Lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle said Tuesday that Virgin Islands residents should be able to access high quality health care, but they disagreed about whether the current plan for National Health Insurance is the right way to go about achieving that goal.
During a debate on an amendment to the Social Security Board Act that would set up administration for NHI — which later passed unanimously — Health and Social Development Minister Ronnie Skelton said that passing the bill “will no doubt be recorded in history as a defining moment” for the current administration.
The plan for a tax-funded universal coverage health care system has been well researched and much debated, Mr. Skelton said.
He added that a series of public meetings and stakeholder consultations on the NHI system was probably the “widest public consultation” seen on a government initiative in recent memory.
But opposition member Andrew Fahie (R-D1) contended that there are still too many unanswered questions about how the system will operate. He added that his main concerns are how exactly residents’ contributions will be collected, and whether the system will be financially sustainable.
See the April 10, 2014 edition for full coverage.
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