BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Jan. 12.2018 – THE Government will, in February, begin the ground work to have the National Health Insurance Scheme rolled out later this year.
No concrete plans have been laid out yet on the extent of the plan’s coverage to benefit residents and citizens as The Government is currently engaging the University of the West Indies Health and Economics Unit, on the programme’s specific design
The scheme which is a major policy initiative for the Team Unity government has been in the planning phase for the past two years, and according to Senior Minister of Health, Hon. Eugene Hamilton the plan should be implemented this year.
During a sit down with SKNVibes News, the Minister suggested that he was hopeful of having the health plan implemented earlier in 2017, but significant work had to be undertaken – including obtaining the support of the University of the West Indies Health Economics Unit.
That support saw the government inking a contract with UWI, as the Administration is now working towards commencing the project for the health insurance programme.
“The development of the project involves consultations, getting papers from experts in the field; consultation from throughout the island and getting stakeholder involvement. At the end of the exercise, which I hope would be reasonable and quick in execution, we would be able to produce the document that the country would make a determination on.”
According to the Minister, February was chosen because it represents a “significant milestone’ in the Team Unity Administration.
And he would soon meet with the UWI professor to pinpoint an exact start date for the project.
Coming out of that project, the government is expecting that several models would be put forward for their choice, of which one would be selected and brought to the people.
“Based on the model, if they say that there is only one model for us to follow then we would take it.”
Since taking office in 2015, Minister Hamilton has been pushing for universal health coverage for citizens and residents, as he has seen many people in the federation struggle to pay health care cost.
