This is a topic that calls for discussion which may be merciless to the many sacred cows involved in the promotion and maintenance of dangerous health habits. There is a lot known about changing the eating habits of persons over age five….it is tough Overeating has been called the new crack-cocaine. The healthcare profession and its associated industries concentrate on profiteering from alleged treatment of tertiary illnesses. The mass of the population continues misinformed nutritional (eating too much) and social practices (smoking/alcohol/sleep deprivation/sedentary lives, etc). Prevention is still better than cure. This is one action that should not depend on the pyramid’s peak. Those are the ones who make money from illness. Change of habits is a process that is better initiated at the base.

Quoting Kammie:

“offer free bus fare, free school books, free education, free lunch, free health care and a uniform grant. ”

But Kammie. None of the above is free it is all PAID for by our TAX DOLLARS. This is not the 1950’s man, we must not let politicians fool us that they are providing us with freeness. The TAXES WE PAY FOR ALL this FREENESS giving us goadies man.

And tt bothers me that my elder sister (or brother) who migrated from Barbados in 1955 at age 19, and has NEVER paid a single CENT of taxes in Barbados could show up tomorrow (not that she plans to) and have full access to our health care system, whereas some people who have lived in Barbados as long as my sister has lived abroad, and who have paid taxes in Barbados for 40 years or more are being denied access to health care. I feel that if we tek the people tax money to buy medicine then they are ENTITLED to get some of that same medicine.

User pays. Payers use.

Perhaps the Barbados could take a look at what the Canadians do. They understand that health care is not free. In fact they understand that is is damn EXPENSIVE. When a new immigrant show up thay are encouraged to apply for paid health coverage with provincial health care system, they pay a health insurance premium to the provincial government, the provincial government tracks the contributions, issues a card to the immigrant and after a brief wait period the immigrant are allowed full access to the system. Since many employers offer health insurance coverage, the new immigrant (and his family)will likely be covered by his employers plan once he starts work. If he is self employed he continues to pay his own premiums.

We must try this system. It is no more difficult to manage that the system of issuing and managing driver’s licences. In this system everybody including recent immigrants pays in and everybody can take out. The government pays for those people who are on welfare and unable to pay their own premiums.

In fact the system works much like NIS. We pay in every week or month when we are young and healthy and working and take out when we become sick.

The mention of the freeness Bajans enjoy was not a brag, but a cursory mention for those on the outside who may be misinformed about the current burdensome social services the government provides. How much longer can any government continue these services? Medical care for bajans and permanent residence was a rule that was never enforced. How many apply for visas and medical insurance is a requirement?

@Lemuel Areti, ah like de name. Can you tell sincerity or even call a spade a spade. My observations have nothing to do wid my profession neither do I drive a car. How do you propose claims be paid other than the collective premiums collected? This month I spent three weeks collecting claims and realised some serious abuse for via repeat claims for NCD from some persons.

I note that Kammie would like to see insurance premiums paid as a deductible for income tax purposes which naturally would benefit the insurance industry as more people would be tempted to buy insurance policies, and insurance use the deductible as a marketing strategy to obtain new business. What he did not say that such an approach would consequently reduced revenue for government as claimants would get back more income tax, for example, if i spent $1000 in premiums yearly my income tax refund would be $350 more for the year of purchase and subsequents years. I hope you get the drift Mr. Holder.

Mr. Holder, the insurance industry needs to make serious contributions to Barbados’ development. I am yet to see the industry making large donations to the health care or educational sector. Has the industry established any endownments.

I will further state that some of Barbados’ businesses do not contribute meaninfully to its development. Lets use the Barbados Light & Power Co., a monopoly what does it give back to society. I can only recall it sponsoring the lighting programme. The Financial sector; the banking sector makes millions and export the profits. That sector needs to be scrutinised by the Barbadain consumers and be pressured to contributing towards the health care and education sectors.

The Insurance industry needs to revisit it selective policy of not insuring people who are obsese or insisting on persons who want to procure insurance over a specified amount undertake an HIV test. The acturarial calculation should take care of those categoreis. How many people have been denied insurance coverage because they have been considered obsese or diagnosed with HIV?

Insurance should not be about selected risk, it is about acturararial prediction, for example, out of a population of lets assume 1000, x% might experience ceratain illnesses and the cost should be computed accordingly.

Mr. Holder, shouldn’t the insurance industry set a side a sum to take care of persons who have been injured in hit-and-run accidents. Some years ago while studying pension and insurance administration I came across this feature in the Brithsh system. Let me know if I misunderstood what I read.

I have had medical insurance for over twenty five years and it is only within the last two years that I have started to use it, and the deductibles are so great that sometimes one wonders why one continues to pay such high prmiums when healthcare is free to all barbadians, but one never knows so it is better to “err” on the side of caution.

I gone

The Minister is wrong plain and simple.

It is foolishness plain and simpe that those foreigners who pay taxes here cannot acess health benefits, but that any stray Bajan who migrated half a century ago and has never paid a cent of taxes here can show up and access health benefits.

At the next electon we shall punish both the Minister and the DLP for this.

We might soon hear that only citizens can collect NIS pensions even though legal residents have contributed.

@islandgal

The issue here is about people needing to regularize their status. Once that it is done there is no issue.

Here is an early press report on the matter:

http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/drug-fix-coming/

@islandgal

That is not BU’s understanding. The complaints seems to be associated with those who have been too lazy to regularize their status.

if you want to be a part of a school you have to wear the uniform, if you want to reap the benefits of Barbados, go and regularize your status and stop this free sponging

Dear David at 8:40 Sunday night I asked you “But if a Minister and or party is doing the unreasonably things why should I vote for them?”

and you haven’t answer me yet.