MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016
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Public insurer claim a ‘meaningless distinction’ By NATARIO McKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net A “privately managed” public insurer as proposed by the Government under National Health Insurance (NHI) is likely a “meaningless distinction” according to Bahamas Insurance Commission (BIA) chairman Emmanuel Komolafe, as he reiterated concerns over political interference and unfair competition. The NHI policy paper released last week stated that there will be “no qualifying distinction” between BahamaC-
Insurance Association ‘resolute’ in its opposition to public insurer are and private insurers under NHI. BahamaCare will be publicly owned but managed by a privately operated regulated health administrator which was one of the recommendations by the government’s NHI consultants KPMG and will only offer health insurance. The BIA has long opposed the establishment of a public insurer, citing
that it would be a great expense and waste of taxpayer monies by the Government, given that its role would be duplicated by the private sector. Mr Komolafe reiterated those concerns in a statement yesterday and said that despite what has been outlined in the policy paper, the BIA remains resolute in its opposition to the establishment of a pubic insurer. “It has always been the view and position of the BIA that based on the population of The Bahamas and number of private health insurers in The Bahamas - seven in total - there See pg b4
Emmanuel Komolafe
Bowe blasts ‘unconscionable’ overpricing in family islands By NATARIO McKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net Price Control Commission (PCC) Chairman E J Bowe said that he found it “unconscionable” that bread baskets items were overpriced by more than $3 in some family islands, asking, “How do they expect people to survive?” Bowe, speaking with Tribune Business, noted that the PCC has carried out inspections in North Andros as well as North Eleuthera, Spanish Wells and Harbour Island in recent weeks. According to Mr Bowe, the PCC found infractions at all seven stores visited in North
Andros two weeks ago and all ten stores during the commission’s Eleuthera visit last week. Mr Bowe said that the commission found items such as sugar, tomato paste, cream, grits, rice, corned beef, cooking oil, mayonnaise overpriced during its visit to North Andros. “All seven stores we inspected had infractions,” said Bowe. “In North Eleuthera, Spanish Wells and Harbour Island, we inspected ten stores and all of them had infractions.” “It’s really unconscionable. I don’t know how they expect people to survive. We’re not talking about a few cents. It’s really bad. If you look at the
amount they went over $3.41, $2.80, $2.71 and that sort of thing. From my point of view, one cent is too much. It should be right on the mark or below,” said Bowe, pointing out the cost of freight is calculated into the maximum selling price of the items. “Freight is already calculated in and there is no reason for them to go over the maximum selling price on those bread basket items. The items that we found which were overpriced were confiscated and lodged with the island administrator for safekeeping pending a court hearing,” said Mr Bowe.
Gowon Bowe
Integrated patientcentred care envisaged for NHI By NATARIO McKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net While enrollees in National Health Insurance Bahamas will have a choice of primary care providers, over time those primary care providers will transition into a network of health professionals creating what is referred to as “Integrated Patient-Centred Care” according to the NHI policy paper. The policy paper entitled: “Building a Heathier Bahamas” notes: “Enrollees in NHI Bahamas will have a choice in primary care providers. Ultimately, over time, primary care providers will transition and organise into local networks of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, as is the contemporary model in jurisdictions around the world. This organisation of resources, skills and talents creates what is called “Integrated Patient-Centred Care”. NHI Bahamas will strive toward an end state where the patient is central to all health decisions and care models and be structured to enable the patient access to other levels of care. It will take time, however, to evolve towards this goal, working closely with the medical provider community. Integrated PatientCentred Care will also present increased opportunities to healthcare professionals for collaboration, training and professional development.” The initial service provision stage of NHI Bahamas will cover primary health care. General practitioners, family medicine doctors, internists, advanced practice nurses, pediatricians, and obstetricians-gynecologists are among the different types of healthcare physicians and healthcare professionals who provide primary care services. “Primary care providers play a critical role in guiding patients through the healthcare system via referring them to specialists and maintaining relationships with nurses, labs and pharmacies. Primary care is often See pg b5
Chamber urges membership tax compliance By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemdia.net
The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC) has urged its membership to comply with existing tax laws and regulations, noting that where law and regulations are considered unreasonable or ‘overly onerous’, they should raise such matters formally though the private sector representative. “The BCCEC fully supports efforts by the Bahamas Government to enforce the rule of law and implement initiatives to increase tax compliance, and we further strongly encourage our members to comply with existing laws and regulations. The informal economy is as damaging to the formal economy as it is to coffers of the Bahamas Government. Where laws and regulations are considered unreasonable or their implementation is overly onerous or impractical, we continue to encourage compliance by our members but request that they raise such matters formally through the BCCEC to enable dialogue and collaboration with the relevant authorities to agree a middle ground that achieves the objectives of the initiatives with minimal impediments to commerce,” the BCCEC said in a recent statement.
Urges membership to raise concerns formally through BCCEC The admonition came in a recent statement on the issue of tax compliance certificates. The BCCEC - the chief private sector representative - has urged the Government to ‘expedite’ the establishment of a Central Revenue Agency See pg b4
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