cannot care for the populous for 500 dollars per capita.

Obviously this is a moral issue that every nation faces, but the results as shown even the most developed nations speak volumes. There is no example of a nation, not even USA, as rich of a nation as it is, that truly wants it's people to have proper healthcare.
The ones with money, yes they want full care, and they will pay for it. But unless you can convince those with money, to cough up enough to care for those who don't. You will never achieve proper health care.

The unspoken intent of any goverent is exemplified in the outcome. That in healthcare is not ANY different than the education. The systems are designed to facilitate only enough education and healthcare to keep you producing. Not a smidgen more will be available to the masses, and the government will take as much from the populous as is possible for providing this.

Our education system sucks, our healthcare too. And this is only because that is the intent. We have had succsessive governments that can come up with some very creative and sophisticated scams, to enrich themselves and their friends, without consequence. If they really wanted a smart and healthy populous, they would have one.

Read my previous comment ,,you are not truthful or don,t have the knowledge about Canadian healthcare .There is no large influx of Canadians coming across the border and 86% of Canadians like their healthcare

Buncha jerks! If these greedy, inefficient idiots had listened to the outcry against VAT in the first place, and to the draconian VAT increase in the second, folks would be much more amenable to a Bahamian citizen health care tax.

Ma Comrade Chunky, your family sources living up Canada must be aware that not a single one of the hundreds in numbers hospitals operating across Canada, are neither government owned nor government operated...... And, yes, yes indeed, there are thousands "private for profit medical clinics" operating across Canada. Trust me, what is good about Canada's healthcare system is far better for patients than the bad.... unlike the Americans healthcare, none it is considered as being equally american healthcare ugly, Not only will no hospital patient live fear being tossed out onto public sidewalk for lack ability pay for medical care.... but your family's Canadian government will pay see to it they return to their place residence - safely.... and, the Queen is also the Queen of Canada.....in fact, your family had swear allegiance Her Majesty to get live up in Canada.

Addicts, gang bangers, the terminally ill and mothers with more than 3 children should go to the back of the line. We must prioritize services to those who need and DESERVE it most. Certainly some will die, but that is part of life. After all, GOD created us so that one day we too will die.

This is great! Good working people now get the chance to pay for first rate health care for bums, drunks, addicts and all those gang related shooting victims! Hooray!

I thought the F.N.M. said if they got in power it will be no new taxes or tax increases ....a$s#oles never again will I ink my finger blue in this country!

All the comrades ugly disparaging posts to this hereto Tribune blog page - must not be aware past part we own history - when long before today's Haitian nationals ever thought set sail for jobs we colony of islands, we then British subjects by the hundreds - had done set sail to seek paycheques from abundance available higher paying jobs in Haiti, Oh yes, the same Haiti.....How else you thinks the Haitian bloodlines - got serve Imperial red shirts cabinet?

So no where in this article does it state what the total premium is. If someone is salaried at B$150,000 a year does that person's payroll get a 2% deduction or $3,000.? Does his employer have to pay some portion of his payroll as well? What about employers who provide private health insurance to their employees? Do they have to pay payroll tax for this plan as well? Do their employees have to pay, when they are covered by private insurance? Please the facts!

the thing is capped at 42.00. the guy whomakes 150,000 pays the same as the one who makes 25,0000

any tac in the bahamas is regressive.

TalRussel. Once again and as usual you know nothing about what you speak.

Private clinics exist in Canada, not hospital, but under federal law no private medical facility can offer services that are covered under health Canada.

You are a great example of what is wrong with the mindset of our people.
You spew the ignorance that you believe to be true, when it's clearly wrong, false, and you have such a closed mind that you fail to reason honestly.
With people like you amongst us there is sadly not much hope for change. If you could only open your eyes to learn about the world we all live in, you might just put that pen of yours to good use.

Sadly, like most , ours is a country fully of people fraught with a willing ignorance guiding their every thought and action.

Thing is Hatter, time, money and ability are needed to organize such things. I also feel people have become exceedingly disheartened as their protests fall on deaf ears, unless the protesters are affluential. I often ask what We March Bahamas and its leader was actually all about!

Ma Comrade Chunky, before you launch any more attacks - do make sure arm ya self by not drawing Canadian healthcare facts from your chief source idiot manufactured false facts from one Donald J Trump,,,, and your Fox News watchers republican tarnished family up in Canada.

.

Doctor Roberts the rich and famous should be ashamed of himself with his comments
of beer. does he believe the vast majority of Bahamians are drinking beer..

He is in bed with the other rich over weight doc Minnis, and Sands. their bellies are
over and they do not care about poor people. Suddenly there are problems with the
dialysis Patients that was not there before

A shameful crew in deed, But it is the peoples time good for all of them.

Point is the constitution provides for various services, all of which are neglected and falling apart, failed. Every new administration has failed at the core responsibilities.
So lets jump on new services and taxes! All of which will fail.
A Bifurcated system as stated above is what Cayman has.
Citizen or legally here? N.I.B is being paid so therefore Minimal cost.
Not here legally? Paid full pop.
The way we Mix "Christian Values" and the Government believing they should also be in charge of our health displays our complete and utter Delusion.
Get your sorry #&&es back to your core Constitutionally mandated Jobs!
Fix all of that and then we can talk about what you would "like to do"

Couldn't say it any better. Spot on

This is nothing to do with Christian values ......... this has to do with 40 years of robbing the NIB cookie jar for Government projects and "investments" .............. and NIB overpaid management bigwigs and stupid payouts.

60% of Bahamians do not collect any form of accurate/traceable "monthly" salaries ............ so how is this fair to the other 40% (Govt workers, private sector/corporations etc.)?????

Christian values?? it is supersizing how the Devil and his agents know all about Christian
values. Do they know that liars and lies are of the devil.??

This FNM crew are the only Christians and you had better agree with them or you are
not a Christian. who can believe these masterful liars and deceivers

Cuba has a pretty good health care system. Pay them the money to takeover ours.

Some of the largest retailers in the country have been having financial challenges that escalated since the VAT increases in July. Just look at them struggling to survive. They are putting out Christmas decorations since early October and one has reduced its staff by almost 50 percent. Government in its financial ignorance continues to pile taxes on these businesses not realizing that they are knocking the bottom out of the financial bucket. Yes NHI may be important but can local businesses take on this additional tax burden at this time and survive? Seriously?

Will this NHI scheme be properly managed and provided the desired benefits? Or will be like the environmental levy?

it will be like the environmental levy.

the sugar tax will also be like the environmental levy.

Your author should do some more research before using terms such as "income tax." This plan is nowhere near as progressive as an income tax for the Bahamas would be.

In fact, this tax is, once more, not just regressive, but uber-regressive, thanks to the cap and thanks to the fact that it only applies to wages and salaries but not to the incomes of those who own businesses or other investments.

"But also, we must note that the amounts suggested are no where near adequate to fund full healthcare. Canada has this system, they claim it costs over 6000 CAD per year (about 4500 usd) per person."
If that is correct, (not doubting) that equates to $1.575bn US required for 350K Bahamian pop @$4500/person
Cuba has great and cheap healthcare for Foreigners Deddie, It is a foreign currency earner.
Me thinks the locals don't access the same depth of care.