“Not Now,” Says PM as Opposition Critics Slam NHI Proposal

A new political clash is brewing over the future of healthcare funding and tonight, the Prime Minister is responding. Opposition Leader Tracy Panton is taking aim at the proposed National Health Insurance Authority Bill, warning it could mean new contributions from members, what she calls an added burden on working Belizeans. But Prime Minister John Briceño isn’t having it. He says the proposal is long-term and not designed to hit people’s pockets anytime soon. As the debate heats up, we’re asking, how will this plan impact future healthcare and who will ultimately pay for it?

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“And I wish the leader of the opposition would do her work. She was explained what the rational is. The rational for that is for the future, not right now. NHI is providing primary healthcare. When you see something you say some people go to NHI and pay only two dollars. The government through tax payers and boledo where this year we put about twenty million dollars into NHI to help pay for that. But in the future, thinking years down once it is properly operational and running, we could look at providing more services like secondary and tertiary services. And we believe if we could do that and we could pool everybody’s money of those participating then there is going to be a small charge. That is what they do in other countries, like Costa Rica. Looking at the Costa Rica model the workers pay something and they can get other services. I know the insurance companies sin Belize are looking at how they can partner with government. Instead of them sending people abroad for services that they could probably get it here at a fraction of the cost. The people at NHI have people looking at that opportunity, that maybe in the future we can level up the services we provide. So it has nothing to do with taxing people right now for the primary health care services we are offering for almost free at the NHI.”

 

The bill is set for debate in early June in the House of Representatives.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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