National Health Insurance expands coverage
If you live in Toledo, Stann Creek or the southern half of the Belize District you would have already experienced the joys—and frustrations—of National Health Insurance. Well, at the end of this month, N.H.I. will roll out on Belize City’s northside, San Pedro, and Caye Caulker, and by the end of the year will go countrywide. Today, as teams fanned out to register new clients, News Five’s Stewart Krohn found out that while the expansion of the well intentioned programme seems straightforward, paying for it may require some risky financial surgery. Dr. Paul Edwards, the Ministry of Health’s acting Manager, for the Central Health Region, explains how the system works.
Dr. Paul Edwards, Ag. Manager, Central Health Region
“It rolls out to the Northside August thirtieth and what people really need to know is that they need to be registered with Social Security so that they can have a Social Security card. That is the card whereby they will become official members of the services that are paid through N.H.I. that are present that will be offered at the Cleopatra White Polyclinic Two across from the Pallotti High School.”
Stewart Krohn
“You mentioned Social Security. Does N.H.I. have anything to do with Social Security or is this just a means to identify people?”
Dr. Paul Edwards
“Of course Social Security has to do with N.H.I. When we talk about somebody accessing services at the Cleopatra White Health Centre, there is a very small co-payment. Let’s say for example ten dollars, just for example that person requires imaging services, an ultrasound, which would cost eighty dollars. If that person pays ten dollars and we talk about in life there is no freebie, where then does the money come from for the seventy dollars? From three sources: Social Security Board, the primary care budget from the Ministry of Health, and the government of Belize general revenues. So we’re talking about a Ministry of Health system whereby services are being paid by N.H.I.”
Stewart Krohn
“Let me get this straight now doctor. As you say there’s no free lunch, so this N.H.I., some of the payment is coming out of central government and a significant part is coming out of the Social Security fund, what is the actual budget, what are you looking at for the cost of N.H.I. because someone cynical might look at this and say you know what, elections, six, seven months away, what a wonderful thing to roll out this N.H.I. that Social Security and Government is going to pay for it. How much money we talking about?”
Dr. Paul Edwards
“I think you may have mistaken me for the minister and that’s a political question.”
