Proposal likely to be laid before Cabinet in the new year
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – Since taking office in 2015, the Team Unity Government had promised to establish universal healthcare coverage for citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis and, true to its word, this will be done in 2021.
This announcement was made by the Hon Eugene Hamilton during an interview with SKNVibes.
When the programme comes on stream, it is expected to cover every working individual and student living in the twin-island Federation.
However, SKNVibes understands that the Government is currently working to determine what is the best fit in the area of cost for the programme, since it will cover those with pre-existing conditions.
The Minister has been championing the cause for the establishment of the programme since 2016, making several yearly promises on when it would be established. And in his interview last evening (Oct. 27), he again stopped short of giving an exact timeframe in 2021 for its establishment.
“As long as Cabinet accepts my submission, it will be implemented. We are already prepared and ready to start the programme sometime in 2021,” Minister Hamilton said.
Some concerns were expressed by health officials about the level of Non-Communicable Diseases in the Federation, such as diabetes, cancer and hypertension, and how they would impact.
But some had expressed reservations about the way in which the programme would be handled and if young healthy citizens would be paying to cover those with pre-existing conditions.
During 2018 and 2019, the Government had embarked on consultation and education to have the people understand and give feedback on the initiative.
When pressed about costs and how the deductions will work when the programme comes on stream, the minister indicated that he could not speak to those issues now as the matter is still to go before the Cabinet for final approval.
But it has been bandied that one of the initiatives under the proposed plan is a percentage deduction from wages and salaries that would go towards the Government-funded programme that would cover both students and adults.
